Going to Tatarstan, it is worth paying attention to its sights, among which there are outstanding historical monuments. Not far from Kazan, on the left bank of the river you can see the ruins of an old white-stone city - this is the Bulgar. For more than five centuries, the City has been the arbiter of the destinies of the peoples who inhabited the Volga and Ural regions, the Golden Horde and the Volga Bulgaria. Currently, it is located in the Republic of Tatarstan and to this day remains an important historical monument.
A bit of history ...
Bulgar is an ancient city, which was founded by Turkic-speaking tribes living on the Volga lands. At first it was only a small fortification and only later increased to the size of the city. It is located on a high bank at the confluence of the Kama River in the Volga, which created excellent conditions for the overview of the nearest land and river. In the shortest possible time, the city became a very large trade center in the region. Very soon after the founding of the ancient Bulgar, Islam became the main religion.
During its heyday, the settlement was considered a center of handicraft. Skilled jewelers, tailors, blacksmiths lived and worked on its territory.
In the first half of the thirteenth century, the Golden Horde attacked the city and practically destroyed it and plundered it. It is not known for certain what Bulgar was before the Mongol invasion. The architecture of the ancient Bulgar can be judged only by the description of foreign travelers and merchants. It is only known that the buildings in those days were wooden.
Quickly enough, the city was rebuilt. But only now, stone structures were already at the heart of architecture. After the conquest by the Mongols, the Volga Bulgaria was created on the site of the revived city - this is the administrative center of the conquered lands. In those days, the Cathedral Mosque and the Khan's Palace were erected. The remains of these buildings can be seen now.
In the fourteenth century, the city was again destroyed during the Tamerlane invasion, and another hundred years later, by Russian troops under the leadership of Pestrov Fedor. All this led to the fact that the Bulgar (photo is given in the article) finally fell into decay. Kazan gradually became the new center of the region, and earlier the famous settlement turned into a village.
Achievements of the ancient center
The Bulgar is not just an ancient fortification, but a large center that played a very important role in the historical development of the region, which included Eastern Europe. The city in the fourteenth century became one of the largest in Europe. Its population at that time reached 50 thousand inhabitants. It had serious fortifications, it was possible to get into it only through massive gates.
At that time, there was already water supply in Bulgaria, fountains were functioning, and baths were built. Craftsmen made dishes, bronze ware, mirrors, and jewelry. In the fourteenth century, pig iron was already melted here. Coins of silver and copper were minted in the city. In Russian chronicles, the city is called the Great Bulgar.
City name
At the end of the eighteenth century, on the site of the ancient Bulgar, the small town of Spassk was erected, which was a transshipment point for storing all kinds of goods for the region. On all maps he was listed as Spassk. However, in order to distinguish it from other settlements with the same name, the village was renamed Spassk-Tatar. In the period of the USSR, it was renamed Kuibyshev. The city bore a new name from 1935 to 1957. Subsequently, the settlement was flooded by the Kuibyshev reservoir.
In 1957, a new town of the same name was built nearby. Gradually, the settlement grew and swallowed the village. The city acquired the name in honor of the ancient Bulgar after the collapse of the USSR.
It is worth noting that the Bulgar is the official name. But residents of Tatarstan often call the settlement Great Bulgars or Bulgar. How to pronounce and write the name is still not exactly decided. There is a lot of discussion around this issue.
Local Attractions
Currently, visitors to the region are interested in the sights of Bulgar (Tatarstan). Excursions to the ruins of the ancient city - one of the most popular routes.
Inspection of the objects of the ancient complex can begin with the Eastern Mausoleum, which was erected in the thirteenth century. The unique structure is a tomb of noble Bulgarians, erected in the form of a tent. An interesting fact is that the building was being erected at about the same time as other objects, but it was much better preserved.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, it began to be used as a church. Currently, inside the building there is an exposition consisting of finds during archaeological excavations. The exhibits will tell guests about the history of the castle from the time it appeared to the present day.
Northern Mausoleum
The Northern Mausoleum, erected at the beginning of the fourteenth century, also belongs to the sights of Bulgaria. In former times, the building served as a food storehouse in the monastery; it was called the monastery cellar. Unfortunately, to this day very few parts have survived from the building. Tourists can see only the inner walls and pieces of the mausoleum facing. Now here you can see the insert of Bulgarian monuments.
Chapel
In Great Bulgaria there are many attractions, but none of them attracts as many tourists as a chapel, erected in honor of the martyr Abraham of Bulgaria. Visitors are attracted by its healing source. It is located among a complex of buildings built in the best traditions of architecture of the era of the Volga Bulgaria.
Cathedral Mosque
Specialists rightly call the city of Bulgar a miracle, since this is the only monument of the Golden Horde period that has survived to this day. Among the fortifications, the Cathedral Mosque, built at the beginning of the thirteenth century , stands out especially.
At this time, the Bulgar became the center of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria. The mosque was significantly higher in height than the other buildings of the complex and is clearly visible from afar. The magnificent building embodied the significance of the Islamic faith. In the northern part of the old building you can see the ledge, on the site of which the minaret once stood. Unfortunately, it has not survived to the present day.
