On 24 May 2024, an employee of the Bolgar Museum-Reserve Ahundov N.O. gave a lecture “Culture of the Golden Horde” for 13 tourists from Naberezhnye Chelny.
The Golden Horde belonged to those countries of the medieval world where one of the highest levels of development of civilization, material and spiritual culture was reached.
The centralized state, as the Golden Horde was, numerous cities, wide trade links with the outside world created the most favorable conditions for the development of culture. Many Golden Horde rulers sought to attract to their court major scientists, theologians, poets, educated people from distant countries and patronized them. Such patrons in the state were khans Berke, Uzbek and Janibek. Here are some testimonies of contemporaries. Berke gained respect for himself by “spreading Islam among all his people, building mosques and schools in all his domains, bringing scientists and lawyers closer to him and making friends with them”. Uzbek built in Sarai “a madrasa for science, (because) he was very devoted to science and its people”. Janibek “paid great respect to scientists and all those who were distinguished by knowledge, ascetic deeds and piety”. In addition, the possibilities of the conquered and subordinate lands of the Golden Horde were used.
The urban culture of the Golden Horde is a fusion of traditions of artisans of different countries conquered by the Mongols. It has features of Chinese and Central Asian art, elements of house building borrowed from Central Asia, Caucasus and Russia, traditions of crafts of Crimea, Khorezm and Volga Bulgaria. Thus, along the Great Silk Road, the main achievements of Chinese civilization easily penetrated into the Horde cities. During their excavations, archeologists find Chinese mirrors, porcelain dishes, bone products with images of birds and dragons, cast-iron cauldrons, Chinese silk, etc.
The period of cultural flourishing in the Golden Horde did not last long. With the crisis of the state, which began in the second half of XIV century, it enters a period of decline. Many representatives of the enlightened part of society left the country. The Middle East became the centre of Islamic science and culture.

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