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Itil
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Itil
On the Caspian Sea
The Beginnings
Itil, also known as Atil (which means "big river" - this name also refers to the Volga) was the capital of the Khazars from circa 750 to the middle of the 10th century AD. While we know it was located somewhere along the Volga delta at the northeast corner of the Caspian sea, we have yet to pinpoint its exact location with certainty [1]
Itil was established by the delta of the Volga sometime early during the 8th century AD [2], that is a few decades after the establishment of the Khazarian Kaganate (around 650 AD). Its first capital was Balanjar (which fell to al-Djarrah ibn Abdullah in 722-723 [3]), then Samandar, deemed too close to the territories occupied by the Arabs in the light of the defeat of the Khazars in the second Khazar-Arab war; this is how Itil finally became the third capital circa 750 AD. At this time, Itil was flourishing, thanks to its location. Following the plan of a campsite on seven concentric rings [2], it was judiciously established at the crossroad of several commercial roads, one of which being the famous Silk Road, guaranteeing its prosperity as a major trading point. But it wasn't its only function: Itil was also refered to as Khamlij in contemporary Arab sources, a name probably derived from the Hebrew word ha-melekh, which means "king" [4] [5], hinting at the fact that it was also a royal city
It's Debateable
Even though we haven't found the remains of the city yet (a point that is currently debated, see [1]), we know that Itil was built on both sides of the main branch of the Volga and on an island in between. The western side was refered to as Khazaran [6] and was mostly inhabited by the Khazars, in particular its nobility and the army, as well as serving as an administrative center. The courthouse was also located there: it is interesting to note that seven judges were appointed, representing the multiple religions cohabitating in Itil: 2 were Christian, 2 Jewish and 2 Muslim; another was appointed for the pagans [7]. Each of these religions had its own cult center within the city. This multi-ethnicity was certainly a result of the importance of trade resulting from the traffic generated by the various trade roads, and was certainly particularly striking in the eastern half of the city, Atil, as it was the trade center as well as the home to numerous merchants and artisans. One could travel from one side to the other by boat, while the island where the royal palace stood surrounded by gardens and vineyards, was connected to the western side by a bridge. The royal palace was the only building of backed bricks; some homes were made of clay, but the majority was of felt and wood. They would reside there during winter, but a part of the population would migrate to the surrounding steppes in spring and summer to cultivate their crops [8]. Their diet was dominated by fish and vegetables
Itil Disappears
Itil remained the capital during 200 years until Svyatoslav I of Kiev sacked it sometime between 968 and 969 AD. Although it was probably rebuilt immediately afterwards, since the name appear in Arab texts a few years later, it certainly suffered the same fate as the Khazarian Kaganate did under the attacks of the Rus in the 960s: it fell into ruins and utterly disappeared in the winding course of history
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