During the visit of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation Rustam Minnikhanov to our country in September 2017, along with many spheres, agreements were  reached on further development of tourism.

The State Committee for the Development of Tourism of the Republic of Uzbekistan was invited to organize study tours of journalists for the wide promotion of the tourist potential of Uzbekistan and Tatarstan. As a result, in November last year a group of journalists from Tatarstan visited our country.

January 25-30 this year, a group of journalists from Uzbekistan  has  got acquainted with the historical, cultural monuments and tourist sites of Tatarstan.

Tatar and Uzbek people have a lot of similarities in language, religion, customs and traditions, including urban planning, which proves once again seeing of ancient historical monuments of Kazan – the Kazan Kremlin, the ancient city of Bulgar, the island of Sviyazhsk …

The Tatar people also cherish family values, the continuity of generations. Even the very name of the city – Kazan symbolizes the love of the Tatar people to the family, as in the case of Tatars, Kazan means a home, the basis of a strong family. It is no wonder that the House of Happiness in Kazan resembles the shape of a cauldron. From its top platform you can see in all its glory the whole city and the river Kazan.

But the most unforgettable impression, of course, is the Kazan Kremlin, whose snow-white walls strike the eye from afar. It was founded in the XII century, and its unique patterned ornamentation, inscriptions, decorative elements and architectural solutions are organically associated with the traditions of Eastern architecture, remind of the ancient city of Bulgar, the Golden Horde, the medieval Kazan khanate. In other words, the Kazan Kremlin is a valuable architectural monument that was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, and it, like Samarkand or Bukhara, needs to be seen at least once in life.

We felt special hospitality of the Tatar people in Sviyazhsk, where we were greeted with a smile on a face and a cup of hot tea. We were convinced that Tatars are as generous and hospitable as our people.

The island of Sviyazhsk is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Sviyaga. On the island there are about 300 people, there are 37 cultural monuments. There are no industrial enterprises and public transport, so it’s always quiet and peaceful. Now in Sviyazhsk there are various festivals, staging of medieval battles.

180 kilometers from Kazan on the left bank of the Volga, the ruins of the capital of the state of Bulgaria are preserved. The ancestors of the Tatar people Bulgars adopted the Islamic religion in 922, and so Islamic enlightenment penetrated into these regions.

In honor of the adoption of Islam in the city of Bulgar  the White Mosque  was built, which houses the world’s largest edition of the Koran.

By the way, the unique manuscript of the Koran of Osman brought by Amir Temur, which is now kept in the madrassa of Muya Muborak in the complex of Hastim in Tashkent, in 1917-1924, before returning to the homeland, was in Tatarstan.

In conversation with local residents, their interest in Uzbekistan, our spiritual kinship, is clearly felt. Many people spoke a lot of kind words about Uzbekistan, about their desire to visit Samarkand, to make a pilgrimage to the mausoleum of Imam Bukhari. The most memorable words are: “Uzbekistan is a place where not only the body rests but also the soul” …

Ulugbek Shonazarov, UzA,
Otabek Mirsoatov (Photo)
Tashkent – Kazan – Tashkent
Information from the site: uza.uz