Hi friends!
Today I will tell you about our trip to the Russian city of Kazan. Kazan is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, which is part of Russia. In the 5-6 century ad in this territory was the state of Volga Bulgaria, which was then captured by the troops of Genghis Khan. The age of Kazan is more than a thousand years.
Now the descendants of different nationalities live on the territory of Tatarstan. The main peoples are Tatars and Russians. Tatarstan has two languages - Russian and Tatar.
Tatars have their own language, their own culture. The religion of the Tatars - Islam, unlike the main religion of Russian - Orthodox religion.
Therefore, there are many mosques in Kazan, although there are Orthodox churches. We went to Kazan with my daughter. I was interested to see a Russian city with a different culture and religion.
The heart of the city is the Kazan Kremlin. Its ancient walls have survived for many centuries. The Kazan Kremlin is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Kazan is located between two rivers - Volga and Kazanka. Here from the Kremlin you can see the Volga on the horizon.
Söyembikä Tower
It's a falling tower. The vertical deviation is about 2 meters. The age of the tower for about 5 centuries. Different legends are connected with the tower
According to one of them, the tower was built by Queen Suyumbike in memory of her husband Safa Giray, who died in 1549. According to another legend, it was built by order of Ivan The Terrible for seven days (symbolizing its seven tiers) after the capture of Kazan in 1552 on the condition-the request of Queen Syuyumbike, who threw herself out of the window of the tower. In one version of this legend, the Russian Tsar offered to marry her.
Orthodox Church in the Kazan Kremlin. We never went. I have been to Orthodox churches a lot, so it was more interesting for me to see Islamic mosques.
The main mosque of Kazan - Kul Sharif Mosque. It was opened in 2005. Construction took about 10 years. The mosque was built on the site of an old destroyed mosque.
Tourists are allowed to go inside the Kul Sharif Mosque. You only need to tie a scarf on his head, and wear long aprons that cover his bare feet. For tourists there is a separate side staircase, which you can climb and do not interfere with the faithful to pray.
It was my first time in a mosque. It was very interesting. Inside is not arranged as in Orthodox churches. Inside the walls are written Arabic phrases from the Koran.
There are many Muslims in Tatarstan, so you can meet Tatar girls in hijabs and long clothes on the streets of the city. But they look very beautiful and fashionable. Sometimes I thought I was in Dubai.
All Central streets of the city diverge radially from the Kazan Kremlin. We lived in the center and each time walked through different streets and came to the Kremlin.
The center of Kazan is very beautiful! I liked the old buildings as well as the new ones that are similar to the old ones.
There are a lot of fountains in Kazan! They are on the streets, squares and even in the water channels.
It is a fountain - Water girl from tales of national Tatar writer Ğabdulla Tuqay.
But the fountains in the canal. In the evening, the fountains are illuminated in different colors.
And these fountains on the square near the city theater. This, too, illuminating different colors in the dark.
On this square there is one of the most interesting sculptures of fairy - tale characters-Şüräle and Batyr. It is the characters from tales of national Tatar writer Ğabdulla Tuqay.
The tale of Şüräle
Süräle is a forest spirit with long fingers that tickled lost people to death. Batyr outwitted Shurale. He made him put his fingers in the cleft of the tree. Şüräle's fingers are stuck in the tree. He remained sitting with pinched fingers.
Kaban Lakes
In addition, Kazan is located between two rivers Volga and Kazanka, in the city there is a lake Kaban. . We took a boat ride on the lake and listened to the audio guide. There is a legend connected with the lake that the treasures of Genghis Khan are kept at the bottom of the lake.
There are too many legends in this city!
The old Tatar settlement is one of the historical parts and complex attractions in the center of Kazan. There are preserved hundred-year-old buildings. This is a pedestrian part of the city.
In the old Tatar settlement there are several mosques. This is the Mosque of al-Marjani. Compared to Kool-Sharif, everything looks modest.
This is a pedestrian street of the city. Very few tourists. Few people come here.
So look at home of the Tatars, who lived here a hundred years ago. Wooden houses, gates-all these buildings are preserved and restored.
On the same street the second mosque Apanaev.
The entire pedestrian street in the old Tatar settlement is planted with lime trees. We were in their flowering period, and it was wonderful.
Old colored houses stand in a row. It looks better than the gray huge buildings in the background.
After a walk along the old Tatar settlement we moved to the other side of the lake Kaban. Here is a complex Tugan Avylym, which translated from Tatar means "Native village". In the middle of the city is a complex of wooden houses. It reproduced the Tatar village. The complex is interesting, there is national Tatar music (very beautiful), there is a restaurant, a playground and apple trees.
I heard that we can look at Kazan from a bird's-eye view. For this it was necessary to climb the tallest building in Kazan, where the helipad. Of course, all this was not free. The city from above looks quite different when you are on its streets.
This is the Kul Sharif Mosque.
Here you can see the main pedestrian street of Kazan-Bauman street, which leads to the Kremlin. Most tourists gather here.
This is another view of the Kazan Kremlin.
And here try to find an unusual building. It looks like a big black cauldron on a stand. Look at the center of the photo and a little to the right. See? This building is the wedding Palace!
Amazing, right? The shape of the building is connected with the cultural traditions of the Tatars. This cauldron means a good rich life.
Kazan metro is very small and has few stations. We drove it to see what it looked like inside. The Central stations are decorated with images of a dragon - this is one of the symbols of Kazan.
Also on the subway walls you can see scenes from fairy tales of national Tatar writer Ğabdulla Tuqay.
Night Kazan is as beautiful as during the day! I also want to note that we went with my daughter in the evenings in complete safety. Many years ago Kazan was very criminal, but the state authorities managed to change it.
Kul Sharif Mosque at sunset
That Palace of Farmers, that is the building of the Ministry of agriculture of the Republic. In the centre of a huge tree made of bronze. Despite the fact that the Palace is very similar to Hofburg Palace in Vienna, I like it very much. It looks grandiose both in the afternoon and in the evening with lighting.
In the evening I shot on a smartphone, so the photos are not like my camera. Let's take another walk around the Kazan Kremlin in the evening.
Kul Sharif Mosque
Söyembikä Tower
The area on which is another theater in the city. There are many theatres in Kazan.
But wedding Palace, about which I told you above! In the night it is illuminated as if under the cauldron blaze flames.
And this is the embankment of the Kazanka river. We went there in the evening. On the other side of the new districts of Kazan, there is a aqua park.
Cozy promenade where you can walk. There are also special bike paths. A lot of townspeople ride bikes, scooters and roller skates there in the evenings.
I did not tell about the national Tatar food. It is different from Russian cuisine. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of Tatar food. Tatar food contains many dishes of dough and meat. A lot of pies, where the filling can be meat and potatoes. There is also the famous Tatar sweetness - Chuck Chuck. Chuck Chuck-a small pieces of baked dough, which are poured with honey. I liked the unusual Gubadiya pie. There is a very unusual filling - rice, baked cottage cheese, boiled eggs and raisins! It's delicious. Tatars are Muslims, so do not eat pork, but have a national sausage, which is made from horse meat.
__
My daughter and I liked Kazan very much. We have discovered an amazingly beautiful city with its special culture. I advise everyone to go there
Cheers
Veta
Awesome! So informative about this place. Love your photos too! I heard a lot about this special region when traveling through Russia by train, but didn't get to visit it. Now I'm excited to see your post. Thanks for sharing! :)
@itchyfeetdonica Wow, you were in Russia? And in what areas? I wish you to visit Kazan next time)
What a fascinating place, @veta-less. Beautiful photographs. I see that your #archisteem tag has no # so I am calling @archisteem over here because this is a great candidate for the 1001 places to visit.
Thank you for summoning us @fionasfavourites :)
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A fabulous pick for #adsactlypostoftheday really enjoyed this detailed and stunning post, great spotting!
Thank you! I am very happy that you have chosen my post!
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Great article, Veta. Amazing photos. In a way, this doesn't seem that different from Moscow. Great buildings, the river, statues everywhere.
Those last monuments are awesome. What a beautiful cauldron!
I have just returned from Moscow. It was the first time in Russia and I am only sorry it's so time consuming and expensive to get a Tourist Visa, because I would like to go there a few more times.
For just a week, I spent more 500€ or 600€ extra because of the Visa situation. 😶
Glad to see you @trincowski and to hear that you visited Moscow. Too bad you were only in one city. You definitely had to visit St. Petersburg, and of course Kazan. Tell us, you are not frozen in Moscow?
I didn't know Russian visas were so expensive :(
No, the weather was nice. Sunny all week.
The Visa itself was 220€
But because I could only get a Visa if I bought the whole package at a Travel Agency, I ended up paying more 150€ for the hotel and 100€ or 150€ more for the trip.
If I reserved on my own, the same trip and same hotel, I would have got a much better deal. But they don't allow us to do that. 😑
What a pity! Next time, I think you can get a visa yourself and come without a travel аgency.
Unfortunately, the rules in place don't allow me to do that.
I totally agree with you. @trinkowski, visa issues are becoming a global issue. So I really believe the blockchain will once for ever free us of such nuisances. Especially the visa policy in Russia is to be updated, otherwise none is ready to visit us.
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I enjoyed a lot once I was there. But if getting a Visa was easier, I would definitely think about visiting Russia more frequently.
Moscow's Metro System has really impressed me. So simple and practical to use!
It is a pity, I did not know that visa issues are so complex and expensive! Especially for Russians there is no problem to go to Europe, for example, or other countries without travel agencies.
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Thank you!
These pictures are so amazing! Thanks for sharing your experience. I would love to visit Russia.
Thank you for your kind words! I am very pleased that my article has caused a desire to come to Russia )
Hi @veta-less... Beautiful all about Russia, I am remembering the story of Sashenka. very beautiful mosque and very cool photos. it seems like it would be very nice to get to Russia. visas there from Indonesia are still very difficult.
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Thank you for your comment! I did not know that to come to Russia is so expensive and difficult :( above my commentators talk about it :( it's sad.
