▁in ▁the ▁Lower ▁Vol ga ▁region , ▁and ▁was ▁known ▁in ▁pre - M ong ol ▁times ▁as ▁Sak sin - B ol gar , ▁which ▁in ▁Mong ol ▁times ▁became ▁Sar ai ▁B atu . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁mentioned ▁by ▁the ▁Arab ▁ge ograph er ▁al - G h arn ati ▁and ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁Q az w ini , ▁among ▁others , ▁and ▁recorded ▁as ▁" the ▁land ▁of ▁the ▁S aks ins " ▁in ▁the ▁report ▁of ▁Fri ar ▁Ben edy kt ▁Pol ak ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 2 4 6 ▁trip ▁of ▁Giovanni ▁da ▁P ian ▁del ▁Car pine ▁through ▁the ▁camp ▁of ▁Mong ol ▁prince ▁B atu ▁Khan ▁on ▁the ▁sh ores ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga . ▁S . A . ▁P let ne va ▁loc ates ▁Sak sin ▁between ▁present ▁Vol g og rad ▁and ▁Ak ht ub in sk . ▁ ▁Fri ar ▁Bened ict ▁apparently ▁misunder stood ▁the ▁name ▁as ▁somehow ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁Sax ons ▁of ▁Germany , ▁stating ▁incorrectly ▁that ▁the ▁inhabitants ▁were ▁Christians ▁and ▁" bel ieved ▁to ▁be ▁Goth s " ▁related ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁Crime a . ▁In ▁actual ity , ▁they ▁were ▁probably ▁Turk ic ▁and ▁Muslim . ▁ ▁Sa q sin ▁may ▁be ▁an ▁Arab ized ▁version ▁of ▁Sar igh sin , ▁Turk ic ▁for ▁" Y ellow ▁City ". ▁The ▁identity ▁of ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁is ▁unclear , ▁though ▁Car pine ▁reports ▁that ▁Sak sin ▁province ▁was ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁K um ans . ▁It ▁was ▁situated ▁near