# Toprak-Kala palace city near Khiva > Toprak-Kala is the excavated capital of ancient Khorezm: a 500 × 350 m walled town with a three-towered palace, in the Karakalpakstan desert. It's 1.5–2 hours' drive from Khiva, about an hour on site. Entry is a token **10,000–20,000 UZS** in cash (unofficial). It's an open ruin with no set hours — go in daylight, ideally in the morning. Web page: https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/toprak-kala - City: [Khiva](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva), Uzbekistan - YesGo score: 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Token fee: 10,000 UZS per person (unofficial, 2022), 20,000 UZS per fort in a tour listing; no official price list - Hours: No set hours — it's an open-air ruin; go in daylight - Closed: Never - Payment: Som in cash only — no card terminals or ATMs at the site; get cash in Khiva or Urgench - From Khiva: 1.5–2 hours by car via Urgench and the Amu Darya bridge, then north on the Nukus highway - Public transport: None — hire a car and driver, join a tour or book a transfer - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour on site; 6–8 hours with Ayaz-Kala and the drive - Location: Ellikqala District, Karakalpakstan, about 12 km from Bo‘ston, just off the Nukus–Khorezm highway - Coordinates: 41.92861, 60.82083 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **500 × 350 m** — the rectangle of the town walls — a whole city, not just a fort (source: Orexca; Karakalpakstan tourism portal; Turkestan Travel) - **23 kings** — statues of Khorezmian rulers once stood in the palace's Hall of Kings (source: Karakalpakstan tourism portal; Turkestan Travel) - **3 towers** — rose from the palace in the north-west corner of the town (source: Orexca; Turkestan Travel (three blocks on tall plinths)) - **Capital of Khorezm** — in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD, before the seat moved elsewhere (source: English Wikipedia 'Toprak-Kala'; Orexca (residence of the Khorezm shahs early in the 1st millennium)) - **≈ 150 rooms** — in the palace; around a hundred ground-floor rooms partly survive (source: Russian Wikipedia, Orexca (150); Karakalpakstan tourism portal, Turkestan Travel (≈ 100)) - **Leather and wood archive** — palace records dated to years 188 and 252 of the Khwarazmian era (source: English Wikipedia; Karakalpakstan tourism portal; Russian Wikipedia) - **Sergey Tolstov** — his Khorezm Expedition worked here from the late 1930s and dug the palace in the late 1940s (source: English Wikipedia (1938); Orexca (1938); Russian Wikipedia (palace 1945–1950); Turkestan Travel (1946–1950)) - **Hermitage** — the St Petersburg museum holds reliefs and mural fragments from the 1940s digs (source: English Wikipedia; Turkestan Travel) - **9 m** — width of the main street running through the town to the palace (source: Karakalpakstan tourism portal; Turkestan Travel) - **4th–5th c.** — the palace became a citadel, then the town emptied (source: Russian Wikipedia; Turkestan Travel; Orexca (abandoned in the 5th century)) - **UNESCO Tentative List** — part of the 'Desert Castles of Ancient Khorezm' series (source: English Wikipedia 'Desert castles of ancient Khorezm'; Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 19 km** — in a straight line to Ayaz-Kala — easy to see both in one outing (source: YesGo calculation from Wikidata coordinates) > **It's not in Khiva: plan half a day at least** Toprak-Kala lies in the desert beyond the Amu Darya, 1.5–2 hours' drive from Khiva, and no bus goes there. The ruins have no shade, water, café or toilet. In summer arrive early, bring water, a hat and som in cash, and combine it with Ayaz-Kala — it's the same road. ## What is Toprak-Kala? Toprak-Kala is more than a fort: it's a **walled palace city** that served as the capital of ancient Khorezm in the first centuries AD. Its walls form a 500 by 350 metre rectangle, a 9-metre-wide main street ran through the middle, and in the north-west corner the **three-towered palace of the Khorezm shahs** stood on a raised platform of mud brick. The palace held around 150 halls and rooms. The famous ones are the **Hall of Kings**, with statues of 23 Khorezmian rulers, plus the Hall of Victories, the Hall of Warriors, the Deer Hall and the Hall of Dancing Masks. Walls were covered in murals and painted clay reliefs. Excavators also found a **palace archive** — records on leather and wooden tablets listing goods and the