Ancient Bolgar

The Great Bolgar is located 143 km from Kazan near the town of the same name, Bolgar. This ancient city in Tatarstan is perfect for weekend excursions and is one of the main attractions of the republic.

The location of the ancient city, right on the banks of the Volga River on a small hill with a good view of the steppe.

Ancient Bolgar was founded over 1100 years by Turkic-speaking tribes. In a short period of time, the small settlement expanded into a city, becoming the largest trade center in its region. Such a rapid development of the city and a strategic convenient place could not pass by the Golden Horde, which at the beginning of the XII century completely plundered and destroyed the city. Nothing remained of it, since the Bolgar was made of wood. Soon Bulgar was rebuilt anew. Only now it is mainly made of stone, so the ruins of the main buildings have survived and survived to our time.

Ancient Bolgar was once considered the main city in the region, ahead of the current capital Kazan in all respects. Of particular value is the fact that many objects of the ancient Bolgar have survived to this day.

Currently, Bolgar is practically the only place where you can see with your own eyes the buildings erected during the time of the Golden Horde. In addition, it was the Great Bulgar that was the capital of the once great state - the Volga Bulgaria, which existed in this area according to the assumptions of historians in the period from X to XIII centuries AD. NS. By that time, the city occupied a strategically important location, being just on the site of the "Great Silk Road", so trade flourished here. At the beginning of the 15th century, the city was partially destroyed as a result of its capture by Russian troops during a campaign against the Volga Bulgars. After that, in the immediate vicinity of it, the Russian city of Spassk arose, and the place of existence of the ancient Bulgar turned into an old settlement.

The most visited streets by tourists are st. Smirnov, Gordeev and Likhachev, where many shops and cafes are located. Of course, the level of liveliness of these central places cannot be compared with big cities, but walking through them you can pay attention to life in Bolgar.

Due to its small size, you can see all the significant places in the city in just one day.

The most convenient way to come here is from Kazan. Bus travel is an extremely interesting pastime, during which you can admire the vastness and beauty of Tatarstan and the Volga region as a whole.

A fascinating trip to a place rich in archaeological monuments will impress even the most sophisticated tourists.

The ancient city of modern Tatarstan holds holidays dedicated to the adoption of Islam by the people of the Volga Bulgaria. In summer, a festival of historical reenactment or medieval battle is celebrated. Also marked "Nauruz", "Chillek or Shillik", "Sabantuy".

Main attractions

The Bolgar settlement is the most important historical attraction, which is even included in the UNESCO list and is under protection. Incidentally, it is here that you can find the ruins of the once majestic Golden Horde, which, according to some historical information, did not seek to destroy the monuments of Volga Bulgaria.

The city occupies a fairly large area, so you can walk around it for several hours, making interesting observations, exploring the preserved slabs and stones, paying attention to the surviving minarets and temples.

The Bulgar ancient settlement is rich in architectural monuments. Many objects are under restoration. Excavations continue to this day. The city is notable for the fact that it was here that the adoption of Islam by the Bulgars took place.

The mosque was erected in 2012. She acts as an example of culture, which is characteristic of the ancient city. The decoration process took about 1200 tons of marble.

The exhibits of the museum tell about the history of the settlement. One of them is a mosaic canvas that tells about the day of the adoption of Islam by the Volga Bulgarians.

The building was erected on the banks of the Volga. It stores information about the history of the life of the Bulgarians. Rare archaeological finds and models of 800-year-old monuments are available to visitors.

A unique natural-historical complex with a source of healing water.

The architectural monument has been perfectly preserved to our time. It contains an exposition of a museum-certified excavation on the history of the city of Bolgar from the 10th to the 18th centuries.

The main building of the medieval settlement. The architectural monument was erected in18th century. Religious rituals and namaz were held here.

The objects are located at the burial place of the holy Bulgars. Of the four mausoleums, only one has survived to this day. This is the burial place of members of the royal family.

In the Middle Ages, this place was used for healing.

The building was given for an exhibition of Bulgar epigraphic monuments. It is located opposite the main entrance of the Cathedral Mosque.

In the museum you can get acquainted with the cycles of bread production and various remarkable objects. Water and windmills deserve special attention.

The monument of cult architecture was erected at the expense of the merchant Ivan Afanasyevich Mikhlyaev. Today there is a museum about the history of Orthodoxy.

The building was built of red bricks and equipped with corner towers. The monumental construction is a unique open-air museum.

This is a perfectly preserved monument of the 14th century. The mysterious name appeared in tribute to the memory of the khan's daughter, who at the cost of her life saved her brothers.

The object is located near the Small minaret of the Bulgarian settlement. This place is a conditional burial of one Sahab.

The architectural monument of the 18th century is one of the first buildings of the ancient settlement. The construction is located near the Khan's palace.

The bathhouse was distinguished by the presence of an underground heating system. It was equipped with water supply and sewerage. In the 60s of the XIX century, the object was destroyed.

The public bathhouse of the ancient Bolgar was built in the 19th century. Until now, only the zones of the southern and western walls have survived.

In the 14th century, pottery flourished in Bolgar. A whole area dedicated to this craft has appeared. The lake area is an unusual medieval site that has preserved the remains of industrial activities.

To go on an excursion to Ancient Bolgar visitors of our hotel can take a bus from Kazan (departure from the Yuzhny bus station at 10:00 and 17:00). The ticket price is around 300 rubles, which is quite a reasonable price for such a trip. The bus station in Bolgar is located right in the center of the city, after which tourists can freely take a trip around the city on their own or sign up for an excursion at a local travel agency.

For those who prefer to travel by private transport, getting to Bolgar will not be difficult. If we talk about the quality of the road, then from Kazan it is preferable, since the road will be more pleasant and will take about 2 hours 30 minutes. From Ulyanovsk in time you can get an average of 1 hour 40 minutes.

For guests of our city, a trip to the ancient Bolgar will be very informative and exciting. Well, we will be happy to provide you with a comfortable stay in the center of Kazan. We are waiting for you at our Hotel!