It takes roughly an hour to drive from Khiva to Biruniy and a further hour to get to Ayaz

Panoramic view of the empty interior refuge of Ayaz qala 1.
Note the vaulted arch and the Akcha Ko'l Lake in the background.



The rectangular entrance on the southern flank of Ayaz qala 1.

The fortress is thought to have continued in use up to around the 1st century AD, although it might have provided refuge for local inhabitants well into the early medieval period. 

Ayaz qala 2
Ayaz qala 2 is a much smaller feudal fort built on a conical hill to the south west of Ayaz qala 1. It has an irregular shape with a rounded end on the eastern side and a rectangular end on the western side. There is an additional rectangular entrance structure on its southern side and a long ramp leading down to a complex of ruins below.