The Bulgarians, holding in their hands almost all the trade between the West and the East, tried to prevent the Azat merchants from reaching their capital. How much. Previously, Phoenician merchants tried to spread the most terrible rumors about the distant countries they were promoting, and the Bulgarians frightened their southern guests with various fables. This is where the stories found in Arabic originate.
1) See the agreement between Igor and the Greeks in 945 (Ipalyev. l$toi. p. 80).
3) Likhachev at Shpilevsky (Ancient Towns, pp. 288-289). Savelyev, “Mukhamedan Numismatics”, pp. XXX Sh.
*) Those who wish to become more familiar with these data are referred to the works of Savelyev, “Mukhamedan Numismatics” and Grigoriev; “On Kufic coins found in Russia”, in the collection “Rosaya and Azya”. Sib. 18716
5) Archaeological finds in the Peri province, no. M. N. Pr. 1852 July 1st. Smj. pp. 25-26. To
‘scientists, about the countries of darkness, that the Mordovians kill foreigners who enter their country 1).
Thanks to trading interests, many foreigners constantly lived in Bulgar. Khowarezians (residents of present-day Bukhari) often traveled there 2). Russian merchants 3) came to Bulgar and stayed there on trade matters." There were also Christians there. It is indicated that in Bulgar, in addition to the Armenians, there were also Greeks. These foreigners, as we saw earlier, lived in the upland and foothill areas of the Bulgar. Here, probably, there was also that cemetery, the main burials chrisans, about whom our chronicles tell us 5). The assumption that there was an Orthodox temple or monastery in the capital of Bulgaria is confirmed by archaeological data. Thus, in the ruins of Bolgar, a copper gilded image of ancient Greek work was found; it is about one foot in diameter and contains ten depictions of holy faces painted in gold. along the red field; despite the fact that the image was in the ground for a long time, the colors and gilding on it are still alive and quite fresh; another image of the Mother of God was found, on a quadrangular plate, broken in two; a fragment of the m% cross should also be included here 5). This is also confirmed by the discovery of a saber blade, on which there is an image of the Mother of God with the Eternal Child and a Greek inscription, incised in gold; according to the lettering, it can be attributed to the 10th century.
The main trade route for the Bulgarians was the river. Volga. This is the old road to the east that our ancient literature talks about 8). Along the Volga, goods were sent to the west, then they moved to the 3. Dvina or to Lizir, heading either to the Baltic countries, or to. southern Rus'. Could Muslim merchants from the Bulgar to Eklev also travel this way?). But there was
*) R'OVzzop. “Gez rep]ez da Sapsaze,” 84; Garkavi. “Tales of Muslim writings-
*) Garkavi, “Said by Muslim writers,” pp. 219 and 0’Ozzop, “[ez reirez Chi Samsaze,” pp. 79 her 80.
*) Harkavi, “Told by Muslim Writers,” pp. 219 and 130.
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5) Resurrected. chronicle under 1229 (P.S.R.L. t. UI p. 135).
8) Shpilevsky, “Ancient Cities,” pp. 254, 266—1.
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9) Information from Al-Masudi, (Harqawi, “I said to Muslim writers,” p. 137). 2*
another road, shorter. It went from Bulgar, first up the VolgV, then along the river. OKV to its upper reaches; here the goods were dragged to the ‘r. Desna and along it they reached Klevo'). From the capital of Bulgarin to the south, goods were sent in two ways: by water or by land. First Shoal r. Along the Volga to the shores of the Castiykato Sea. Drag the ships into the river. Don is there, so he makes out with Volta, it was possible ‘to deliver goods to the Azov coast ®). The second was carried out by caravans from Bulgar to Khovarezi and back 3). The water route was much more conveniently overland, firstly because it was open during the whole of spring, `Vt and parts of autumn, & the land route through the steppes was convenient only in the spring time, when the landscapes along which the caravans had to travel abounded in water and grass “): and secondly ` because it was safe steppe, ‘on in which the caravans had to fend off the attacks of the nomadic hordes 5). However, in the 10th century, when the Khazars were still strong, there were no special obstacles for the trade movement of the ‘10 steppes’, so that the ambassador of the Khaliya Muktedir, Ibn-Fotslan, safely arrived from the city of Ljurjashi (in Turkestan®) to Bulgar in Ma'elets 922 years ago, using seventy days of travel).