Səke, large wooden platforms, were central to the interior, used for work, rest, meals, and festivities, often occupying the space along the front wall. As furniture evolved in the late 19th century, shorter səke and wooden beds became common, particularly in areas like the Qasıym district and Oka-Sura region. Other furnishings included wooden shelves (kiştə) for storing bread, clothing, and religious texts, while kitchen items were stored in cupboards and racks. By the late 19th century, clocks and mirrors, influenced by urban styles, became a standard part of the rural interior, especially in wealthier households. Muslim Tatars displayed shamails, framed texts from the Quran, and family trees (şəcərə). The interiors often featured potted flowers like geraniums and basil, lovingly tended to and placed on windowsills. The rural homes also included sparse but essential furniture like tables (östəl), chests (sandıq), and simple wooden beds, with some wealthy families showcasing decorative chests as a symbol of their affluence.

In older mişər homes with the “black” heating the stove stood in a corner near the front wall, with urdık (səke in Kazan Tatar) along this wall and a narrow yanurdık (bench) along the side wall. Later, the stove was moved to the back wall, creating a kitchen area (kazna, keçe urdık yak, or çolan). The tür remained along the front wall, but its far end, called putmar, was enclosed for storage—an element borrowed from Mokshas and absent in Kazan Tatars’ homes.

In traditional Tatar interior design, textiles played a key decorative role. Homes were decorated with handwoven towels (sölge, bistər), tablecloths (aşyawlıq), prayer rugs (namazlıq), and small napkins (tastımal). Layers of textiles softened wooden walls and corners, creating a cozy, yurt-like feel. Bedding items like mattresses, sheets, pillows, and blankets were often stacked high on səke or chests, covered with embroidered yapma (sheet). Special textiles like the çıbıldıq curtain marked personal spaces, such as the newlyweds' bed. Textiles were also seen as protective. In Turkic yurts, the valance covered the junction between the dome and the walls — a symbolic zone where the upper and middle worlds met, believed to be a potential entry point for evil spirits. In Tatar homes, similar valances (qaşağa or tür buyı) were placed where the walls met the ceiling, guarding the boundary between the human and spirit worlds. The tür zone, opposite the entrance, held social significance, while the area around the door, işek töbe, was for younger family members. During feasts (tabın), seating reflected gender and social hierarchies. The Tatar interior, with its spatial organization and textiles, mirrored the Turkic yurt, preserving nomadic traditions even in urban life.

The interior design of the Kerəşen home in addition to the tür, features qoyaş poçmaq or təre poçmaq in the front corner of the house, diagonally opposite the stove, a feature that likely appeared during their Christian period. The stove, in smaller homes, was often against the wall, and some homes had a small free space between the stove and the back wall (piç artı or gölbəç), which sometimes featured a ladder (kəzünkə basqıçı) leading to the loft. In larger homes, the space between the stove and walls provided maximum heat distribution. The stove base was made of logs, and benches (uşa) were attached to it.

Tatars placed great importance on decorating their homes. This attention to decoration reached its peak during festive occasions, when the ancient tradition of öy kiyenderü (“dressing the home") was practiced, transforming the space into a beautifully adorned setting.

✨ Modern Tatar interior

After doing some research, I’ve gathered a few tips and ideas for bringing Tatar elements into your interior. Consider adding:

• plenty of pillows and cushions (especially oversized ones)

• textile decorations with floral or geometric patterns, embroidery, fringes, and ruffles

• rugs and carpets

• lots of plants

• a beautiful Tatar tea set and other ceramics

• an authentic shamail or shamail-inspired calligraphic art


Splurge on these brands or get inspired to create your own DIY pieces:

Bolğar ceramics
Home Tatar
Luiza Khamzina

If you have more ideas, fell free to share in the comments!

__________________________________________
The History of the Tatars since ancient times in seven volumes, 2017. V.2, V.4, V.5, V.6 and V.7,
Images from the same books and Pinterest accounts of Ali Sadekoff, Raushania Polosina and İlzirә

#tt_newbie
I want

In this short lesson, we’ll learn how to express desire or wishes in Tatar:

🔹 (min) … telim – I want …
The verb teləw means to want. You can use this structure with nouns or infinitive verbs.

Bez xaqiqətne tabarğa ğına telibez! (Ayaz Ğiləcev, “Bez unike qız idek”)
We only want to find the truth!

🔹 (minem) … -asım/-əsem/-ıysım/-isem kilə – I want to …
(min) … -ası/-əse/-ıysı/-ise kilə – I want to …
There’s a softer, more colloquial way to say “I want” using the kilə structure. It literally means “It comes to me,” but in practice, it works like “I feel like doing...”.

