Syuyumbike Tower

Syuyumbike Tower is a 58-metre watchtower in the Kazan Kremlin, Tatarstan, Russia, and one of the city's main architectural symbols. The Kremlin is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 2000), and the tower itself is a federally protected cultural heritage object. From its top there is a view of the Kazanka and Volga rivers and the surrounding area.

Legends

The tower's origin is wrapped in legends with no scientific basis. One says it was built by the Kazan queen Syuyumbike in memory of her late husband. Another claims it was erected in just seven days after the capture of Kazan in 1552, with Syuyumbike herself credited as the initiator. A third version holds that the tower was rebuilt from the minaret of a khan's mosque.

History and architecture

Scholarly opinion leans toward the tower being built in the 17th-18th centuries: one estimate puts it at 1645-1650, another at 1694-1718. It has seven tiers and is typical of the architecture of that period.

Lean and restoration

The tower leans to the northeast by almost 2 metres because of the interaction between the soil and the cultural layer, making it one of Russia's best-known "leaning" landmarks. At various times work was done to strengthen the foundation and restore the tower; the last reinforcement, in 1998, stopped it from tilting further.

Today the Syuyumbike Tower remains the main architectural symbol and cultural heritage of Kazan, drawing tourists and researchers alike.