Cave city 5 13 centuries in the Crimea. "Cave city" Chufut-Kale. The soft rock of the Crimean rocks allowed the locals to make numerous caves and passages in their thickness.

South-West of Crimea, Bakhchisaray district, is filled with cave cities. There are many theories on the origin of the cave cities of Crimea. There is an assumption that in the period from the 5th to the 6th centuries, local residents began to build such dwellings in order to protect themselves from nomads encroaching on their territory. The interest of the Byzantine Empire in strengthening mountainous areas Tauriki.

The relief of the Crimea made it possible to erect buildings using limestone rocks. Structures built over the caves: defensive fortresses, churches, utility buildings, were destroyed under the influence of time and natural forces, and the cave premises have been preserved to this day. What cave cities of Crimea have survived to this day?

Mangup-Kale - an impregnable fortress

The top of the plateau, on which Mangup is located, is located at an altitude of 584 meters and 20 km from Bakhchisaray. Surrounded by sheer cliffs up to 70 m, Mangup was a difficult target for conquest. The original name of the city is Doros, then Theodoro. Few reminders remain of the primary defensive structures of the 6th century. The further history of the fortress is connected with the Khazar Khaganate and has many dark spots.
Approximately 5 years Ottoman Empire conquered the impregnable Theodoro. During its conquest by the Turks, the city was destroyed and what today's tourists see are the buildings of the same Turks, erected already in the 15th century.

Along the old eroded path of the western ravine, which goes around the protruding Teshkli-Burun cape, there are caves, the main purpose of which was to review the roads approaching Mangup. At the eastern side of Teshkli-Burun, a citadel has been preserved, which was built on the site where a cemetery and a church were located in the 10th century. The graves were made in the rock, this is evidenced by the stones that have preserved the outlines of the church and the crypt.

One of the remarkable cave temples of Mangup-Kale is located above main road leading to the east gate. A secret exit led through the rocks to the road. The dwellings of the monks were also located in the caves. The surviving elements of the decorations of the church are unique, filled with Christian significance.

A plate with the name of Justian I was found in one of the tombs of the temple dedicated to Saints Constantine and Elena, who is considered the most ancient building Mangup Kale.

You can get to Mangup-Kale from Bakhchisarai, by regular bus Bakhchisaray-Zalesnoye, stop at the settlement of Khodja-Sala. There are tourist signs for making hiking. The tour desks offer interesting hikes from 3 to 6 days in the outskirts of Bakhchisarai, the longest hike is the "7 Cave Cities". It is better to travel in spring or autumn, when the sun's rays are not as aggressive as in summer.

City of Crimean Jews Chufut-Kale

City Crimean Jews, Karaites, Chufut-Kale, in scope takes the second place after Mangup. At first, the city was ruled by the Byzantines, then the Crimean Khan and, finally, the Karaites. They built Chufut-Kale soundly, and historical objects that testify to their culture have survived to this day. But the fortress itself is more like ruins.

In Chufut-Kale it is worth seeing:

• three defensive walls with towers, gates;
• mausoleum of the daughter of the Golden Horde Khan;
• Karaite kenas (one of them has a museum and a cafe);
• siege well;
• the estate of the historian Abraham Firkovich
• Assumption Monastery with a holy spring - very close to the cave city.

Chufut-Kale is located at a distance of 2.5 km on the east side of Bakhchisaray, you can walk, or you can get there by transport following Staroselye. After leaving at the final stop, you should walk almost 1 km to the monastery, and there is the "air" city.

This name appeared because of the buildings, similar to eagles' nests, as if stuck on a sheer cliff, located on a plateau of a mountain spur, and towering over the valleys. Man took advantage of what nature had created by building defensive structures over the caves.

The caves of Chufut-Kale keep an energy secret, during the day there the traveler feels an inexplicable surge of strength, and at night - anxiety, fear.

