Certain Muslim people of Central Asia, specifically Bulgar, Tatar and Bashkir peoples of the Volga-Ural region (within what is today Tatarstan in the Russian Federation), carried on a rich tradition of the Alexander legend well into the 19th century. The region was conquered by the Abbasid Caliphate in the early 10th century. In these legends, Alexander is referred to as "Iskandar Dhul-Qarnayn" (Alexander the Two Horned), and is "depicted as founder of local cities and an ancestor of local figures." The local folklore about "Iskandar Dhul-Qarnayn" played in an important role in communal identity: