On a bank of the Volga, about a hundred and forty kilometres south of Kazan, stand the white remains of a medieval city that was once the capital of the Volga Bulgars. In 922 their ruler adopted Islam, and the northernmost Muslim state of its time grew up here, trading furs, honey and slaves with Persia and the Baltic. The Mongols sacked it in the thirteenth century, and it survived under the Golden Horde as a centre of Muslim culture, before fading as Kazan took its place. Today the site is a World Heritage property and a pilgrimage point for the Tatars, who regard it as the cradle of their faith and identity.
The ruins stretch across a meadow above the river. The most striking structure is the Small Minaret, a brick tower from the fourteenth century that leans slightly, with the Black Chamber, the Khan's mausoleum, the White Mosque and the stone remains of bathhouses nearby. A big new mosque in white stone, built after the fall of the Soviet Union, stands among them, and the Memorial Sign, a monument shaped like a Koran, honours the adoption of Islam. Behind the old walls, a museum holds finds from the excavations, including coins, jewellery and ornate pottery.
The riding up from Kazan is a long and easy day on flat roads that cross the wide Volga region, a landscape of wheat fields, birch belts and low hills. The road along the Kuybyshev reservoir has the huge expanse of the river on one side, with a very big sky, and the traffic is dominated by lorries and farm vehicles. The surface varies from smooth to rough, and the speed cameras are common near villages. Heat in July can be strong, and the wind off the water can make the ride cooler. Thunderstorms in summer can be violent.
Bolgar is a small town with about eight thousand people, and has basic fuel, shops and cafes, with Tetyushi to the south as a larger option. Tatar cooking is worth the stop, with chak-chak, a honey-soaked pastry, and echpochmak, a triangular pie of meat and potato, being the standard items. Early morning, when the white walls catch the sun and the tour buses have not yet arrived, is the best time to walk the site. Check current rules on travel and vehicle documents for foreign visitors in Russia before you plan.