Khwarazm

Khwarazm (Chorasmia)
Khwarazm Location of the Khwarazm heartland in Western Asia.
Map of Khwarazm during the early Islamic period
Today part of	Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

Khwarazm /kwəˈræzəm/, or Chorasmia /kəˈræzmiə/ (Old Persian: Uvârazmiya, Persian: خوارزم‎, Xwârazm or Xârazm), is a large oasis region on the Amu Darya river delta in western Central Asia, bordered on the north by the (former) Aral Sea, on the east by the Kyzylkum Desert, on the south by the Karakum Desert, and on the west by the Ustyurt Plateau. It was the center of the Iranian^[1] Khwarazmian civilization, and a series of kingdoms such as the Khwarazmian dynasty and the Afrighid dynasty, whose capitals were (among others) Kath, Gurganj (modern Konye-Urgench) and – from the 16th century on – Khiva. Today Khwarazm belongs partly to Uzbekistan and partly to Turkmenistan.

Names and etymology[]

History of Greater Iran
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History of Turkmenistan
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Related historical names of the region
Hyrcania Margiana Greater Iran Greater Khorasan Khwarazm Transcaspia Turkmenia
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Names[]

Khwarazm has been known also as Chorasmia, Khaurism,^[2] Khwarezm, Khwarezmia, Khwarizm, Khwarazm, Khorezm,^[3] Khoresm, Khorasam, Kharazm, Harezm, Horezm, and Chorezm.^[4]

In Avestan the name is Xvairizem; in Old Persian