Kazan is a city where Muslims and Christians peacefully live together. The former capital of the Khanate of Kazan has recently celebrated its millennium, but it doesn’t produce the impression of an ancient city. Mosques, churches and not numerous wooden houses go well with pompous modern architecture. The ancient Kremlin and high-rise glass buildings make Kazan the city of contrasts…
According to some sources, the first stones in the foundation of the Kazan Kremlin were laid in the 10th century. During the capture of Kazan by Ivan the Terrible, the Kremlin was completely destroyed and rebuilt only by the end of the 16th century.
Tourists can enter the Kremlin through the Taynitskaya Tower.
Though it’s not very tall, it provides its visitors with really nice views of the Kremlin and the city.
The Syuyumbike Tower is seen from its windows.
The gate of the Syuyumbeki Tower. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible, blinded by the beauty of Queen Syuyumbeki, made a formal proposal of marriage, but the proud queen refused. Then the Russian tsar laid siege to the city, and Syuyumbeki agreed to marry him on condition that Ivan the Terrible would build the highest tower in Kazan within the following 7 days. The tsar fulfilled this condition, but during the wedding ceremony Syuyumbeki threw herself down from the tower.
The tower deviates from its axis and that’s why is sometimes called the local Tower of Pisa.
The first Orthodox church in the middle Volga region, Annunciation Cathedral, was built in the 16th century, immediately after the capture of Kazan. Though the cathedral is very very old, it seems to be painted just recently.
The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan. Not all citizens like this building calling it the “house of a kolkhoz man”. Though some say it’s rather beautiful.
Annunciation Cathedral from another side.
The monument to the architects of the Kazan Kremlin.
Qolsharif Mosque was constructed in 1996-2005. Now this is the main mosque of Kazan and Tatarstan.
The exhibition hall of the mosque.
This girl will help you to write your name in Arabic.
“Peace to you”
The interior of the mosque. The dominant color is blue. This is the color of Islam.
The monument to a great Tatar poet, Mussa Jalil.
Rubin Stadium seats 30.000 spectators.
Peter and Paul Cathedral rises above the earth at 52 m and has a great amount of molding on its facade and bright coloring.
The cathedral was built in 1722 by merchant Mikhlyaev in honor of Peter the Great who at that moment was visiting Kazan.
The decoration of Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The view of the roofs from the porch of the cathedral.
Graffiti on one of the houses. “The big brother watches you”.
The National Library of the Republic of Tatarstan, a former mansion of the Ushkovs. One of the most beautiful buildings in Kazan. Beautiful both outside and inside.
The main staircase of the library.
The ceremonial hall now serves as a reading room.
The winter garden is also a reading room.
Stalactites hang from the ceiling. An aquarium, rocks and a fountain in the form of an outlandish fish.
The door leading to the storerooms and covered with lacquer painting.
Stained-glass windows.
The elements of decor of the grand staircase.
The building of the department of law of the Kazan University.
The place in front of the building is called a “frying pan” because it’s very hot there. It’s a favorite place of all shirkers.
Marjani Mosque is the first stone mosque built in Kazan after Ivan the Terrible captured the city. The mosque was opened in 1770 after the personal permission of Catherine ll and since that moment has never been closed. Even during the revolution and war didn’t make the mosque stop functioning.
To enter the mosque one must take off shoes.
The men’s hall.
Holy books.
Good Morning, People!! You have seen the heavy people (previous post) now it’s time for morning maniac pics (apologies to Grace Slick)…
“This girl will help you write your name in Arabic.”: Until she sees my name!
“The Big Brother watches you.”: Don’t I know it?!!
I’m a shameless shirker, so I’m now headin’ fer the “frying pan”…..
Where is Bauman Street?
Kazan is “pretending to be the sports capital of the Russian Federation.” Oh, so it’s the Cleveland of Russia then…
Sonya, will you be my teacher, pleeeeeas?
“The dominant color is blue. This is the color of Islam.” That’s why I always check E.R. out, these little infobits that you can’t find anywhere else.
Little infobits?! – Ha! How about little lies as the colour of Islam is green!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_in_Islam
Ironically, blue is a significant colour in Judaism!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_in_Judaism
actually all colours are ok but green is the dominant one
Alko, I think E.R. has fun with the visitors by purposely making a provocative statement. As expected, someone knowledgeable on a subject spoke up- that would be you, and now we know better, thanks.
Kazan was the home of the great Russian Father of non-Euclidean (hyperbolic) geometry: N. I. Lobachevsky. Also, credit needs to go the Hungarian Janos Bolyai.
And it definitely goes! Russians never deny the credits others in science, unlike Americans, who would do everything to steel and hide the credits from Russians, they even removed Mendeleev’s name from periodic table and constantly try to credit some Englishmen and French. Or hate to admit Prokhorov’s contribution into the laser physics etc. to infinity – Gamov, Kapitsa, Markov, Reformatsky, Tsiolkovsky, Vernadsky, Kolmogorov. Theory of chaos is apparently Mandelbrot’s achievement, although he only managed to use INM facility to build the images of fractals, never mentioning it was Arnold who did the first steps in chaos theory.
Nice to see new, modern buildings complementing the old architecture. Go Russia!
I’m not Arabic; but we all should admit Arabs it’s everywhere in the world, Portugal also have, but no mosques like in Russia. Portuguese populations in part are Arabic to many cities or towns still have Arab names. When Portuguese king conquer the south part to the Arabs left most the population and many names still using. All of you know the numbers we all using is Arabic? Their having styles of life we do not like; but was for centuries England using men and women separation to pray and even on the bars too. World evolutions we cannot stop; Human beings don’t change that fast; one day people love each other, the other day they hatred, the reason are so many and jealousy seem to be always the main. A.Oscar
womens gym is seperate! classical islamic discrimination. what a sad view
Super fantastic! I’ll visit there some day.
The place looks like a huge open air museum! Amazing art and architecture – thanks for introducing us to this neat looking city!
I’m always anxious to visit Kazan, I hope it will be soon.