Sarkel - White Tower - lost castle

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Sarkel (hazarsk. «White House») - Khazar later Russian city-fortress on the left bank of the River Don on the edge's. Popov, between the page and Tsymlyanskoy farm Krasny Yar in the mouth of the river Tsymla. There are currently located at the bottom Tsimlyanskoe reservoir.

The fortress was built between 834 and 837 in the vicinity of the intersection of trade routes to land by boat on the Don. At the request of the rulers of Khazar Kagan and Bek, applied to the Byzantine Emperor Feofilu construction was mediated by Byzantine engineers.
Shortly after construction began Sarkel quickly settle and become a trade and craft town. All the interior space has been built houses. The population consisted of two ethnic groups: the citadel were tyurskie nomads (the home of a yurt), the rest - Alanian local population (the home of zemlyanok). Operated foundry, forge, pottery workshops and caravanserais.

Sarkel was the main outpost in the north-western border of Khazar. It annually based removable garrison of 300 soldiers. In 965 Sarkel defeated Prince Svyatoslav. After the settlement came under the power of Russia and is called in Russian White Tower.
In 1103, Vladimir Monomakh taking on Pechenegs Russ and Tori. They were the garrison of the White Vezhi until Polovci in 1117 not destroyed the city, and he was leaving the residents.

Remnants of the fortress were studied in 1934-1936 and from 1949 to 1951. in the Volga-Don novostroechnoy archeological expedition. In 1952 a monument was flooded during the construction Tsimlyanskoe reservoir.
www.sarkel.ru/