Bolgar Historical Complex

Bolgar arose on the high Volga bank in the tenth century and quickly became, in academician Yanin's words, 'the only gate through which Rus's trade with the East passed'. In 922 an embassy of the Baghdad caliph arrived here with Ahmad ibn Fadlan as its secretary — from that moment the Bulgars adopted Islam. The city survived the sack of 1361 by Bulat-Timur, recovered, but after the blow dealt by the voivode Fyodor Pyostry in 1431 it was abandoned for good. Today it is the largest archaeological complex on the Volga: the Cathedral Mosque with the Great Minaret, the Northern and Eastern mausoleums, the Khan's tomb, the White and Small chambers, and baths with heating systems. On 23 June 2014 the Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Beside the ruins stands the White Mosque — a white-marble replica in the Taj Mahal style built in 2012: a modern addition that divides travellers, yet has become the complex's recognisable symbol. At the pier lies the flagship 'Khan', and the town of Bolgar itself lives off the tourist flow and Volga views.