Karimova Oksana Sanzharbatirova

My start as a guide.

As most of you know, I work as a guide. But the newcomers who are just joining us don't know. So I want to tell you, my dear ones, how it all started.

But I would like to note that this is like a family weakness or passed on to us from our ancestors. The story is this: my grandfather (that is, my father’s father) was born and raised in Khiva, in the old city of Ichan-Kala. And since he came from a wealthy family that served the Grand Vizier Islam Hoja, my grandfather was a very educated and just man. After the Khan period, he knew Arabic and Russian very well.

And so he, like a native Khivin, who grew up in the old city, knew all the alleys, secret stories and the truth of this city. Everyone who met him always asked for a story from the beginning of the twentieth century.

And here we are, what I know comes from my grandfather and my aunt, who he trained as a guide. So after graduating (although I was finishing marketing), I suddenly decided to become a guide.

In the fall of 2006, a very good man (unfortunately, he left this world) offered me to read all the literature on the history of Uzbekistan and gave me a deadline: by March 2007, I had to be ready for all his questions. I will never forget his words as I prepared for my first trip. He said, "You're a teacher here." Just as you were taught everything in first grade, so you will teach our guests. The guests are also here for the first time and they don’t know anything like first graders. So don't worry!

And that’s how my story of working as a guide began.

Short tour of the old town

Excursion:

Walking.

Duration:

3.5 hours

The cost of the tour:

$ 100 per group from 1 to 4 people, regardless of the number of participants (meaning that there will be only you and the guide, without strangers:)

Additional costs:

The entrance ticket to the museum is 200,000 soums per person, the entrance ticket to the minaret of Islam Khoja is 100,000 soums per person.

Meeting place:

Meet at the square at the gate of Ota-darvoz: I send Geotega after confirmation of the meeting.

Dress code for entering mosques

1. The body, shoulders and legs just below the knees should be closed in men and women (a t-shirt fits no jersey).

2. Clothing should not shine through.

3. The girls need to bring a headscarf.

4. At the entrance to the mosque you need to take off your shoes, so if you disdain, take a change of socks with you.