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In 2019, many people watched in horror as black smoke poured out of Notre-Dame de Paris, the 12th-century Roman Catholic cathedral. An orange blaze spread across the roof, and it seemed the historic building might be lost.
After the fire went out and experts assessed the water damage, some people may have felt comforted that a restoration plan was in place. But conspiracy theorists who believed in the Tartarian Empire felt otherwise.
To them, it was just another example of Tartarian architecture being demolished.
A Lost Empire?
One confusing aspect of the Tartarian Empire conspiracy is that there was a place and people long referred to as Tartars living in Tartary.
What Was the Tartarian Empire?
Western Europeans and Russians used to refer to a region in Asia as Tartary. This area included Siberia and parts of central Asia, including Mongolia and stretching as far south as Afghanistan. By the 1800s, some Russians saw their country as the world power in the East and entitled to the land and its resources.
What Was a Tartar?
The word tartar meant barbarian. In the mid-1600s, Italian writer Martino Martini wrote De Bello Tartarico about his travels in China. His work was translated into other languages and helped vaguely apply the term to a wide region of people.
Is the Term Tartar Still Used?
Although Tartar or Tartary is rarely used to describe Central Asia or its people, Crimean Tartars refer to a specific ethnic group. Crimean Tartars have lived in Crimea since the 12th century but endured mass deportations starting in the 1700s. After the fall of the Soviet Union, some Crimean Tartars began migrating back to their ancestral homeland.
Read More: 5 Lost Civilizations
Erasing an Empire
People who believe in the Tartarian Empire contend it was once a sophisticated, worldwide civilization with impressive architecture. Because such an empire is not mentioned in history books, conspiracy theorists claim it has been intentionally erased.
What Is the Tartarian Empire Mud …