The Land of 1001 Delights
GREATS
GOLGAR
ANCIENT
CIVILIZATION
ON THE VOLGA
A thousand years ago on a tall shore high above Volga, 180
kilometres away from Kazan, there sat the buzzing capital
of the thriving and formidable Volga Bolgar Civilization. Here
the ancestors of Tatars adopted Islam in 922, and in the 13th
century Bolgar became the capital of the Golden Horde.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Bolgar remains a sacred
pilgrimage place. A visitor can admire the Cathedral Mosque,
with its Big Minaret, North and East Mausoleums, Khan's Tomb,
built in the 13-14th centuries.
So important is Bolgar for modern Tatarstan that it continues
to be developed, keeping it alive and present in the Tatarstan
culture. In recent years an elegant White Mosque was added
and a Commemoration Monument to celebrate the adoption
of Islam. It hosts the world's largest Quran with pages 2-metres
tall and a solid malachite cover weighing 800 kilograms.
The excellent on-site museum displays intricate pieces
of beautiful medieval jewelry, runic scrolls and weapons, and
tells the engaging story of what was once the core state
between Europe and Asia.
After a day full of sightseeing a visit to the Bread Museum with
a working mill will be rewarding.
visit-tatarstan.com
تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَرُ كُلما وقوات
ينْقَا قَالُوا هَذَا الَّذِي رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَأَنا
وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَجٌ مُطَهَّرَةٌ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَن
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِ : أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلامًا
فَوْقَهَا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ
رَبِّهِمْ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ
بِهَذَا مَثَلَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهيم
وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَيهاView entire presentation