men of large households. Soviet archaeologist **Sergey Tolstov** and his Khorezm Expedition began work here in the late 1930s and uncovered the palace in the late 1940s. The best reliefs and mural fragments went to Leningrad and are still in the Hermitage. In the 4th century the palace was turned into a citadel, and by the 5th–6th century the town was empty. Today you get bare adobe ruins with no museum and hardly any signs. The payoff is that the layout reads at a glance — corridors, rooms, niches, stairways, the line of the walls and the straight street. Nothing has been rebuilt, unlike [Itchan Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-itchan-kala), and that's the point of coming. ## How to get to Toprak-Kala from Khiva 1. Hire a car and driver for half a day or a full day — at your guesthouse, at the Ota Darvoza West Gate, or by booking a tour. There's no public transport to the site. 2. Agree the fare before you set off: the drive out, waiting time at each fort and the return. Drivers usually do a loop — Toprak-Kala, neighbouring Kyzyl-Kala and [Ayaz-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/ayaz-kala). 3. The road heads north from Khiva through Urgench, crosses the Amu Darya and follows the Khorezm–Nukus highway. Allow 1.5–2 hours. 4. About 12 km past Bo‘ston, the Ellikqala district town, the palace mound appears just off the highway. The car parks right by the ruins; the walls are a two-minute walk. 5. Give it an hour. Then continue to Kyzyl-Kala nearby or to Ayaz-Kala, about 19 km away as the crow flies, where the yurt camp serves lunch. You'll be back in Khiva by evening. ## Toprak-Kala entrance fee and how to pay Entry is cheap, but there's no official price list. Unofficial figures from 2022 put it at **10,000 UZS** per person; a Khiva tour listing says **20,000 UZS for each fort** and leaves tickets out of the tour price. Either way it's a small sum, but you'll need it in cash. **Paying.** Bring Uzbek som in cash — there are no card terminals or ATMs out here. Visa and Mastercard work at banks, ATMs and larger hotels in Khiva and Urgench, so withdraw or change US dollars or euros there and keep small notes. If someone asks for money with no ticket and no posted price, politely ask for a ticket. The real cost is the car. A driver for the day or a tour costs far more than the fee, so share the ride and see all the Ellikqala forts in one go. ## What to see at Toprak-Kala - **The palace platform** — the main event: climb up and walk the corridors between the rooms. From the top you see the whole town below and the desert beyond. - **The Hall of Kings and the state rooms** — walls and niches survive. Picture the 23 royal statues and painted reliefs; the originals are in the Hermitage. - **The town walls** — a 500 × 350 m rectangle with towers. Walk part of the circuit to feel the scale. - **The main street** — a straight axis through the town to the palace, with housing blocks on either side. - **Tandoor ovens and stairs** in the excavated houses — they show how ordinary townspeople lived. - **Kyzyl-Kala next door** — a small fort that restorers have rebuilt, a handy picture of what the ruins once looked like. ## Is Toprak-Kala worth it? Yes, if ancient history is your thing and you have a spare half-day in Khiva. Toprak-Kala is the most complete town plan among the desert forts: you can trace a palace, a street grid and city walls from one spot. Combined with Ayaz-Kala's hilltop view, it makes a strong day out of Khiva. Skip it if you only have one day in Khiva — Itchan Kala deserves all of it. It's also a poor fit if you want restored monuments, shade or museum displays: this is raw mud brick in an open plain, and without some reading beforehand it can look like a set of earth mounds. Going with a guide helps. Tours from Khiva usually run 6–8 hours and cover Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Ayaz-Kala, with someone to explain where the Hall of Kings stood. Heading on to Bukhara? A Khiva–Bukhara transfer via the forts costs you little extra road and turns a long drive into a day among ruins. ## How long do you need, and when to go? Toprak-Kala itself takes **about an hour**: up onto the platform, a loop of the palace, a look along the walls and street. With the drive from Khiva and Ayaz-Kala, it's a 6–8-hour day. Leave early so you're done with the ruins before the midday heat. Spring and autumn are best — warm but bearable, with soft light on the adobe. In summer there's no shade at all, so come first thing or late in the afternoon. Winter is cold and windy, but you'll likely have the place to yourself. For a desert sunset, visit Toprak-Kala first and Ayaz-Kala last — you can stay the night in its yurt camp. