An observatory by necessity
Inside the Itchan Kala, Khiva’s inner walled city, the horizon does not exist. The defensive walls are formidable structures, reaching heights of 8 to 10 meters and a thickness of 5 to 6 meters. From the ground level of the bustling city, any view of the sunrise or sunset is completely obscured. For a society that relied on the sun's position to determine prayer times, agricultural cycles, and the calendar itself, this presented a significant problem. The solution was to build upward. The Kuhna Ark, the city’s fortress, contains a dedicated watchtower that rises above the ramparts. This structure, along with the city’s numerous minarets, provided the only platforms from which a clear, 360-degree view of the horizon was possible.
From these elevated points, an observer could precisely mark the position of sunrise and sunset throughout the year. These observations were the foundation of timekeeping. The highest of these structures, the Islam-Khoja Minaret, stands 56.5 meters tall, making it the tallest in Uzbekistan. The unfinished Kalta-Minor Minaret, started in 1852, was designed to be between 70 and 80 meters high before construction halted at 29 meters. While their primary stated purpose was the call to prayer, their function as observational platforms for tracking solar and celestial events would have been a practical necessity. Viewing the city from these heights reveals a system of spatial reference points, with each major tower marking a mosque or madrasah.