Volga Bulgaria and the Near East (Egypt and Syria) in the 10th – early 13th century (based on archaeological materials)

Abstract

The paper discusses archaeological materials testifying to the links of Volga Bulgaria with Syria and Egypt during the pre-Mongol period. It was noted that the appearance of products from Syria, primarily glass ornaments, belongs to the pre-Bulgar era (the 4–5 and 7–8 centuries AD) and reflects the nature of the trade and economic relations of the Volga-Kama area in the international trade routes. With the formation of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria, the composition of imports from the Middle East somewhat expanded. Moreover, most of the artifacts in the 10th – 11th centuries reached the Middle Volga through numerous intermediaries in Central Asia. In addition, the Syrian influence on the sphere of Bulgarian culture and craft proceeded through Syrian masters who lived in various parts of the Muslim world, including in Central Asia and Iran, with whom the Volga Bulgaria had close ties. This was especially manifested in the jewelry business, in the formation of the Bulgarian school of gold and silver jewelers, specializing in scanned-grain products. In the 11th – 12th centuries, the activity of the receipt of Syrian-Egyptian products significantly declined, primarily due to the increased contacts with the Central Asian region. By the beginning of the 13th century the contacts of the Bulgars with the Middle Eastern region were practically interrupted, and were finally lost after the Mongol invasion. And only in the second half – the end of the 13th century, under the rule of the Golden Horde, artistic products of Syrian-Egyptian production are beginning to enter the markets of the Middle Volga region.

Keywords

• volga bulgaria
• syria
• egypt
• medieval archeology
• jewelry
• toreutics
• glass products