Ukek
Encyclopedia
Ukek was a medieval city (13th-14th centuries) in the Golden Horde
, the territory of the Mongol khanate
. It was sited on the Volga River
in the Uvekovka River's estuary
. In the beginning of 14th century, it was a major trade and political center of the Golden Horde. Ukek coined its own money. In 1395 Timur
's troops sacked the city. The ruins of the palace, mosque
, apartments and workshops are still preserved. The later and present-day city of Saratov
was founded near the site of Ukek.
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde was a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate that formed the north-western sector of the Mongol Empire...
, the territory of the Mongol khanate
Khanate
Khanate, or Chanat, is a Turco-Mongol-originated word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. In modern Turkish, the word used is kağanlık, and in modern Azeri of the republic of Azerbaijan, xanlıq. In Mongolian the word khanlig is used, as in "Khereidiin Khanlig" meaning the Khanate...
. It was sited on the Volga River
Volga River
The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...
in the Uvekovka River's estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. In the beginning of 14th century, it was a major trade and political center of the Golden Horde. Ukek coined its own money. In 1395 Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
's troops sacked the city. The ruins of the palace, mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, apartments and workshops are still preserved. The later and present-day city of Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
was founded near the site of Ukek.