Eski-Kermen - the third cave city where people lived

The Tatars call him old fortress". The residential city itself occupied 10 hectares. The first floors of the houses, cut into the rock, were used for household needs, the second floors were built on for living quarters.
From Bakhchisaray to Eski-Kermen 14 km and 5 km from Mangup-Kale. Ending station transport can be in the village of Ternovka, Red Poppy or Zalesnoye. Then you need to walk (or drive by car) for almost 6 km, the road is unpaved, but there are signs. Perhaps due to this location, the local caves and structures are wonderfully preserved.

All attractions are located along the perimeter of the mountain plateau, with the proximity of dizzying cliffs:

• ancient city;
• temple of the three horsemen;
• siege well.

The Eski-Kermen rock massif contains the largest number of caves carved into the rocks (more than 300).

Ridge of cave places in Crimea

Mangup-Kale, Chufut-Kale, Eski-Kermen- presumably are places where in old times people lived, the rest of the sights associated with cave cities, rather performed protective and auxiliary functions, for example:

1. Bakla. It was located between Simferopol and Bakhchisarai, far from hiking trails. Numerous grottoes and burial grounds will be interesting for inspection.
2. Tepe-Kermen. There is quite a rich concentration of caves and there are two churches. It is located near Bakhchisaray (7 km).
3. Kyz-Kermen. Opposite to Tepe-Kermen, the area is famous for its turtle grotto and excavated monasteries.
4. Kalamita. "Inkerman" - translated from Turkish means "fortress". It is familiar to everyone by its towers and St. Clement's Monastery. It is located near Sevastopol, at the mouth of the Chernaya River.

In fact, in the Crimea a huge number cave monasteries, the most famous among them are:

1. Chilter-Koba. It is also called the "Grate Cave". It was built on Cape Ai-Todor, not far from modern Sevastopol. Architectural ensemble consists of 23 rooms and 1 temple, cut into the rock.
2. Chilter Marmara. close locality Ternovka, 50 caves are built in 4 tiers.
3. Shuldan. Also located near the Ternovki near Sevastopol. There are about 20 caves, they are placed in 2 tiers.
4. Kachi-Kalion. Its outlines resemble giant ship with many cave windows, upstairs in the grotto there is healing spring named after Saint Anastasia. Located near the village. Bashtanovka, which is 7 km from the city of Bakhchisaray.

Some attractions Western Crimea can be added to the cave cities, for example, the Suren fortress. But in any case, they have something to see and get indelible impressions from what they saw. There, not far from this fortress, you can go to the Chelter-Koba cave monastery - one of its features is a font with ice water. I don’t know about its super-properties, but it’s really very invigorating, especially in summer. Here is a video about this monastery for you:

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In the Bakhchisarai region of Crimea, there are famous cities, carved right into the rocks, which are historical monuments. The name "cave" these cities owe to the fact that only the premises located in the depths of the rocks have survived, and the above-ground buildings have been destroyed.

These cities, which are likenesses medieval castles in Europe, were built in the region in the 5th-6th century. This was a period when nomads threatened to raid settlements, and fortresses were built with the expectation of protection from them. And monasteries and cities were also built, founded by followers of iconodules from Byzantium.

Eski-Kermen

This city was discovered near Mangup, 6 kilometers from the village of Zalesnoye. When traveling by car, you can drive from the side of the village, designated as Red Poppy.

The city itself is located on a fortified place, on a plateau surrounded by impregnable rocks. On the surface in some places you can still see the remains of the walls.

Mangup-Kale

You can also get to this city from the side of Zalesny and Red Poppy. It is located 20 kilometers from the Mangup monument. After Zalesny, you need to go left along the path to the valley, in which Mangup-Kale itself is already visible. It is located on a plateau that rises 584 meters above sea level. Surprisingly, the remains of human settlements from the Neolithic times were found on this plateau. The construction of the city dates back to the 6th century, although it is known from historical sources that the Sarmatians settled here before, but no traces were found. The payment site is surrounded on three sides by rocky walls, about 70 meters high, which served as a natural defense against attacks.

