Atrakhan is thought to have been founded in the second half of the 13th century as part of the Golden Horde. Being located near the mouth of the River Volga, it quickly became an important city for trade and in the mid-15th century it became the capital of the Astrakhan Khanate, a successor state to the Golden Horde. It became part of Russia under Ivan the Terrible who was reponsible for founding the city’s most famous sight – the Astrakhan Kremlin. Astrakhan has been named a Historical City of Russia.