Those houses are preserved? Is that why the roads are so pristine and clean? Your adventure blog is very pretty and entertaining, Veta. I really like looking at them everytime you make a new one ^_^.
Hi @scrawly :) the houses are renovated. Some houses are built as a Palace of Farmers. Kazan is called the third capital of Russia)) Yes, the roads are clean, although not all of Russia is like that.
@veta-less,
This is a great post!
Great photos and wonderful explanations. I'd love to go.
Quill
Thanks!
Such a gorgeous place to visit! Thanks for sharing these lovely images here.
Thank you for reading!)
What a detailed and stunning post, really enjoyed seeing Kazan through your photographs, haven't heard of that part of Russia before, very pretty indeed.
I'm so glad that you liked it and you learned about Russia something new)
Спасибо за интересный пост! Отличные фотографии;)
И вам спасибо, что заходите )
I hope I will get a chance to visit Russia one day, this and many other cities look very tempting to take a walk around them. Thank you for sharing your experience and such great photos!
I wish you to come to Russia :) Thank you for your comment )
Спасибо за чудесную экскурсию. Будто сама там погуляла :-)
Очень было интересно и познавательно!
Вас спасибо, что осилили такое чтиво длинное) На Голосе у меня два поста было, а здесь решила все в один слить)
Ах! Я там ни одного не нашла.
А после всех этих изменений вообще не могу в своей ленте разобраться :-(
Ну это было наверное пару месяцев назад...Да, я тоже мучаюсь с поиском и лентой...
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I am glad that you liked my photos and travel story) I really liked this city, I advise everyone to go there)))
This is a fantastic post - thank you for sharing such detailed observations about this city. Such beautiful architecture in some of the images - a shame it gets mixed in with the modern, less appealing buildings too.
Is it a quiet city? Many of your photos had only a few, or in a lot of cases, no people in them.
I think this is a quiet city, I was there well and comfortably. Many tourists only on the main pedestrian street, but they do not go further.
Thank you for this amazing post! Your photos are stunning and you gave such a thorough explanation of it all. I really love seeing the inside of that beautiful Mosque. Though the tale about being tickled to death made me cringe, haha! I am highly ticklish and my family used to torture me as a kid. 😋
I liked this city so much that I wanted to tell you about it in great detail :) I'm glad that you enjoyed watching and reading my travel post.
Yes, I'm afraid when I'm tickled too !!! )
What an awesome trip through Kazan! The interior of the mosques look spectacular and at night, the cauldron looks like it is being set alight from underneath with the lights, like a big stew or soup is being cooked - perfect for the colder days :) Thanks for sharing this detailed view in to it :)
Yes, Kazan is a very beautiful city. I didn't expect to see so many interesting things. )
What a beautiful place. I just love the colors all over the city. Even though I am not a religious person, i just love to see mosques, cathedrals, and churches. They are some of the most beautiful building and represent faith and hope.
Thanks so much for sharing these!
Ren
I agree with you! I, too, not religious man, so'm just admiring the architecture) Thank you for your comment)
Thank you for sharing it.
Are ladies allowed to enter the mosque because where I come from it's not allowed for ladies from other races or cultures ?
Yes, women are allowed to enter the mosque. They pray on the second floor and the men on the first. And we tourists were on balconies on the third floor. In Tatarstan is Sunni Islam.
Wonderful scenarios! Stunning !!! great photography !! ❤❤😊❤❤
Absolutely beautiful colors and angle!! all photographs look just so awesome and such a beautiful place. 😊
Your article is so beautiful. impress me! love your style.
Thank you! Me very pleased to hear from you these words! I was lucky that the weather was good, then the photos are bright )
Wow really interesting . I love the Kazan Kremlin . It looks great . Was there World Cup matches in the city recently. The name rings a bell.
Yeah, right! Kazan was among the cities that hosted the world Cup matches)
I would love to go there and take photos
I'm glad you liked my photos and story)
Wow! It looks like such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing the lovely photos, and the stories that bring them to life! :)
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I'm glad you liked my travel story! I really loved this city after the trip)
Thank you for sharing a bit of Russia I might not otherwise ever get to see.
Oh, don't say that! I wish you could visit Russia)
I'd love to! It's such a big place I wouldn't be able to see it all though. I've heard there are very strict requirements in place for visitors to Russia. Do you know anything about that?
I don't know how this really happens. I hear it's expensive for foreigners. But maybe if you go with a tourist group, it's easier. Now in Russia a lot of tourists, especially from China.
Ok, thanks. I'll look into it. I've heard that it can take years to get approved for a visit. Surely that can't be accurate...but you never know until you do the research.
What a beautiful post with gorgeous photos, @veta-less ! This is an amazing place and you made me feel like I was right there with you <3 Wonderful !!!
@veryspider I tried very hard to show and tell about this beautiful city :)
The mosques have quite beautiful architecture. Thanks for sharing these.
Yes, I agree with you!
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Kazan looks like a very clean city. I want to go on a trip to Kazan. ^-^
Казань-очень красивый город с глубокой исторической архитектурой.
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