Bolgar is the place where Islam came to Russia, or at least to the middle Volga, in the year 922. The ruler of the Volga Bulgars, Almish, asked the Caliph of Baghdad for help in building a fortress and teaching the faith, and the caliph sent an embassy, which included the traveller Ibn Fadlan, whose account of the journey is a key source on early medieval life along the river. The town that grew here was a great trading centre, where furs from the north, silver from the east, and slaves, wax and honey changed hands, and at its height it had tens of thousands of people. The Mongols sacked it in the thirteenth century, and later it became a quiet backwater.
What remains is a remarkable complex of stone buildings on a low terrace above the Volga. A tall, squat minaret from the thirteenth or fourteenth century stands among the ruins, along with a mausoleum, the Black Chamber, and the remains of baths and a mosque. Nearby, a modern white mosque, completed in 2012, rises above the site, and a museum explains the history. The Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2014, and for many Tatars it is a symbol of their roots, and a pilgrimage destination. On a summer evening, the golden light on the old brick is lovely.
The ride from Kazan is long and easy, through farmland and low hills, with long straights, gentle bends and a good surface for much of the way. You see the Volga as a wide silver band, and the sky is large. Traffic is moderate, with trucks and sometimes slow farm vehicles, and the weather is variable, with hot summers and fierce winters. The best months are May to September.
Fuel and food are simple. The town of Bolgar has a few stations and shops, and Tetyushi, about fifteen kilometres away, is bigger. Tatar cafés serve soup, noodles, meat pies and tea, and you should try the local pastries. Many visitors arrive by river boat from Kazan, which is a pleasant way to see the landscape.
Walk among the ruins in the late afternoon. The wide river below, and the pale stone, have a gentle beauty.