The Yelabuga settlement (Tatar: Alabuga shәһәrchege, obsolete: Chertovo gorodishche) is the remains of a fortified settlement on the banks of the Kama River, not far from the city of Yelabuga. It served as a ancestral refuge for one of the local tribes that lived in this area in the second half of the 1st millennium AD.

### The Citadel and its architecture

In the eastern part of the settlement, there are remains of a square stone citadel with an area of ​​400 m² and four towers. It is assumed that it was built by the ruler of Volga Bulgaria, Emir Ibrahim, in the 10th century. The fortress-mosque had a square plan with protruding corner towers and half-towers between them. The length of the walls between the corner towers was 21 meters. The southern tower, the largest and having a diameter of about 10 meters, performed observation functions, providing a view up and down the Kama. The western tower had a hexagonal shape and served as the base of the minaret. The half-tower between them had a triangular shape and contained a mihrab.

### The tower and its reconstruction

The corner tower is a hollow stone cylinder with a metal roof in the form of a low dome. Its height is 7.1 meters, the diameter of the internal space is 5.7 meters. The thickness of the wall decreases from 2 meters at the base to 0.7 meters in the upper half, giving the lower part a conical shape. The original masonry of rough stones on lime mortar with alabaster has survived only on the northern side.

In 1825, Professor F. I. Erdman of Kazan University found only this tower at the "Devil's Settlement", the rest of the structure was dismantled by local residents down to the foundations. In 1844, the tower collapsed, with the exception of a small northern section with an arched doorway and a window above it. In 1855, at the request of Moscow professor K. Nevostruev, I. V. Shishkin, together with his artist son, examined the Devil's Settlement and decided to restore the dilapidated tower. In 1867, at the initiative of I. V. Shishkin, the tower was restored on the old foundation and covered with iron.

### Legends and myths

The settlement is shrouded in many legends. One of them, transmitted by the Russian traveler Nikolai Petrovich Rychkov, tells of a snake-oracle (or devil), who lived in the temple of the ancient pagans and was known for his predictions. As payment for the prophecies, human sacrifices were made to the snake. Before the destruction of the Bulgar Kingdom, the snake suddenly disappeared, and the people became victims of a powerful enemy.

### Historical significance

According to historians, the Yelabuga settlement was an important milestone on the northern branch of the Great Silk Road and was one of the largest centers of trade, culture and religion in the Kama region. On the site of the former pagan sanctuary, the Volga Bulgars built a mosque-citadel, which in 1614-1616, during the colonization of the region by the inhabitants of Rus', was transformed into an Orthodox Trinity Monastery for men.

### Current status

Today, the Yelabuga settlement is a cultural heritage site of federal significance and is under state protection in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 1327 of August 30, 1960. The settlement is located within the city limits and is accessible to visitors. You can approach it through the Millennium Square or climb from the foot of the hill along a long and winding path-stairs.

Zukfiullin

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