Sarai founded by Batu's successors

1258

On the lower Volga, Berke Khan founded or greatly expanded the new capital of the Golden Horde at Sarai. The city, built of mud brick and felt tents alternately, became a polyglot trading hub where Italian merchants, Russian princes, and Turkish nomads crossed paths. At its peak Sarai may have housed over half a million inhabitants, making it one of the largest cities in the medieval world.