Places & Areas

1. Казан

   Kazan

   Kazan (capital of Tatarstan)

   Usage

   Capital of Tatarstan on the Volga; the spelling you will see on signs and tickets

   Grammar Note

   A proper name. Case suffixes attach to it: Казанга (to Kazan), Казанда (in Kazan).

2. Казан кремле

   Kazan kremle

   Kazan Kremlin (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

   Usage

   The white-walled citadel in central Kazan with a mosque and a cathedral; the top sight

   Grammar Note

   A noun+noun possessive compound: the second noun takes the 3rd-person possessive -е (Казан кремле = the Kremlin of Kazan). Кремле is written lower-case.

3. Колшәриф мәчете

   Kolshärif mächete

   Kul Sharif Mosque (inside the Kazan Kremlin)

   Usage

   The large mosque with blue minarets inside the Kremlin; dress modestly and remove shoes when going in

   Grammar Note

   "Колшәриф" is written as one word. "мәчет" takes the possessive "-е", the same pattern as "Казан кремле".

4. Сөембикә манарасы

   Söyembikä manarasy

   Söyembikä Tower (leaning tower in the Kazan Kremlin)

   Usage

   The leaning tower in the Kremlin, tied to the legend of Queen Söyembikä; a favourite photo spot

   Grammar Note

   Манара ends in a vowel, so the possessive is -сы (not -е). Keep ө and ә in the proper name.

5. Кабан күле

   Kaban küle

   Lake Kaban (in central Kazan)

   Usage

   A lake beside the city centre; its embankment is a popular place for a walk

   Grammar Note

   Күл (lake) takes the possessive -е, giving 'the lake of Kaban'.

6. Бауман урамы

   Bawman uramy

   Bauman Street (pedestrian street in Kazan)

   Usage

   The main pedestrian street with cafes and souvenir shops; a common meeting point

   Grammar Note

   Урам (street) plus possessive -ы; the street name follows the person's name.

7. Мәрҗани мәчете

   Märjani mächete

   Marjani Mosque (Old Tatar Quarter, Kazan)

   Usage

   An 18th-century mosque in the Old Tatar Quarter; a good landmark on a city walk

   Grammar Note

   Mind ә and җ in Мәрҗани; do not replace them with ж or а.

8. Раифа монастыре

   Raifa monastyre

   Raifa Monastery (near Kazan)

   Usage

   A monastery by a lake in the forest outside Kazan; a typical day trip

   Grammar Note

   The Russian loan монастырь drops its soft sign and takes the possessive -е.

9. Тукай мәйданы

   Tukay mäydany

   Tukay Square (central Kazan; also a metro station)

   Usage

   A central square named for the poet Tukay; also a metro station name, useful when navigating

   Grammar Note

   Мәйдан (square) plus possessive -ы, after a personal name.

10. Казан метрополитены

    Kazan metropoliteny

    Kazan Metro

    Usage

    The Kazan underground; a handy way to avoid road traffic

    Grammar Note

    The loan метрополитен ends in a consonant and takes -ы. In speech it is often shortened to метро.

11. Казан вокзалы

    Kazan vokzaly

    Kazan railway station

    Usage

    The city's main railway station; show this name to a taxi driver

    Grammar Note

    "вокзал" takes -ы, -га, -дан.

12. Габдулла Тукай исемендәге Казан аэропорты

    Gabdulla Tukay isemendäge Kazan aeroporty

    Kazan Airport named after Gabdulla Tukay

    Usage

    The full formal name of the airport, which carries the poet's name

    Grammar Note

    "исемендәге" means "bearing the name of" and is used in commemorative names.

13. Болгар

    Bolgar

    Bolgar (historic town on the Volga, UNESCO World Heritage)

    Usage

    A town with ruins of medieval Volga Bulgaria; often visited as a day trip from Kazan

    Grammar Note

    A proper name; case endings attach, e.g. Болгарга (to Bolgar).

14. Биләр

    Bilär

    Bilär (medieval Bulgar city site)

    Usage

    Site and nature reserve of a former capital of Volga Bulgaria

    Grammar Note

    A proper name; keep ә (not Билар).

15. Алабуга

    Alabuga

    Alabuga (Yelabuga in Russian; town on the Kama)

    Usage

    Road signs may show the Russian form Елабуга; it is the same town

    Grammar Note

    Tatar writes Алабуга, Russian Елабуга. Knowing both helps when reading signs and tickets.

16. Чаллы

    Chally

    Chally (Naberezhnye Chelny in Russian)

    Usage

    An industrial city on the Kama; tickets often show the Russian name Набережные Челны

    Grammar Note

    Tatar Чаллы and Russian Набережные Челны look unrelated. Learn both to match tickets and signs.

17. Түбән Кама

    Tübän Kama

    Nizhnekamsk (Tatar: Tüban Kama)

    Usage

    A Kama river city known for petrochemicals

    Grammar Note

    Түбән (lower) + Кама, matching Russian Нижнекамск. Ү is a rounded front vowel.

18. Әлмәт

    Älmät

    Almetyevsk (Tatar: Älmät)

    Usage

    An oil-industry town; Russian signs read Альметьевск

    Grammar Note

    Write both ә letters (not Алмат).

19. Чистай

    Chistay

    Chistopol (Tatar: Chistay)

    Usage

    A historic town on the Kama river

    Grammar Note

    The Russian name Чистополь looks different; use both when checking tickets.

20. Бөгелмә

    Bögelmä

    Bugulma (town in south-eastern Tatarstan)

    Usage

    Russian signs read Бугульма

    Grammar Note

    Mind ө, ә and е; the vowels differ a lot from the Russian name.

21. Яшел Үзән

    Yashel Üzän

    Zelenodolsk (Tatar: Yashel Üzän)

    Usage

    A Volga town west of Kazan, reachable by suburban train

    Grammar Note

    Literally 'Green Valley' = Зеленодольск; the adjective precedes the noun.

22. Лаеш

    Layesh

    Laishevo (Tatar: Layesh)

    Usage

    A town near Kazan; Russian signs read Лаишево

    Grammar Note

    Unlike Russian Лаишево, the Tatar name ends in ш.

23. Кукмара

    Kukmara

    Kukmor (Tatar: Kukmara; known for felt boots)

    Usage

    A town known for its felt boots

    Grammar Note

    The Russian name is Кукмор; the Tatar form ends in -а.

24. Иннополис

    Innopolis

    Innopolis (IT city near Kazan)

    Usage

    A newly built technology town near Kazan

    Grammar Note

    A new town; the spelling is the international name written in Cyrillic.

25. Идел

    Idel

    The Volga river (Tatar: Idel)

    Usage

    The great river that flows through Tatarstan; river boats and bank walks are popular

    Grammar Note

    Russian Волга is Идел in Tatar, a name that recurs in folk songs and poetry.

26. Кама

    Kama

    The Kama river

    Usage

    The largest tributary of the Volga; Chally and Nizhnekamsk lie on it

    Grammar Note

    Spelled Кама in both Tatar and Russian; case endings attach, e.g. Камада.

27. Татарстан

    Tatarstan

    Tatarstan (the Republic of Tatarstan)

    Usage

    The region whose capital is Kazan; useful for saying where you are headed

    Grammar Note

    Built as Татар + -стан (land); it takes case endings, e.g. Татарстанда (in Tatarstan).

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