Fortress · 1st–4th c. AD; rebuilt 12th–13th c.
Kyzyl-Kala (Red Fortress)
A compact, square fortress of ancient Khorezm whose reddish walls have been partly restored, giving a clear idea of how these desert strongholds once looked. It stands a short drive from Toprak-Kala.
About
Kyzyl-Kala, “the red fortress”, takes its name from the warm colour of its clay. It is small, roughly 65 metres square, with walls that still stand high and corner and intermediate towers along each side. Archaeologists date its founding to the first to fourth centuries AD, the same period as nearby Toprak-Kala, and it may have been one of the outposts protecting the royal city and the canals that fed the oasis.
A second life
Kyzyl-Kala was rebuilt and reoccupied in the twelfth and early thirteenth centuries, when the Khorezmshahs ruled a large empire from Gurganj (Konye-Urgench). The fortress was abandoned after the Mongol conquest of Khorezm in 1220–1221, along with much of the farmland around it.
Restoration
In recent decades parts of the walls have been restored, so Kyzyl-Kala is one of the easiest of the Khorezm fortresses to read: the rhythm of the towers, the crenellated tops and the thickness of the walls are all clear. Purists may prefer the eroded ruins elsewhere; for most visitors, it is a helpful first stop that makes sense of the rest.
Experiencing it
Walk around the outside of the walls first, then inside. Kyzyl-Kala is usually visited with Toprak-Kala and Ayaz-Kala on a single day from Khiva, often as the first stop of the morning.
What to see
- Restored red clay walls and towers
- A clear plan of a Khorezm desert fortress
- The view to Toprak-Kala across the fields
- Layers from antiquity and the Khorezmshah period
- An easy first stop on the fortresses route
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