Kachi-Kalyon Monastery

This settlement was discovered half a kilometer from the village of Bashatnovka, on the banks of the Kacha. Its origin dates back to the 6th century, and the monastery appeared already in the 8th-9th century. In the Kaminsky Gorge, on the slope, there was a settlement, destroyed in the 13th century. There were structures in the rocks, located in four grottoes. Three-tiered cave buildings are located in the grotto, called the Big one, and in the grotto, called the church one, a key with a water tank was found. This spring is still considered sacred. A surviving church was also found, carved into a separate piece of rock, and the caves around were adapted for cells and outbuildings.

The most striking thing in this city is Big Grotto, with a dome, numerous caves, which are connected by bridges and stairs. You can also see the remains of the walls on the surface, the Church of Anastasia, the church of St. Sophia from a block of limestone and a variety of outbuildings.

Tepe-Kermen

This is an ancient fortress, located 14 kilometers from Bakhchisaray, near Mount Beshik-Tau. One side of the mountain is covered with forest, and from the south, many multi-tiered caves have been cut down in it.

The fortress arose in the 5th-6th century and belonged to a private person. The city is located on a separate rocky plateau, and when translated “Tepe-Kermen” it turns out “fortress on top”. There are approximately 250 caves located in groups on the slope. On the plateau they are much less.

You can get to the fortress in the north-west of the plateau, and see the outbuildings, the temple of Constantine and Helena, and the church with the baptistery in the cave.

City of Kyz-Kermen

This city is located 2.5 kilometers from the village of Kudrino, separated by Tepe-Kermen only by a deep beam. This is a large city that could become a center of trade and crafts, but was destroyed by the Khazars in the 9th century. The settlement was never restored after that. The city itself is located on a cape, and there are few cave buildings here. But you can take a walk and see what is left, and admire the view of the neighboring Teme-Kermen.

bakla

The city is located away from the popular tourist trails, and therefore is rarely visited by people. It is located between the rivers Alma and Bodrak, two kilometers from the village of Skalistoye.

It was founded in the 5th-6th century, and later a citadel was attached to it, which was located on the very edge of the cliff. There was a village outside the walls of the fortress. From the south, the city is protected by a cliff, and from the northwest, a fortress wall with towers was built. There are about 100 caves adapted for premises. The city existed until the 13th century, but after the raid of the Tatar-Mongols, it was destroyed and never recovered.

City of Chufut-Kale

The beginning of the existence of this city is determined by the 6th century. The Sarmatians are considered to be the founders, after which the Khazars and Christians owned it.

Have you heard anything about the cave cities? If one had to map a place with that name, it would be a map of the Crimean peninsula. Right here, along the inner ridge Crimean mountains, from the heights of Chilter Kaya to the Alma River are the most famous cave cities of Crimea: Chufut-Kale, Bakla, Kachi-Kalyon, Tepe-Kermen, Eski-Kermen, Mangup-Kale. the center of this wonderful land is the city of Bakhchisarai, founded in the Middle Ages on the site of more ancient city. For all travelers to the cave cities, Bakhchisarai is a kind of base - all routes to the mountains begin from it, and they end there. The land of the cave cities of Crimea is a real storehouse of historical and natural attractions. In addition to ancient cave objects, many medieval monuments are concentrated here: fortifications, settlements, cemeteries, monasteries, ruins of towers and walls.

After the Tatars left Kyrk-Or, only the Karaites remained in it. Their religion was close to Judaism, so the city was renamed Chufut-Kale - " Jewish fortress". After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the inhabitants of Chufut-Kale began to move closer to Black Sea coast. The cave city was finally empty in 1982, when the last Karaite left it.

Today in Chufut-Kale you can see cellars, mausoleums, entire buildings, an arch with a tower, many ruins, cave complexes for various purposes.

