Sarkel (or Şarkil; Turkic for "White Fortress") was a large limestone-and-brick fortress built by the Khazars with Byzantine assistance in the 830s.

Sarkel was located on the left bank of the lower Don River. The surrounding city served as a bustling commercial center. Caravans from many lands arrived in Sarkel. Sarkel was built to protect the Khazar's northern border from the Vikings, who much later became known as the Rus and settled in western Russia, as well as from nomadic marauders from the east. A garrison fortified at Sarkel included Oghuz and Pecheneg mercenaries.

Sarkel's fortress and city were captured by the Kievan Rus' prince Sviatoslav I in 965. The city was renamed as Belaya Vezha (Slavic for "White Tower") and settled by Slavs until the 12th century, when the district was taken over by the Kipchaks.

In recent times archaeological excavations found that Byzantine columns were used in the construction of Sarkel. The site is now submerged by the Tsimlyansk reservoir, so no further excavations can be completed.

Reference

• Douglas M. Dunlop, The History of the Jewish Khazars, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1954.
• Kevin Alan Brook, The Jews of Khazaria, 1st ed., Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, 1999
• Koestler, Arthur. The Thirteenth Tribe

See also

• Atil
• Tmutarakan