Whilst the most famous travelling accounts were written during the imperial squabbling over Central Asia between Britain and Russia, the Muslim Moor Abu Abdullah ibn Battuta, visited the oasis almost a millennium ago. Beginning his journey the year after Marco Polo died, Khorezm was just one of the vast and varied territories which the wandering Moor visited. It nevertheless left a distinct impression upon him.
He finally arrived at the capital, Kunya Urgench (known then as Gurgench) after forty days travel by camel. Impressed after the monotony of desert travel, he described it as,

"The largest, greatest, most beautiful and most important city of the Turks. It shakes under the weight of its population, whose movements make it look like a rough sea. One day as I was riding to the bazaar I got stuck in the crowd and couldn't go either forward or backward. I didn't know what to do and had great difficulty in getting back home."

Taken from - The Road to Samarkand - by Wilfred Blunt - 1973

Ibn Battuta was most impressed with the methods employed by the Mullahs to encourage mosque attendance. The Muezzin would not only sing the call to prayer, but also visit door to door reminding the lax about their spiritual duties. Those still failing to attend prayers would receive a public whipping and be fined five dinars, which would go towards the upkeep of the mosque.

Ibn Battuta was also impressed with the hospitality he received during his stay in the Oasis. He was invited to an extravagant banquet by the gout stricken governor of Khorezm, Amir Kutludumur. The governor lavished numerous gifts upon his guest and such a large number of horses that Ibn Battuta refused to record them for fear of being branded a liar.