This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).
The Silk Road city of Khiva in Uzbekistan is often described as a living museum. Well-preserved streets, mosques made of baked mud bricks and majestic fortress walls evoke the spirit of the Silk Road and its caravans, which once passed through in great numbers. This year, Khiva fought off competition from the likes of Abu Dhabi, Lagos in Nigeria and Urfa in Turkey to be named 2024 Tourism Capital of the Islamic World. The decision was made by the 57 countries that belong to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an intergovernmental organisation that’s striven to be the collective voice of the Muslim world since the 1960s. The OIC has a history of choosing lesser-visited destinations such as Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and Gabala, in Azerbaijan, for this annual award, helping to boost their tourism development and visibility significantly. Here’s why 2024 is the time to visit Khiva.