Cave city Mangup-Kale

Mangup-Kale, the largest cave city in Crimea, was once the capital of the principality of Fedoro and impregnable fortress- even the Turks could not take it by force: the inhabitants surrendered, unable to withstand a long siege. Mangup-Kale was founded at the same time as Chufut-Kale, was major city Byzantium and was called in those days Doros. It passed from the hands of Byzantium to the hands of the Khazar Khaganate and back, until in the XIV century it “fell” into the power of the Principality of Theodoro. The heyday of the cave city began: a reliable line of defense appeared, Grand Palace, several temples. In 1475, the Turks, who captured Mangup-Kale, exterminated most of the local residents and placed their garrison in the city. Mangup-Kale was part of the Ottoman Empire until the 18th century. Together with the Turks, the Karaites also left the former capital of the principality Fedoro. cave city deserted, its temples were destroyed, and the fortress walls collapsed ...

Today in Mangup-Kale you can see fragments of the fortress walls, the remains of the basilica and the prince's house.

Cave city Eski-Kermen

Eski-Kermen- one of the oldest and most interesting cave cities of Crimea. From the Crimean Tatar language "Eski-Kermen" is translated as "Old fortress". In the 6th century, Byzantium founded a fortress on the site of the future Eski-Kermen. Since the 10th century, the settlement around the fortress began to grow, and two centuries later, about 2 thousand people already live in it. In 1299, the Tatars destroyed the city and killed many of the inhabitants. In 1399, the second invasion of the Golden Horde finally destroyed Eski-Kermen.

Today in Eski-Kermen you can see about 350 caves, most of which are of artificial origin. preserved central Street cities, two cave churches, the ruins of the basilica (VI century), the Temple of the Three Horsemen and the wall enclosing a third of the plateau on which Eski-Kermen was located.

Cave city Kyz-Kermen

"Maiden Fortress" - this is how the name of another cave city is translated into Russian - Kyz-Kermen. The origin of the name is connected with an old legend about the mistress of the fortress, in love with a young guy from Tepe-Kermen, neighboring city. The story has a sad end - the lovers died, but the fortress retained the memory of the hostess in its name ... Historians think otherwise: according to their version, Kyz-Kermen is the transformed "Koz-Kermen" ("Patrol Fortress").

The city was founded in the 8th century by the Khazars. A hundred years later, its inhabitants gradually moved to the more developed Tepe-Kermen, leaving only one temple in the deserted Kyz-Kermen. In 1475 this temple was destroyed by the Turks. Three caves (a sentinel, economic and hermit's dwelling), a staircase carved into the rock and a water storage tank (240 liters) have survived to this day in Kyz-Kermen.

ending short story O cave cities of Crimea, I would like to note that a walk along them is not only the twilight of ancient premises and the ruins of fortress walls, but also a unique and diverse nature mountain Crimea: ivy-covered paths, sunny valleys, rock figures and history dormant on the high plateaus.

One of the most ancient and little-studied sights of Crimea. Most of The cave cities of the peninsula are located in the Bakhchisarai region, starting from the village of Skalistoye, towards Sevastopol. The founding of cities took place at the decline of the Roman Empire and the heyday of the Byzantine Empire. The colonization of Crimea began in the 7th century BC by the ancient Greeks, immigrants from the city of Miletus. One of the first settlements was the city of Kerch (Pantikapeya).

Next, along east coast Crimea began to form small settlements along the southern and West Bank. Gradually, the cities grew and grew rich, which led to increased confrontation between the nomadic tribes and the Greeks. attacks on Greek cities, most often passed through the area of ​​\u200b\u200bpresent Bakhchisarai, which is why, starting from the 3rd century AD, in the Bakhchisarai region, small guard posts begin to appear, which over the centuries began to grow into large settlements, powerful fortresses and good fortifications.

Taking into account highlands central Crimea and highly malleable mountain material, fortresses were mainly built on hills, and houses were carved in stone. There is also an opinion that the Greeks did not cut out most of the caves, but occupied earlier caves made over several thousand years by primitive people. The proof of this version was the discovery of the Kiik-Koba cave, at the beginning of the 20th century, in the vicinity of Simferopol. In Crimea, there are over 20 cave cities that are known today. Eight are in relatively good condition.