Menə nərsə, talaşasıñ kilə ikən – talaş, əmma çığırıñnan çıqmıyça. (Xəy Waxit, “Kük qapusı açılsa”)
Here is what, if you do want to argue, argue, but without losing your temper.

🔹 … -ası/-əse/-ıysı/-ise ide – I’d like to … / I should …

“Tik çaq qına yuwınıp qına alası ide,” dip söylənep, öyaldına çıqtı. (Şərif Kamal, “Matur tuğanda”)
But I just want to wash myself a little, he said, stepping out on the porch.

❓Do you know more ways of expressing desire to do something in Tatar?

#tt_intermediate
Today let's listen to and translate the lyrics of a powerful song by Defne!
Here are the links to Youtube, Spotify and Apple Music.

DEFNE – QIZ

Bələkəy-bələkəy tən
Bələkəy bələkəydən
Ğadi fikerne belgən
Ğadi fikerne belgən

Sabırlıq – zarar tamçı
Diñgezlərne borçuçı
Yəşəw təmen bik açı
Yasatuçı, yasatuçı

Axirətem, küz nurım
Əy, ozaq buldı yulıñ
Tıynaqlıqtan arıdıñ
Köçen cıydı tawışıñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

Min açulandım bügen
Biçura bulıp kürdeñ
Ğafu it mine, bəğrem
Ğafu it mine, bəğrem

Yuxalanıym min əle
Şatlandırıym keşene
Əwerelü sələte –
Hər ğasırda kirəkle

Axirətem, küz nurım
Əy, ozaq buldı yulıñ
Tıynaqlıqtan arıdıñ
Köçen cıydı tawışıñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

Rəncetməsəñ – rəncetməmen
Bu – bik ğadi qağidə
Yıraqtan ğına soqlan sin
Xörmət süzen belməsəñ

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Kisken telləre yırta
Küñeleñne qızğanmıyça

Qız, qız, qız bala
İdənnərne qızdıra
Diwarlarnı yañğırata
Biyergə bir canına

______________

DEFNE – GIRL

Tiny, tiny body
From a very young age
She understood a simple thing
She understood a simple thing

Patience is a drop of poison
That troubles the seas
Making life
Taste bitter

My friend, my eye’s light
Oh, your road was long
You’re tired of modesty
Your voice has gathered strength

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

I got angry today
You saw me as a witch
Forgive me, my darling
Forgive me, my darling

Let me sweet-talk a little
Make everyone happy
The talent of transformation is
A gift valued at all times

My friend, my eye’s light
Oh, your road was long
You’re tired of modesty
Your voice has gathered strength

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

If you don’t hurt – I won’t hurt
It’s a very simple rule
Admire me from afar only
If you don’t know the word “respect”

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Her sharp tongue tears
Your soul without any mercy

Girl, girl, girl
She sets the floor on fire
Echoes through the walls
Let her soul dance

#tt_culture
Sara Sadıyqova

Sara Sadıyqova (1906–1986) was more than a composer, actress, and singer — she was a pioneer who reshaped Tatar culture in the 20th century. She is widely recognized as the first Tatar female composer, but her legacy extends far beyond music. To many young Tatars, seeing her on stage felt like proof that women could stand at the very center of culture even during times of strict limitations.

Born Bibisara Sadıyqova in Kazan in 1906 to a family that valued both tradition and modern education, Sara grew up in a house full of books and the sound of her mother’s voice singing old Tatar songs. Her musical talent became obvious early on: first, she learned some folk instruments, and later her father purchased a piano for her.

She studied at the prestigious Aitova School for Tatar girls, where they secretly received not only religious education but also arithmetic, history, and geography — subjects considered “inappropriate” for women at the time. These early experiences shaped her as an independent and intellectually curious person. After school, Sara enrolled in the Kazan Tatar Pedagogical College, where she sang in a choir, encouraged by her teacher Soltan Ğəbəşi.

In the 1920s, she moved to Moscow to study at the Conservatory’s choral department, developing her soprano voice and strengthening her skills in solo performance. During this time, she performed with the Moscow Central Tatar Workers’ Theater and other professional ensembles, proving her reputation as a rising star of Tatar music and drama.

After returning to Kazan in the 1930s, Sara became a leading performer at the Tatar Academic Theater, taking on main roles in musical dramas such as Süngən Yoldızlar and Zəngər Şəl. Here you can listen to a recording of her singing.

By the 1940s, she was singing everything from lyrical folk tunes and arias to bold tango, foxtrot, and blues — sometimes on the same stage in one evening. She masterfully blended these Western musical styles with traditional Tatar melodies. Sadıyqova’s compositions often reflected the emotional and cultural experiences of her people. Her most popular songs, including Kötəm Sine, Qazan Kiçləre, Cidegən çışmə, became widely beloved, performed in concerts across Tatarstan and beyond. Her lyricism, expressive voice, and stage presence made her stand out as both a performer and a composer. She introduced elements of national folklore into formal concert music, thereby enriching the Tatar vocal tradition and influencing generations of musicians.

