Interest in Sarai-Batu refers us to the sad pages of Russian history, to the times when, as was taught in Soviet schools, Russia was under the yoke of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. But nowadays, given the multinational composition of Russia, with respect for the feelings of all peoples, a new terminology has been adopted in relation to those times - the Tatar-Mongol yoke is now called the period of the Golden Horde.
Medieval empire
The vast territory controlled by Genghisides Batu stretched from Lake Balkhash, the Aral, Caspian and Black Seas in the south to the Volga Forests and Novgorod lands in the north. In the east, its border was the Ob; in the west, it stretched from the shores of the lower Danube to the Gulf of Finland. The Russian territories were not part of this state except only territorially, but they were vassals of the khans of the Golden Horde for almost 250 years (from 1237 to 1480), obeyed orders and paid a humiliating tribute.
The emergence of the capital
A cunning politician, a brave warrior and a talented commander Khan Batuy (1208-1255) was the grandson of Genghis Khan. Having made a number of successful conquests in 1243, at the place where the Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, in its lower reaches, he founded a state called the Golden Horde. Batu immediately began to build the capital, which was supposed to correspond to the status of a powerful and huge state. He named this place Saray-Batu, and the first mention of it appeared already in 1254 in the book of the wandering Franciscan Rubruk's “Journey to the Eastern Countries”. The capital was in those distant times near modern Astrakhan.
Pearl of the Lower Volga
At that time, the city was incredibly large and rich. For ten kilometers he stretched along the banks of the Aktuba River.
Saray-Batu (or, as it was also called, Saray-al-Mahrusa) fully corresponded to the concept of the capital of a large state. It was also an administrative and political center, the paths of merchants and merchants from around the world converged here. Like in ancient Rome, crafts and all kinds of art developed here, there were jewelry and pottery workshops, weapons were being improved, intensive construction was underway. A very high level of development of skills was achieved by bone cutting masters, glassblowers and processors of precious and semiprecious metals.
Features of Saray Batu
The presence of central heating in Saray-Batu can serve as an indicator of the greatness of the city and its compliance with the high urban standards of that time. The population - about 75 thousand inhabitants - was also amazing. However, his fame spread mainly due to the magnificent Khan's palace, stunning visiting people with grandeur, luxury and decoration. Khan Batuy himself built the city for 12 years - from 1243 to 1254. The place for construction was ideally chosen - the Great Silk Road passed here , the Volga flowed nearby. The policy of the khan was wise, far-sighted and cruel - tribute from a vast subject territory came quickly and regularly. The city grew by leaps and bounds. In the luxurious areas where she lived to know, running water and sewage. In 1395, Tamerlan (Timur ibn Taragai Barlas) after the complete defeat of the Tatar-Mongol army burned to the base the capital of the Golden Horde.
The need for excavation
The Saray-Batu-Astrakhan link is explained not only by its geographical proximity. The archaeological excavations of 1965 were started thanks to scientists and teachers of the ASU History Department. The work was carried out under the guidance of the historian G.A. Fedorova-Davydova - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of Moscow State University, a major specialist in the field of history, archeology and numismatics of the Golden Horde. With the beginning of excavations, they dragged for a long time.
In 1950, coins, decor items, ceramics, and G.A. were found on the territory of the Selitrenny settlement (in 1710, a saltpeter plant and a working settlement were built on the territory of the former capital) Fedorov-Davydov managed to convince the USSR Academy of Sciences of the need for a systematic study of this object.
History of Selitrennoe fortification
Regular work began only in 1965. Near the excavation site is a camp of archaeologists. The village of Selitrennoye exists and at present, according to the latest census, 2137 people live in it. And in 1911, there were 1022 yards, and the number of inhabitants was 5049 villagers. Factories were closed by that time, the settlement was so significant for its district that it had its own coat of arms. Now all the buildings in it are carried out in strict dependence on the complex "Saray-Batu - Selitrennoe settlement".
How to get there
The painstaking work of scientists has led to the fact that an ancient capital appeared from under the earth of God, which is skillfully reconstructed, and which becomes not only a large archaeological center, but also an attractive object for tourists from all over the world. Hundreds of found exhibits are housed in the museum of the Saray-Batu complex created for these purposes. How to get here to see what the resurrected capital is, how to find out what archaeologists have been doing for so long?
The delivery of all comers is carried out by large professional travel agencies. From Astrakhan and Volgograd, year-round tours are made, including individual ones. The address of the complex is as follows: Astrakhan region, Kharabalinsky district, the village of Selitrennoye, which is located on the Volzhsky-Akhtubinsk-Kharabali-Astrakhan highway. The coordinates of this place are as follows: No. 47 10.5 E47 26.214.
Interesting solutions
Of course, skillful modern scenery help reproduce the atomic sphere of that time as accurately as possible, which gives the Saray-Batu - the capital of the Golden Horde complex a shade of antiquity and attractiveness. The staff members were prompted by the shooting of the film “Horde”, which was taking place here in 2010 on order and under the patronage of Patriarch Kirill. After their end, the scenery remained, and now give maximum reality to the city of Saray-Batu. Photos presented in large numbers give an idea of this harsh beauty that arose among the desert.
The scenery is so blended with the surrounding reality, adding charms to the complex that the flow of tourists has increased significantly. And this contributes to the payback of the object, the possibility of allocating more money to continue excavations on the shore of Aktuba, and also helps span by span to restore the capital of the Golden Horde - Saray-Batu. It is clearly seen on the map of the region that the complex is located one hundred and twenty kilometers from Astrakhan. Driving to it is a little more than two hours, which allows tourists from the regional center to get acquainted with the sights during the day, although there are several inexpensive mini-hotels near the Saray-Batu itself.