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Car and driver, or a tour, booked for half a day or more - [ ] Som in cash, small notes — for the entry fee - [ ] At least a litre of water per person - [ ] Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses - [ ] Closed shoes — the platform slopes are dusty and crumbly - [ ] Read up on the Hall of Kings and the archive — there are almost no signs ## Toprak-Kala vs Ayaz-Kala | | Toprak-Kala | Ayaz-Kala | Itchan Kala | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Palace city, capital of ancient Khorezm | Forts on a hill at the desert's edge | Khiva's walled old town | | Highlight | Palace and town layout | Kyzylkum desert views | Minarets, madrasas, palaces | | Climb | Short, onto the palace platform | A walk up to the hilltop | None | | Next to it | Kyzyl-Kala nearby | A yurt camp at the foot | Everything within walking distance | | Time needed | ≈ 1 hour | ≈ 90 minutes | 3 hours to a full day | No need to choose: Ayaz-Kala is about 19 km away in a straight line, so both fit in one outing. Toprak-Kala for history and layout, Ayaz-Kala for the view. ## Historic sites around Khiva compared Every historic site in and around Khiva rated by YesGo. - [Kalta Minor](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kalta-minor) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free, outside view - [Juma Mosque](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-juma-mosque) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Itchan Kala ticket, ≈ 250,000 UZS - [Islam Khodja Minaret](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/islam-khodja-minaret) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Climb ≈ 100,000 UZS - [Pahlavan Mahmud Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/pahlavan-mahmud-mausoleum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · ≈ 20,000–30,000 UZS, separate - [Nurullabay Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/nurullabay-palace) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ≈ 80,000–120,000 UZS - [Tash-Hauli Palace](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/tash-hauli-palace) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Itchan Kala pass ≈ 250,000 UZS - [Kunya-Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kunya-ark) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 250,000 UZS pass; tower extra - [Itchan Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-itchan-kala) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ 250,000 UZS, valid 48 hours - [Ayaz-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/ayaz-kala) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Token fee, about $1–4 - [Toprak-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/toprak-kala) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 10,000–20,000 UZS, cash ## The Ellikqala forts and an evening in Khiva Toprak-Kala first — it's the nearest on the way out of Khiva — then Ayaz-Kala with lunch at the yurt camp, and back for sunset from the Kunya-Ark watchtower and a stroll through the old town. Add them to your route and YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Toprak-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/toprak-kala) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ 10,000–20,000 UZS, cash 2. [Ayaz-Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/ayaz-kala) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Token fee, about $1–4 3. [Kunya-Ark](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/kunya-ark) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ 250,000 UZS pass; tower extra 4. [Itchan Kala](https://yesgo.io/uzbekistan/khiva/khiva-itchan-kala) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ 250,000 UZS, valid 48 hours ## Not to be confused with This Toprak-Kala, the Khorezmian palace city in Karakalpakstan, is not Toprakkale near Lake Van in Turkey — an Urartian fortress with a similar name. You'll also see it spelled Toprak Qala or Tuproqqal'a. And Itchan Kala is Khiva's walled old town, not a desert ruin. ## Tips - Start on the palace platform: from up there the town plan makes sense, and the rest is easier to read. - Pair it with