A Mixed Bag in Bulgars: Rich History, But Grumpy Locals

We've been on many vacations with my husband, and we often visit cities in April when the crowds are smaller. Last year, we decided to explore Bulgaria, a place we'd only learned about in Kazan. Our goal was to delve into the history of Tatarstan's Bulgaria.

Located 200 kilometers from Kazan, the city of Bulgars is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also known as Bulgar or Great Bulgar, with the original name sounding like 'Bulgar.'

This unique place marks the beginning of the Volga Bulgaria's history, a major state that flourished 11 centuries ago.

Since we were coming from Samara, we decided to stay in Bulgars for three days. We researched all the attractions online and were ready to see everything except the Gabbdrakhman well, which is closed during the winter period.

The city is more like a large village, with private houses everywhere. We stayed at the Regina hotel, but there are no cafes or shops in the area. On the outskirts, we found a small five-storey building, where we grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the white mosque. It's a majestic structure, reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, although it looked different without flowers and a fountain in April.

Getting inside the mosque is no problem, but you'll need to wear slippers. Women should cover up with a scarf and some clothing to keep their body covered.

They only let you go up, from where you can see everything.

The area is pretty big, right in front of the mosque entrance. We saw a small sign for souvenirs, so we went in there after visiting the mosque. It was run by a really nice lady who gave us some great recommendations. This was the only friendly person we met in the whole city, as we found out later.

Just behind the mosque, we saw a big white building, which turned out to be the Bulgarian Islamic Academy when we got closer.

Just a short walk from the mosque is a camel farm and a bread museum. Unfortunately, the camel farm was closed due to flooding at the time, but I was curious to see it. The entrance had a small price list that even included camel milk – I was wondering what it tastes like. From behind the fence, I could see a herd of camels.

We walked to the bread museum, which was just a few meters from the farm. That's where we headed. We arrived in Bulgaria on Wednesday, and it's a public holiday there on Monday and Tuesday. I was surprised to find that everything was closed. No ticket booth, no people. One guy we met just asked what we wanted. A pretty weird question, especially in a museum! He eventually called the owner, who came over and started asking silly questions about why we were visiting out of season, when there are no tourists. She made it clear we weren't exactly welcome. She took 100 rubles per person from us and let us in.

To be honest, there's not much to see. Kids might find it mildly interesting, but adults will probably find it a bit dull. We were also 'kindly' allowed to roam around the grounds, where they've recreated a few types of mills. That was slightly more interesting.

The first day left us with mixed feelings.

We headed to the Bulgarian nature reserve on the second day. Of course, we wanted to pay for the full package. But again, we were asked that silly question about why we were visiting now, when we should come in the summer. I think it's not very professional to ask questions like that and show your displeasure. We just wanted to visit when we felt like it! I mean, it's not like we were disturbing anyone by showing up. We just wanted to explore! But I guess that's what you get when you're a tourist.

So, they gave us a brochure-map, and we set off.

When we first arrived, we were greeted by a gate. It turns out that's only in season, from May to October. The grounds are massive, and we ended up walking quite a bit. The entrance splits into two paths - to the right is the museum street, with each house dedicated to a different theme. We decided to head straight for the historical landmarks and save the museums for the way back.

Museum Street

Very large distances between historical buildingsOur first stop was the Museum of Bulgarian Civilization - it was the closest one to the entrance.

The building looked small from the outside, but it's a lot bigger than you'd think, stretching down the hill towards the Volga River. It's actually five stories tall. The museum is combined with a river terminal, and the lower two floors serve as the terminal. The exhibition takes up two floors, the third floor is dedicated to more recent times, and the fourth floor is all about the history of the city of Bulgar and the origins of the Bulgar people. The top floor has an open viewing platform with a great view of the Volga, but unfortunately it was closed when we visited. As we walked around, we saw that they're already preparing the grounds for future archaeological digs.

The next stop was the Museum of the Koran. That's where you'll find the gem of the Tatar people: the world's largest Koran, weighing in at 800 kg and measuring 2x1.5 meters when closed. The cover is made of malachite fabric in a beautiful green color, adorned with gold and silver decorations. The binding is made of leather.

They also have a separate exhibit for a miniature Koran from World War II!

The park is located right on the Volga River, and there are benches everywhere for you to take a break. Everything is super clean.

Next up was the main part of the historical complex. Inside the Uspensky Monastery, there's a museum of Orthodox faith that was founded in the 17th century on the site of the ruins. The foundation of the main mosque, a 34-meter-tall minaret, the eastern and northern mausoleums...

And then you'll see the remnants of the eastern palace and public baths, but only if you're willing to trek a bit further.

Just off the main complex, a small minaret stands tall. It's 16 meters high, and it's the only structure that's been preserved in its original form. The design is a miniature version of the larger minaret. You can climb up and take in the view, which is exactly what we did. There's a local legend that says if you count the stairs as you descend, all your sins will be forgiven.

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Next to the khan's mausoleum, where they buried the family members of the ruler of Volga Bulgaria, and a monument to the Sahabas, the helpers of the Prophet Muhammad, who cured many people. The names of three Sahabas are written on the monument. In the center, you can see a chalma, a staff, and a pen. These items were a gift from the Prophet, brought by the Sahabas

Not far from the small minaret is a well-preserved building, the Black Chamber. According to a widely accepted version, this is where the khan's court was held

I was blown away by the sheer size of the territory and all the different structures. As we made our way out, we decided to check out the museum street and pop into the museums - they were included in the ticket price, after all. The one museum that really stood out to me was the Abdulla Alish writer's museum. He's the author of collections of kids' stories, poems, and dramatic works. The other museums were a bit more...grumpy. We got a lukewarm welcome, with one of them saying, 'Why are you here now? You should come in the summer!'

I've never experienced such a warm welcome in my life! The place itself is amazing, with a rich history. But the people...I wish the locals and staff could be a bit more friendly and welcoming to visitors. Because after that, I lost my desire to come back. But if you're a traveler looking to learn something new, go for it - it's worth it, despite the grumpy locals!