KALTA MINOR OR "SHORT MINARET"

Located outside the madrasa, at the eastern corner of its façade, Kalta Minor was to have been the highest minaret in the Muslim world, reaching a height of 70m. An architectural challenge for its time, but above all a height that was never attained, as work was abandoned after the khan's death when the minaret reached 29 m.

According to legend, the khan of Bukhara, hearing of the project of his rival from Khiva, and unable to bear living in the shadow of a minaret taller than the Kalon minaret (it was said that when it was completed, Bukhara could be seen from its summit), planned to have the architect removed. His aim was to have an even taller minaret erected in his city, and to prevent his skills from benefiting anyone else... The khan of Khiva then decided to murder the architect as soon as his work was completed. The khan of Bukhara had the same idea, so the architect fled without a second thought, and the minaret remained truncated forever.

The "short minaret" therefore rises to just 29 m, leaving Bukhara with the title of highest minaret: the Kalon minaret measuring 49 m! The Kalta Minor, however, rests on a broad base measuring 14 m on each side. It is entirely and superbly decorated with blue majolica blended with Khiva's distinctive green. You can't climb it, as it's closed to tourists, but you can try your luck with the staff at the Orient Star Hotel (open in the adjoining madrasa).