Kazan, Russia

Kazan is located on the Volga River and is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan within Russia. It has been chosen as one of the thirteen cities to host the 1018 World Cup.

• Find Kazan on the Russian Cities Map

Kazan History

Kazan's thousand-year-long history was celebrated in 2005. This ancient city has a deep connection with the Tatars, a Turkic people who moved into Russia and other parts of Europe in medieval times to exact payment from rulers in return for peace. After the defeat of the Golden Horde, Kazan became a Tatar capital city until it was conquered by Ivan the Terrible and absorbed into Russia.

Kazan has remained a center of Tatar culture, and over half of the city's population is of Tatar ethnicity. Tatar influences, including the Muslim religion, are strong in this city, and visitors will be presented with a fascinating combination of Russian and Tatar way of life.

Kazan Sights

Kazan's historic jewel is the Kazan Kremlin, which contains Christian churches, a famous tower named after a princess of Kazan, and the Kul Sharif mosque. The mosque was destroyed when Ivan the Terrible took the city but was rebuilt in the 1990s and adds to the beauty and mystery of the ancient kremlin, which is now a Russian World Heritage site.

• Photos of Russia's World Heritage Sites

The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan helps to preserve and explain Tatar history, art, and culture.

Hotels in Kazan

Many hotels in Kazan are simply functional, especially if you're on a budget. Though some hotels have undergone renovation, other retain their Soviet-style austerity.

• Hotels in Kazan: Compare Prices

Getting to Kazan

Kazan International Airport serve Kazan, and flights from Moscow are frequent.

• Flights to Kazan: Compare Prices

Kazan can also be reached by train from Moscow in 13 hours.