Muhammad Rakhim Khan Madrasah

Muhammad Rakhim Khan II ruled Khiva from the 1860s until his death in 1910, the longest reign of the dynasty. He was a patron of poets, musicians and calligraphers, wrote verse himself under the pen name Feruz, and brought the first printing press to Khiva. He was also the khan under whom the khanate lost its independence: after Russian troops took Khiva in 1873 he signed the treaty that made it a protectorate of the Russian Empire, ending the slave trade and ceding the right bank of the Amu Darya.

The building

His madrasah stands on the square directly opposite the east gate of the Kunya-Ark, so that the khan’s residence and his college face each other. Completed in 1871, it measures about 62 by 50 metres and follows the classic plan: a tall entrance portal with a vestibule, a courtyard with four iwans, and two storeys of student cells under small domes, with corner towers at the angles of the façade. A mosque occupies part of the south wing. The decoration is restrained by Khiva standards, with tile panels on the portal and towers.

The square

In front of the madrasah, between it and the Kunya-Ark, was a public square used for gatherings, announcements and, it is said, executions. Today it is an open space where you can take in the Ark walls and the madrasah portal together.

Inside

The courtyard and cells house a museum devoted to Muhammad Rakhim Khan II and his court: manuscripts, portraits, photographs, robes and items from the palace, along with the poetry of Feruz and his circle. It is a good place to understand the last decades of the khanate before 1920.