Al-Bayda

Cities of Khazaria. Kromos Estatium
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     The khazar cities here include not only those cities that were built by the khazar architects, but also those that were built before the arrival of the khazars, were used by the khazars for their needs and tasks for a long time.
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Al-Bayda **
     It was a Khazar city, but the name is arabic and means White city. There is the turkic name of the White city, is Sarashin. Apparently, this is the western part of the Khazarian capital Itil on the Volga river.
     According to the interpretation of the karaite historian M.Agha the word «bai» means rich among the karaites, the word «bayitta» means the old city, also Derbent in arabic.
     Most often, al-Bayda is associated with Itil or one of its parts. Geographers of the classical school do not have such a city on Itil.
     Yakut gives some thoughts on Atil, al-Bayda, and Samandar. In an article about al-Bayda, he reports that this city is located in the khazar country beyond Bab al-abwab, which indicates that al-Bayda coincided with Samandar rather than Atil.
     Semender is also described as a White city in Khazaria, whose name is of iranian origin.
     In any case, al-Bayda was the location of the headquarters of the Khazar Khagan in the middle of the 8th century, as well as during the attack of arab troops led by Mervan on Khazaria.
     According to various authoritative versions, al-Bayda was located on the Don, not far from Sarkel, one of the Kagan's residences, it was also located on the Volga, not far from Itil, and they tried to identify it with both Semender and Derbent.
     In the non-leap year 737, Mervan, the arab conqueror of Khazaria, finished his campaign here, near the capital of the Khazarus State. From here, the Kagan went to the Volga with his guards, the other part of the Kagan's army went to the Don, leading Mervan.
     From that moment on, the arabs luck ran out. So the mythical al-Bayda became the last city to be conquered by the arabs. More they are on the territory of the khazars, and in general, in these places did not appear. And instead of them, Biden once showed up from the States and sat in the presidential chair of Ukraine.
     Most likely, al-Bayda was a fortified point, a fortress where the temporary headquarters of the Kagan was located during the wars with the arabs. After the retreat of the arabs, the Kagan's headquarters returned to Itil, perhaps not to Itil itself, but to its outskirts, where the tents of The Kagan's retinue stood.
     However, during the 15 years of war with the arabs, al-Bayda expanded with various buildings, and settled residents appeared. After the end of the war, the Kagan finally moved to Itil, the remaining settlement was useless to anyone. The city of al-Bayda became a ghost that the book tradition placed here and there, but always in connection with the Khagan and the Khazarian capitals.
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