Bolghar (Tatar Cyrillic: Болгар, Latin: Bulgar, Bolgar, Bolğar, Chuvash: Пăлхар)

ytellioglu

Bolghar (Tatar Cyrillic: Болгар, Latin: Bulgar, Bolgar, Bolğar, Chuvash: Пăлхар) was intermittently capital of Volga Bulgaria from the 8th to the 15th centuries, along with Bilyar and Nur-Suvar. It was situated on the bank of the Volga River, about 30 km downstream from its confluence with the Kama River and some 130 km from modern Kazan in what is now Spassky District. North of it lies a small modern town, since 1991 known as Bolgar. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee declared this site as a World Heritage Site in 2014.
Bulgar (Bolğar), (Tatarca: Болгар; Bolğar, Çuvaşça: Пăлхар), Divân-ı Lügati’t-Türk'te;
“بلغار Bulgar” “herkesçe tanınmış olan bir Türk şehri”. veya “İdil boyunda tanınmış eski bir Türk şehri.” olarak da tanımlamıştır.
İdil Bulgarlarına 8. ile 15. yüzyılları arasında başkentlik yapmış, Etil Nehri[2] (İdil)‘nin sağ kıyısında yerleşik, Kama Nehri ile birliştiği noktadan yaklaşık 30 kilometre uzakta akıntı yönünde konumlanan denizden 82 metre yükseklikte tarihi bir şehirdir ve çağdaş Kazan şehrinden aşağı yukarı 130 km uzaklıktadır. Tarihi Bulgar'ın kuzeyinde 1991 yılından beri Bolgáry adı ile bilinen çağdaş küçük bir kent de vardır.
The city is supposed to have been the capital of Volga Bulgaria from as early as the 8th century. Regular Russian incursions along the Volga, and internecine fights forced the Volga Bulgar kings to intermittently move their capital to Bilyar. After a destruction of Bilar during the Mongol invasion, the older capital became a centre of a separate province (or duchy) within the Golden Horde. During the period of Mongol domination Bolgar acquired immense wealth, many imposing buildings, and grew tenfold in size.
The Tokhtamysh-Timur war saw a marked decline in its fortunes. It was sacked by Bulaq-Temir in 1361, endangered by Timur, looted by Russian pirates (ushkuiniki), and destroyed in 1431 by Vasily the Blind of Muscovy. As a Muslim religious center Bolgar persevered until the mid-16th century when the Khanate of Kazan was conquered by the Russian czar Ivan IV and incorporated into the Russian state.
During the Tsarist rule the site of the ancient town was settled by Russian commoners. Peter the Great issued a special ukase to preserve the surviving ruins, which was probably a first Russian law aimed at preserving historical heritage.