"House of the doctor"
The museum, called the House of the Healer, was opened in 2012. It is created on the basis of archaeological finds. Its exposition is dedicated to medieval healing. Written sources say that the Bulgar was the center for the development of science and, of course, medicine. The works and views of Abu Ali Ibn Sina and Abu Ibn Zakaria have made a great contribution to the development of medical science in the region. The doctors from Bulgaria were widely known in the Muslim world. Their scientific works were widespread. The formation of Bulgarian science took place in close connection with all-Islamic science, which is confirmed by archaeological research. The city even developed crafts related to medicine.
White mosque
The White Mosque is a modern building built in 2012. The best creations of Islamic architecture were taken as a model for construction. The ensemble of the White Mosque is complemented by a prayer square, surrounded by an arcade of 88 columns in oriental style. Minaret towers and the main dome are decorated with stained glass windows. No less beautiful is the interior of the temple. The mosque has a prayer room decorated with columns with oriental crescents. The walls of the temple are decorated with elegant Arabic script quoting the pages of the Koran.
The majestic temple attracts the attention of not only tourists, but also ministers of Islam, who come here from all over the country. According to visitors' reviews, one photo is not able to convey all the grandeur and beauty of the structure. From afar, the structure is very similar to the Indian Taj Mahal.
Tourists coming on excursions can enjoy the beauty of the prayer area. The mosque complex includes buildings for confessors. In the near future it is planned to set up gardens and flower beds around the temple.
Commemorative sign
In 2012, an unusual memorial sign appeared in the museum-reserve in honor of the event of the adoption of Islam in 922 by the Volga Bulgars. It is a building, in the main building of which is the largest printed Quran in the world, which is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It is printed in Italy, the volume of the volume reaches 500 kg.
The cover of the Koran is a malachite cloth, decorated with semiprecious stones, silver and gold. And in the basement of the building is a museum of the Koran. Within its walls, tourists can learn a lot about the history of Islam. And also about significant events in the region. One of the exhibits of the museum is a mosaic canvas, which tells about the day of the adoption of the Islamic faith by the Volga Bulgarians.
Large minaret
A large minaret is built into the wall of the mosque. It was recreated not so long ago, in 2000. The present ancient minaret was lost in 1941. It collapsed due to the formed voids dug by treasure hunters. The collapse occurred at night and was accompanied by such a noise that it could be heard far outside the city. Currently, the recreated minaret is open to tourists. You can climb the stairs to a height of 32 meters and admire the surroundings from the height of the building.
Assumption fortress
The Assumption Church, erected for the monastery in the eighteenth century, is located near the Cathedral Mosque. It was previously believed that the temple was built on the site of the Khan's palace.
Currently, there is a museum, the exposition of which is dedicated to the history of the Bulgar. All exhibits of the institution are finds discovered during excavations.
Black chamber
On the territory of the ancient city of Bulgar in Tatarstan there are a lot of interesting structures, the purpose of some of them is still not known. One of these buildings is the Black House, nicknamed it because it darkened during the fire. The monumental building was erected in the fourteenth century.
It is crowned by a hemispherical dome. In the basement there is one room into which a staircase leads. The upper hall under the dome is beautifully lit and equipped with three entrances. Not the whole building has survived to this day, it was partially destroyed. So far, experts have not been able to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what the purpose of the Black Chamber was. Some believe that this is a mosque built for the area of artisans, while others stand on the version of the court or the mausoleum.
White House
Not far from the Black Chamber is White. This is not to say that this is a full-fledged building. Tourists can only see the excavated base. But even it allows you to assess the scale of the structure and its purpose. Once upon a time there were public baths in the walls of the chambers, equipped with sewage, water supply and heating. The length of the structure was about 30 meters, the height of the building reached six meters. In the center of the bathhouse there was a pool, also in the bathhouse there were locker rooms and rest rooms. In a separate room there were furnaces and boilers for water, which, after heating, entered the washing compartment.
At the time, there were many structures on the territory of the city: the Khan’s Palace, mosques, a minaret, baths, outbuildings, workshops, houses of nobles and the poor, and so on. The Bulgar was surrounded by earthen ramparts, wooden walls and ditches with water. Outside the city was an old Russian village, and in the west - an Armenian settlement. In the southern part, the Small Town adjoined the settlement. Presumably on its territory was the summer residence of the head of the city.
Museum of bread
In the area of the ancient city is the Bread Museum, where you can see all the cycles of production of the product: from sowing to baking. Most of the exposure is in the main building in three rooms. On the territory of the museum you can see the miller’s house, created from original photographs.
In the reconstruction of the institution used household items, furniture, clothing, tools of the era of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Interesting objects of the exposition are operating windmills and water mills. In them you can see the process of grinding grain.
Instead of an afterword
Bulgar is located 195 kilometers from Kazan.
The settlement can be called a tourist center, designed for a one-day stay. You can get to the city by bus, car or boat. Excursion trips are organized from Kazan, their services can also be used. It is worth remembering that the Bulgar is a large complex that is difficult to get around on foot. It is convenient to come here by car. On site, tourists are offered to rent mini-cars for ease of movement. Every day there are guided tours in Bulgaria, which you can join if you arrived on your own.
The Historical Museum-Reserve is open from 8.00 to 17.00 all days except Saturday and Sunday. But with the start of the tourist season (April 1), the complex is open for guests daily.