Journey around Tatarstan and its spiritual and historical gems. This trip will be interesting for people who are interested not only in history, but also in culture. During these two days we will visit more than ten different spiritual complexes, as well as plunge into the atmosphere of XIII-XVII centuries. At the end of the trip you will have the impression that you have visited at least two countries, traveled through time tens and hundreds of years ago, fulfilled a childhood dream and visited the sea. Love for Russia!
Our journey on the time scale will begin with the young Temple of all religions and will deepen until the XVI century. The pearl of the first day will be the island of Sviyazhsk, from which Ivan the Terrible once took Kazan.
Start your journey by refueling at Gazprom Neft filling stations, grab coffee and fresh pastries on the way to make your trip more comfortable!
Very interesting and often overlooked attraction of the city. Russia is a multinational country, and the temple perfectly underlines this fact, and at the same time introduces into the main theme of our trip. The temple was built for almost 20 years by architect and sculptor Ildar Khanov. After his death in 2013 the case was continued by the architect's brother and sister. The temple functions as a museum. No services are conducted there. There are 16 religions in the temple, including those that have already disappeared. Externally, the temple combines elements of the Orthodox Church, Muslim mosque, Jewish synagogue, pagoda.
Magnificent complex with samples of church architecture of different times. In front of each other there are buildings of different styles and eras, and the "water ditch" around only emphasizes the isolation of the island and immerses in its life. Almost 500 years ago Ivan the Terrible took Kazan from this very city.
A lake in the forest, a monastery and boats on the shore, peace and serenity - a picture of oil, which is given to us by the village of Raifa and the Volga-Kama State Nature Reserve.
A small, pleasant, atmospheric cafe near the monastery to gather not only physical but also spiritual strength.
It is worth visiting this arboretum at least four times: every season the forest opens in its own way.
On the second day we suggest to go to Bolgar. In order to start the local sightseeing early, we will spend the dark half of the day today on the road. Before checking into the hotel we have dinner and share our impressions in Sako cafe.
Today we should get acquainted with Bulgar civilization and return to the past up to XIII century. Khan's palaces, mosques, minarets. And the day on the shore of the Kamsky Sea will end.
We all remember these pictures of the Taj Mahal on the Internet, where his minarets are reflected in the water surface of the courtyard pool. I bet that an unsophisticated spectator can easily deceive and confuse India with the White Mosque in Bulgaria.
Before heading back in time, we'll stop at the store for provisions for lunch so that we don't waste time in restaurants. We can have a snack on the way.
The most interesting thing is finally starting. I am sure that many people dreamed of becoming archaeologists in childhood, finding dinosaur bones or traces of extinct civilizations. Your wish has come true! That's the place you're in. You'd better leave your car here and keep walking.
And here we are at the real archeological excavation - time has turned back! Khan's Palace is probably one of the oldest monumental buildings of Golden Horde time. The inner dimensions of the palace reach 24x29 m.
Another exhibit in an open-air museum. Next to some of the remains, there are translucent signs. If you look through them and combine the drawing with the ruins, you can see how the building looked in its original form. Small minaret and Khan's tomb are architectural monuments of XIII century. According to the legend, they are located at the burial place of the holy Bulgars. The Small Minaret reaches 16 meters and has a spiral staircase of 40 steps. There are many architectural monuments in the Bulgarian Museum Reserve: mosques, wells, mausoleums, chambers, baths - each of them deserves special attention.
A stop on the way home. A small and quiet village, but having in its treasury the majestic St. Sophia Cathedral. You can take a walk and stretch your legs.
One last recommendation is when you return to Kazan. Beer Barrel, where you can celebrate a great trip and share your impressions, as well as buy many different beers to take home.