Ayaz-Kala and Kyzyl-Kala — they share the road, and a special trip for one fort isn't good value. - The platform slopes are loose — wear closed shoes, not sandals. - Stay off the thin walls and don't touch the brickwork — the mud brick crumbles underfoot. - Desert wind kicks up dust: sunglasses and a scarf or buff help even in spring. - Fine with kids who like 'real excavations'; keep small children close at the platform edge. - If you pass through St Petersburg, the Hermitage's Khorezm finds make the ruins much easier to picture. ## Questions ### Where is Toprak-Kala? In Ellikqala District, Karakalpakstan, about 12 km from the district town of Bo‘ston and just off the Khorezm–Nukus highway. From Khiva it's 1.5–2 hours by car via Urgench and the Amu Darya bridge. ### How far is Toprak-Kala from Khiva? About 72 km in a straight line from Itchan Kala, by our calculation from Wikidata coordinates; the road is longer because it loops through Urgench and over the river. Allow 1.5–2 hours each way. ### How do I get to Toprak-Kala from Khiva? By car only: a driver hired for half a day or a full day, a tour, or a Khiva–Bukhara transfer via the forts. There's no bus. Most trips combine Toprak-Kala, Kyzyl-Kala and Ayaz-Kala. ### How much is the Toprak-Kala entrance fee? A token sum: unofficially 10,000–20,000 UZS. There's no official price list; pay in som cash on site. Tours from Khiva usually don't include it. ### How long do you need at Toprak-Kala? About an hour for the platform, a loop of the palace and a look at the walls. With the drive from Khiva and Ayaz-Kala, plan 6–8 hours. ### What is Toprak-Kala famous for? Its palace: three towers on a raised platform, around 150 rooms, a Hall of Kings with statues of 23 rulers, and an archive written on leather and wood — one of the key sites of ancient Khorezm. ### Can I visit Toprak-Kala without a tour? Yes — hire a car and driver in Khiva and agree the price, waiting time and return up front. There are almost no signs on site, so read about the palace before you go. ### Toprak-Kala or Ayaz-Kala — which is better? Do both; they're about 19 km apart in a straight line. Toprak-Kala is for the layout of an ancient palace city, Ayaz-Kala for the hilltop desert view. ### When is the best time to visit Toprak-Kala? Spring or autumn, in the morning. Summer middays are scorching with no shade; winter is cold and windy. ### Is Toprak-Kala worth visiting? Yes, if you like ancient history and have a spare half-day in Khiva. With just one day in Khiva, spend it in Itchan Kala instead. ## How we checked Toprak-Kala is an open-air ruin with no official website, ticket office or timetable, so the fee, hours and closing days are marked unofficial. Fees differ: 10,000 UZS per person in a Beyond Catastrophe forum report (January 2022) and 20,000 UZS per fort in a GuruWalk tour listing — we show both. Reports that the site has recently been fenced and ticketed could not be confirmed. Dates vary: English Wikipedia gives the 1st–5th century with the capital in the 2nd–3rd, Orexca the 1st–5th, the Karakalpakstan tourism portal the 1st–6th, so we say 'first centuries AD'. Wall height (8–9 m per the Karakalpakstan portal and Turkestan Travel, 20 m per Orexca), the palace's height with towers (25–30 m in various sources, 40 m in Russian Wikipedia) and the area (17.5 ha from the 500 × 350 m dimensions, over 120 ha in Russian Wikipedia) conflict, so we leave them out. Start of excavations: 1937 in Russian Wikipedia, 1938 in English Wikipedia and Orexca, 1940 per Turkestan Travel — we say 'late 1930s'. Kyzyl-Kala is about 1 km away per English Wikipedia but about 3 km by Wikidata coordinates, so we give no figure. The 72 km to Khiva and 19 km to Ayaz-Kala are our straight-line calculations from Wikidata coordinates. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: 'Toprak-Kala', 'Desert castles of ancient Khorezm' - Russian Wikipedia: 'Топрак-кала'; Wikidata Q2443559 - Orexca: 'Toprak-Kala, Karakalpakstan' — size, palace, towers, excavations - Karakalpakstan tourism portal: 'Toprak-kala' page — town, palace, halls, archive - Turkestan Travel: 'Karakalpakstan — Toprak Kala Fortress' — palace, halls, excavation years, finds - Beyond Catastrophe forum, January 2022: trip report on Toprak-Kala — entry fee, drive time - GuruWalk: Khiva ancient fortresses tour — fee per fort - Tripster: catalogue of Khiva fortress tours — tour lengths --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.