Culture of hospitality: Tatarstan

Bordering seven regions lying at the centre of the European part of Russia is the Republic of Tatarstan. It is an active region with a growing economy, leading in many international and national rankings, and in factual data in many industries. Tatarstan owns an oil deposit and three petrochemical plants.

Shehara Rizly

Most of who may have been interested in FIFA 2018, may be familiar with Kazan, the sports capital of Russia which not only hosted football but also FINA 2015, Summer Universiade 2013, etc. In terms of business, one may remember the annual international economic summit, KazanSummit and Halal Expo Russia which are the only worldscale Islamic forums in Russia organised by Kazan annually in April or May. This year, they have one more onboard in August — World Skills 2019.

Feel at home in Tatarstan
Middle Eastern travellers are always on the look-out for new destinations. Tatarstan with its rich heritage and culture and 30 per cent of its population following Islam has everything these travellers require. Tatarstan is halal-friendly. Restaurants, cafes and hotels are certified to international standards. Tatar cuisine is rich in Turk tribes’ traditions and diverse in tastes of meat and baked dishes. Its national culture pleases the eyes in clothes, interiors and decoration. Shops offer a wide range of halal products and fashionable modest clothing. Namaz can be done in one of around 1500 mosques or special rooms.

Immerse yourself in history and culture
Northern Mecca – the ancient city Bolgar – annually attracts thousands of pilgrims striving to see the Muslim shrines – Khan’s Palace, Jameh Mosque and the biggest printed Quran in the world. The legendary mosque Kul Sharif draws to Tatarstan’s capital – Kazan. There are three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Tatarstan – Kazan Kremlin, Bulgarian Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve and Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the townisland of Sviyazhsk.

Easy connections
Direct flights connect Kazan with Dubai and Sharjah, UAE, Istanbul and Antalya, Turkey, Teheran, Iran. GCC is linked with Kazan through Moscow, too. The Moscow-Kazan flight takes an hour only. Hotels galore Some of the international hotel chains in the country include DoubleTree by Hilton, Marriott, Park Inn by Radisson, Tasigo and ibis. Apart from this, multiple countries invest in Tatarstan with Turkey leading the list. The freshest example is the five-star Kazan Palace Hotel by Tasigo. Arabic network, Alliance Business Center, offers a premium class business centre. Largest in GCC construction companies like Emaar and Al Habtoor show active interest.

Ideal for bleisure
Once in Tatarstan, any entrepreneur would start a business here! Men of affairs are attracted by Kazan, machine building capital Naberezhnye Chelny, oil extraction capital Almetyevsk and petrochemical capital Nizhnekamsk. In terms of leisure, the many shopping and entertainment areas along with sightseeing could be added on the list