The Khazar Empire was a powerful state that existed from the 7th to the 10th centuries in what is now southern Russia, western Kazakhstan, and parts of Ukraine. It was a major trade hub, connecting the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic Caliphates, facilitating commerce and cultural exchange across Eurasia. The Khazars were a semi-nomadic people of Turkic origin who converted to Judaism in the 8th or 9th century, making their empire unique in the region. The capital, Atil, was a vibrant center of trade and culture, where diverse religions and ethnicities coexisted until the empire's decline in the 10th century.