So the story that goes with this minaret is that it was never finished… since the architect was lured to Bukhara to make the Khan there an even taller one.

The Khan of Khiva was a little miffed about this, and sent his men to fetch the troublesome designer. As punishment, the architect was thrown to his death from his own unfinished work in Khiva – but ironically, the tower was not tall enough, so it took three attempts for them to finish the job.