Description : Ashli or Aşlı (Tatar: Ашлы) was a mysterious medieval Volga Bulgarian town. In Russian chronicles it is known as Oshel (Russian: Ошель). Whereas archaeological excavations prove that the city appeared as early as the 11th century, the Tatar legends and the Russian Tver Chronicle state that the city was founded by Alexander the Great. At its heyday Ashli was a major trade and political centre. In 1220 it was ruined and burned by the troops of Sviatoslav III of Vladimir. The Tver Chronicle is the only written source where Ashli is mentioned.
See on map »