On September 22, a researcher of the department of museum and educational activities I.D. Muhametshin delivered a lecture “Architecture of the Golden Horde” to the guests of the Bolgar Museum-Reserve.
During the lecture, the audience learned about the architectural features of the cities of the Golden Horde. Many cities were built in a new location, on trade routes. The Golden Horde khans supported the development of trade, which contributed to the prosperity of the state.
The main building material of the Volga region was burnt brick. In the Dniester area, Crimea and Volga Bulgaria, monumental buildings were built of stone with the addition of brick. Watered tiled bricks, glazed majolica and mosaics, carved shaped bricks and terracotta were widely used as decorations. The architectural decor is mainly represented by stone carvings. Mixed construction techniques were also used in the North Caucasus. The cities of the Golden Horde, for all their originality, had a pronounced oriental appearance. This was largely determined by the dominance of Islam among the urban population. Therefore, the main and most impressive buildings here were mosques, madrassas, mausoleums, oriental baths and caravanserais. The Jews had their temples in the cities of Crimea. Christian temples have been found in Bolgar and Ukek.
The audience learned with great interest that the beautiful mausoleums and minaret of XIII-XIV centuries have been preserved in the city of Bolgar. There are similar mausoleums in Bashkiria. The travelers’ drawings show beautiful mausoleums in the vicinity of Majar. These monumental buildings, characteristic primarily of Muslim countries, determined the appearance of cities.
14 people attended the lecture.

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