Түбәтәй кияр идем... - Tubetei Kiyer Idem...

http://luiza-m.narod.ru/smi/tarih/03-tybetey.htm

"Булган бит шундый заманалар: безнең татар ир-атларын түбәтәйсез күз алдына да китерә алмаганнар. Мөселман гадәте буенча чәчләре кырдырып алынган баш түбәсенә берсүзсез бәрхет яисә вельвет түбәтәй менеп «кунаклаган». Хәтта бүрек, эшләпә ише баш киемнәре кигән чакта да түбәтәй салынмаган, эчке баш киеме булып калган. Авыллардагы татар апалары яулык өстеннән дә ирләр түбәтәе кигәннәр..." continued...

The below link leads to a page of the most thorough research on Tatar costume ever. (in Tatar - Cyrillic)
http://luiza-m.narod.ru/smi/index.htm

Kystabai

" [Kystybay]"

For the dough: 2 portion of the flour 1 portion of the water on the pinch of salt and soda
For the filling: 10 potatoes 3-4 Tbsp butter 1 container of milk salt to taste
For the basting: melted butter

1. Boil potatoes and mash for the filling. (by the way, for the filling it is possible to use different porridges, for example, millet.)
2. In the warm water, place salt and soda, then we add flour…
To mix nonprecipitious dough, to divide it into the balls on 100 deg., to roll out into the flat cakes about the size of a plate. To fry them on the dry frying pan from both sides. I first to treasure flat cake to the frying pan, as it browned, turn over and lubricate the fried side by lit oil… it after browned the second side, I shift pancake to the plate I lubricate the second side.
3. On half of flat cake to assume potato puree to be a finger thick, to roll up in half. We do everything rapidly, as the flat cakes can crack.
4. Serve hot and with hot tea.

(I left the strange translation intact for the most part. I like it. )

Mosque Design Decree

A decree of 1844 established model mosque designs inspired by contemporary church architecture. However, this attempt to manage and contain the symbolic expression of Islam and impose a uniform imperial aesthetic on mosque construction proved impractical. In 1862, the government abandoned the obligatory model plans shown here but still required that drawings for mosque plans be approved in advance by Russian provincial officials. Polnoe sobranie zakonov Rossiiskoi imperii, vol. 19 (St. Petersburg, 1845).

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

A Tatar Senior Muslim Cleric 1812

Silk Road House

http://www.silkroadhouse.org/photos.php

I was pleased to see our pic up on the Silk Road House website. I'm hoping they'll invite us back in the future to this incredible place. This picture makes us look religious.

Panorama Tours - Kazan

http://www.panorama-kazan.ru/tours.html

These folks don't pay me. I just can't get enough of pics of Kazan. Above image clicks out into a wider, larger image.

1500's Kazan

Kazan Kremlin in the first half of 16 th Century
Reconstruction by N. Kalinina from the book by S. Alisheva

Kazan in the 16 century. По Д. Хафизову. By D. Hafizovu.

Kazan Coat of Arms

Concurrent with the Tatar experience, The Western World was enduring an age of Puritanism and the Baroque Era was just over the horizon.

Mahmoud (Mahmutek) Kazan Khan 1446 - 1461

We know little about the rule Mahmutek for the simple reason that it was peaceful.. He was the son of Ulu Muhammad, the previous Khan. The basis of the growth was as a tribute from Russia, and the development of trade. During Mahmutek's rule of the Kazan Khanate, it became the leading trading platform in Eastern Europe.

Old Russian Map - Kazan

1880 engraving

http://www.sledopyt.com/kazan_trakts.jpg

This old Russian map of the Kazan is quite large. (over 10mb)
The image links to the huge file.