Yelabuga Gorodishche

A lonely tower stands on the steep bank of Kama river. This is the ruins of an ancient Bolgar fortress-mosque - the only surviving landmark of the pre-Mongol period of the Volga Bolgar and the most ancient architectural monument on the territory of Tatarstan. Every year, thousands of travelers come here and make wishes, touching the stone walls of the ancient tower. To mark the 1,000th anniversary of Yelabuga in 2007, a park was built near the town. This park houses a preserved apple orchard, a monument to the Bolgar Emir Ibrahim bin Muhammad, a restaurant and a Millennium stairway between the Yelabuga protected area and the city centre.