The Kazan Kremlin is the city's centrepiece — a long white limestone enclosure rising above the Kazanka river, the only surviving Tatar citadel of any size, and the obvious starting point for any visit. The walls and towers were built in the 16th and 17th centuries on the foundations of the earlier Khanate citadel; the complex was inscribed by UNESCO in 2000.
Inside, the white-blue Kul Sharif Mosque and the white-gold Annunciation Cathedral sit a hundred metres apart, each one of the largest of its kind in the country. The leaning Söyembikä Tower stands between them. Several museums occupy the surviving palaces and barracks. Entry to the grounds is free; the cathedral, mosque, and museums each charge a small fee. Plan on half a day.