Beyond the stage, Sara was just as devoted to teaching and mentoring. Her home became a place for creative activity: it was often full of young singers, and she organized and led choirs. More than anything, she worked hard to ensure that Tatar folk music remained vibrant and accessible. She also embodied a model of female leadership in a predominantly male cultural sphere, building her independence and authority as a composer, educator, and artist. Sadıyqova also kept close ties to Tatar identity at a moment when indigenous cultures were often suppressed by Soviet policies. By blending folk motifs with modern rhythms, she preserved the moñ of Tatar music while making it accessible to wider audiences and showing everyone that Tatar culture could modernize without losing its core.

Even today, modern Tatar musicians and cultural figures are influenced by Sadıyqova’s musical style, seeing her as a bridge between tradition and innovation. Monuments, concerts, and academic works honor her not only as a composer but as a cultural icon.

#tt_intermediate

Lyrics by Xəsən Tufan
Music by Sara Sadıyqova

QAZAN KİÇLƏRE

Kil əle, İdelneñ ciləs cile,
Yullarğa çəçəklər sip əle.
Aq bulıp, saf bulıp istə qalsın
Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre.

Tuğan il çaqırğan zur yullarğa
Kitərbez tañnarda bez monnan.
Ozatıp qalırsıñ bezne, Qazan,
Balasın oçırğan qoş sıman.

Yəşərbez tuğan cir tufrağında,
Qırlarda, İdeldə-diñgezdə.
İsən-saw bulsınnar balalar, dip,
Xəyerle yul telə, İl, bezgə.

İdelgə suzılğan aylı yuldan
Tın ğına, moñ ğına cır ağa.
Sağınırbız, duslar, bu kiçlərne
Çəçlərgə çal kergən çorda da.

Al göllər sibegez bezneñ yulğa,
İdelneñ irtəñge cilləre.
Məñgegə, ğömergə istə qalsın
Qazannıñ qəderle kiçləre.

__________

EVENINGS OF KAZAN

Come, gentle breeze of the İdel (Volga) River,
Scatter flowers along the roads.
May them remain in memory pure and bright —
The precious evenings of Kazan.

Our homeland has called us on a great journey,
We will depart from here at dawn.
You will see us off, Kazan,
Like a bird sending its child to flight.

We will live on our native soil,
In the fields, on the İdel, on the sea.
“May the children be safe and sound,” —
Wish us well, O Land, on our way.

Along the moonlit path over the İdel,
A quiet, soulful song flows.
We will miss, friends, these evenings —
Even when our hair turns grey.

Scatter red flowers along our road,
Morning breezes of the İdel.
May them remain in memory forever, for a lifetime —
The precious evenings of Kazan.

#tt_intermediate
Read this through!

In Tatar, the combination of verbal adverbs (VA) formed with -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or -p, -ıp, -ep / -mıy, -mi, -mıyça, -miçə with auxiliary verbs is one of the most common ways to express subtle nuances of action. Auxiliary verbs are independent verbs that, when combined with a verbal adverb, add a lexical nuance to the action of the principal verb.

💬 uqı (read) – uqıp çıq (read through) – uqıp beter (read to the end, finish reading)

💡 Using auxiliaries often makes an action more definite or concrete:
Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra. – The condition of the patient is improving.

Awırunıñ xəle yaxşıra bara. – The condition of the patient is gradually improving.

Here are some frequently used auxiliary verbs:

🔸başlaw (lit. to begin) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i indicates the beginning of an action

Əni çəy əzerli başladı. (Kərim Əmiri, “Əsma”) – Mother began to make tea.

🔸betü (lit. to end (intrans.)) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action has come to an end

Cil tuqtağan, kiçəge bolıtlar taralıp betkənnər. (Ğalimcan İbrahimov, “Diñgezdə”) – The wind has stopped, and yesterday's clouds have completely dispersed.

🔸beterü (lit. to finish, bring to an end) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is brought to an end

Rəis, xatnı uqıp betergəç, berniqədər waqıt onıtılıp tordı. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Məxəbbət xatı”) – After reading the letter, Rəis became lost in thought for some time.

uqıy başladı – started reading
uqıp beterde – finished reading

🔸kilü (lit. to come) – with a VA in -a, -ə, -ıy, -i or in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that an action is repeated within a certain period of time

Min bit gel əytə kildem, Sayimə ciñgi, tuy yasamıym, didem. (Şərif Xösəyenov, “Əniyemneñ aq külməge”) – After all, (sister-in-law) Sayimə, I have said it all along, I'm not going to have a wedding, I said.

