Khiva’s water

How Khiva got its name
Many years ago, between the Central Asian deserts of the Kyzyl-Kum and Kaza-kum, on the spot where Khiva now stands, there was a very small settlement, which had no name. Very kind and friendly people lived there, and because of their fresh clean water, hundreds of caravans carrying silk, cloth, gold and spices from the Orient passed through.
One day three travellers, who were tired and thirsty, came to this settlement and one of them, after drinking the water from the well, exclaimed, “Khey vakh!” (“What a pleasure!”).

Therefore, the city became known as Kheyvakh, whence Khiva.