Former capital kingdom of Theodoro, in the Crimea. The kingdom of Theodoro was formed in 1140 and lasted until 1475. The first settlements on Mangup-Kale appeared 4 - thousand years ago, as evidenced by archaeological excavations in these places. First large settlement appeared on Mangup-Kale in the 6th century AD, but it flourished in the 13th-15th centuries. It is the ruins of this period that can be seen today. Mangup-Kale is located near the village of Khoja-Sala, in the Bakhchisarai region. The cost of visiting the museum open sky 100 rub. V summer time, winter free. .

Chufut - Calais

Chufut-Kale is the most famous cave city of Crimea. The popularity of this place is directly related to the geographical proximity to Bakhchisaray and a large number attractions near it. Perhaps the most famous are: the Khan's Palace and the Assumption Cave Monastery.

Until the beginning of the 15th century, Chufut-Kale was the capital of the Crimean Khanate, but with the advent of the city of Bakhchisaray, the value of Chufut-Kale was rapidly declining, and by the beginning of the 19th century, the city was practically empty. But until the beginning of the 20th century, people still lived in the city, and therefore Chufut-Kale was better preserved than all the cave cities of Crimea. Today Chufut-Kale works as a museum and is located at a distance of 2.8 km from Bakhchisarai. More about .

Tepe - Kermen

A visit to Tepe-Kermen is very often combined with a visit to Chufut-Kale. If you leave Chufut-Kale, towards the eastern gate, then along the path after a few kilometers you can get to Tepe-Kermen.
Tepe-Kermen was founded in the 4th-5th centuries as an advanced post of the Chufut-Kale fortress, but by the 6th century, it had turned into a relatively small town central Crimea. Tepe - Kermen began to grow with stone fortifications, and fertile valleys and an abundance of sun brought large harvests of grapes. Quite quickly, the city became one of the key subsidiary farms of Chufut-Kale. The heyday of the city fell on the 11th-13th century. The population of the city has increased significantly, and the geography of trade has already reached the size of the Crimea. More about .

Eski - Kermen

Closes the list of the largest and most preserved cave cities of Crimea - Eski - Kermen. The city is located near the village of Zalesnoye, in the Bakhchisaray district. On the territory of the city, cave houses and remains of cave temple. A visit to Eski-Kermen is best done in the summer. Unlike the cave cities described above, the road to Eski-Kermen is strongly washed out from autumn to spring and walking along it is rather difficult. More about .

Kachi - Kalyon

Kachi-Kalyon today is better known not as a cave city, but as a cave monastery. And there are several reasons for this: firstly, the cave monastery of Kachi-Kalyon was abandoned much later than most of the monasteries in cave cities, and secondly, it was the cave monastery of Kachi-Kalyon, one of the best preserved in its original form. Kachi-Kalyon, like almost all the cave cities of Crimea, was founded in the time of Byzantium, but life in it stopped a little later. More about .

Cave city Bakla

The cave city of Bakla is located near Simferopol, in the village of Postal. The city of Bakla, unlike other cave cities, was built and settled in tiers. The city, today, is poorly preserved, but still two tiers are quite clearly visible and you can still see the preserved caves and find the remains of ancient buildings and defensive structures. More about .

Syuyren fortress

Kalamita Fortress

Kalamita Fortress is located in the suburbs of Sevastopol, in the city of Inkerman. The fortress was built several decades before the invasion of the Golden Horde and stood for a relatively short time. But the caves of this fortress, today are its main wealth.
Under the walls of the fortress there is a cave monastery, founded in 92 AD by the 4th Pope, a disciple of the Apostle Peter, St. Clement. The monastery is functioning today and receives pilgrims and guests of the peninsula. More about and about.

Today, the cave cities of Crimea, again become one of the most visited sights of the Crimea and this is facilitated by the development in the Crimea, hiking and cycling. More and more more people are interested in the history of Crimea and strive not only to swim in the warm Black Sea, but also to learn about the life of our ancestors, to walk along mountain paths and visit as many different places as possible.