Tourism in Russia > Tatarstan > Bilyar

Bilyar

Bilyar, the capital of the ancient Volga Bilyar Kingdom, is situated 150 km from Kazan. As a tourist attraction, Bilyar features picturesque ruins and an impressive view of a destroyed oriental town. At the bottom of a mountain in a scenic forest near Bilyar, there is a spring of crystal clear water, the Holy Spring, that became a shrine to inspire faith and rituals of three religions: paganism, Islam and Christianity. Every year, the Holy Spring is visited by thousands of pilgrims of various confessions. Some of them worship Tengre, the higher god of ancient Bilyars, some offer prayers to Allah, and others ask for help Virgin Mary. Almost all of them ascend to the top of the mountain to three huge black boulders, the symbol of the unity of all believers, to perform their rituals.