• With a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the direction of an action towards the speaker:

alıp kildem – I brought (lit. I took and came)

🔸kitü (lit. to leave, go away) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the sudden begin and rapid development of an action

Uyın yañadan qızıp kitə. (Şəyxi Mannur, “Ağımsularğa qarap”) – The game is heating up again.

• Also indicates an action moving away from the speaker:

çığıp kittem – I left

• Used together with bulıp denotes an action or state becoming continuous

dus bulıp kittek – we became friends

oçıp kilü – to come flying
oçıp kitü – to fly away

🔸menü (lit. to mount (on), to rise, climb, ascend) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an upward direction of the action

🔸töşü (lit. to descend, to fall) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a downward direction of the action

sikerep mende – jumped on sth.
sikerep töşte – jumped down

🔸quyu (lit. to put, lay down) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates an intentional execution of an action, often producing a result

Tuqta, min bolarnı yazıp ta quyıym əle. (Mirsəy Əmir, “Yeget şə-ə-əp”) – Wait, please, let me just write down these things.

bəyləp quyu – to tie
yatlap quyu – to learn by heart

🔸cibərü (lit. to send) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates a sudden, forceful, or brief action that may start abruptly, intensify, be carried out unconsciously, or develop into a continuous state.

Raxmankulov tərəzəne açıp cibərde. (Mirğazican Yunıs, “Bozılğan tınıçlıq”) – Raxmanqulov flung the window open.

kölep cibərü – to burst out laughing
etep cibərü – to push

🔸citü (lit. to reach) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the action or state has reached a limit or has rendered a result

İkençe könne nəq bilgeləngən waqıtta Mədinəneñ çaqırulı qunaqları kilep citte. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – The next day, exactly at the set time, Mədinə's invited guests arrived.

🔸çığu (lit. to go out, set out, step out) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates the course of a (thorough) action from the beginning to the end

Şunnan soñ qısqaça gına ul, bezgə üzeneñ bezdən kitkənnən soñ qaylarda bulğanın, nişləgənen söyləp çıqtı. (Möxəmmət Ğali, “Rəxmətulla tegüçe”) – After that, he told us briefly where he had been and what he had done after he had left us.

🔸qaraw (lit. to look) – with a VA in -p, -ıp, -ep indicates that the person attempts to carry out the action

Min üzemne Xəmdünə urınına quyıp qaradım. (Ğömər Bəşirov, “İ yazmış, yazmış”) – I tried to put myself in Xəmdünə's position.

kitapnı uqıp çıq – read through the book
kitapnı uqıp qara – try reading the book

🧡 Give this post a like and I will make a list with more frequently used verbs combinations!

#tt_advanced
Expressing desire

🧡 To express a desire to do something in Tatar, there are very straightforward, simple constructions that we already introduced to you in a beginner-level post.

🧡 Another way to express desire is to say “Let me do …” and this is discussed in the following post.

To express more nuance, you can use the following constructions:

🧡 Future Tense I (in -r, -ar, -ər, -ır, -er) + ide:

Bik onıtır idem də, Ləylügem, ...! (Mədinə Malikova, “Aq dawılda tal börese”). – I would like very much to forget it, my darling Ləylə, but, ...!

• A verb in the conditional + (ğına) yarar ide expresses a wish or a polite request:

Məşəqət bulmasa, menə şuşı məqələne qarap çıqsağız yarar ide. (İbrahim Nurullin, “Tuqay Peterburgta”) – If it isn’t inconvenient, I would like you to look over this article here.

🧡 A verbal noun in -maq/-mək with -çı/-çe expresses a definite wish or intention to act:

Keşelərne qızıqtırıp üzenə qaratmaqçı. (Nəbi Dəwli, “Qoyaşqa yöz belən”) – He wants to interest people into looking at him.

• The past tense form -maqçı ide / -məkçe ide means the person had an intention or wish to act, but it was not realized or seemed uncertain or subconscious:

Min siña saq bul dip elek tə əytməkçe idem, üze də sabıy tügel bit dip, batırçılıq itmədem. (Mədinə Malikova, Qazan qalası—taş qala”) – I wanted to tell you before to be careful, but considering you are not a child after all, I didn’t dare to.

• The past tense form -maqçı buldı / -məkçe buldı expresses a more definite, decisive intention. It suggests that the agent had a firm resolve to act, even if, for some reason, they ultimately did not (compare with -rğa buldı in this post):

Rəxim nider əytməkçe buldı. Ləkin süz taba almadı. (Atilla Rasix, “İke buydaq”) – Rəxim wanted to say something, but he could not find the words.