Rock City Eski-Kermen (Crimea) - Earth before the Flood: Disappeared Continents and Civilizations. Church of the Assumption - old frescoes. Grottoes and tombs

Cave towns and cave monasteries of Crimea are unique historical monuments of the peninsula that have preserved echoes of past eras and traces of the centuries-old cultural heritage of the peoples who lived here. Among them, it is difficult not to single out Eski-Kermen - one of the largest cave cities that existed from the 6th to the 13th centuries and has preserved a lot places of worship, not inferior in value to many cave monasteries of the Crimea. It is located on a spur of the Inner Ridge of the Crimean Mountains and is one of the most significant archaeological monuments of the Crimean mountains.

For a long time, people have found a safe haven on the impregnable plateau of a massive table mountain in the Karalez Valley, where they could safely hide from enemies. Historians suggest that, like many rock settlements, Eski-Kermen arose around the 6th century as a fortified settlement, the main task of which was to protect the borders with the Byzantine lands and protect Chersonesos from an unexpected approach to it by enemies. Although along with this there is an assumption that already in the 8th century this cave city fell under the rule of the Khazars.

There is almost no information about life on Eski-Kermen in the early Middle Ages. Most likely, the fortress in this period was sparsely populated. But by the end of the 11th century, the cave city was built up with rectangular blocks, which separated wide (up to 2 meters) streets.

In the scientific literature, rarely, but there is information about the existence of the principality of Eski-Kermen. At the same time, historians claim that the nearby Mangup cave fortress was also the capital of a separate state. It is hard to believe that two political organisms could exist in the vastness of the Crimea, the centers of which were only 5 km from one another.

Probably, Eski-Kermen was the capital of an earlier principality, which was localized in the same place, in the southwestern part of the peninsula. Experts are inclined to think that there was some kind of continuity between the Eski-Kermen principality and the Christian state of Theodoro. We are talking about the transfer of power or the transfer of the capital to a new location. In confirmation that Mangup and Eski-Kermen in different time played the same political role, historians call the Diocese of Gotha, located on lands controlled by both. If the principalities existed in parallel, there would be two church administrative-territorial units on their territories.

The time frame for the existence of the Eski-Kermen Principality almost coincides with the period of existence of the cave city, which became its center. This is VI-XIII centuries. n. e. Probably, the principality experienced prosperity and decline, just like the fortress, which was inhabited by the authorities of a small political association. As for the name of this Crimean medieval state, it is not known for certain. It is possible that the inhabitants of the surroundings of the fortress-capital did not even think about how to somehow magnify their territories. However, this version seems unlikely. When serious scholars and ordinary lovers of antiquity use the concept of the Eski-Kermen principality, they mean part of the territories that were subordinate to the prince, whose headquarters was located in the settlement of the same name.

The exact territory of the principality, spread around Eski-Kermen, is also shrouded in a veil of mystery. Numerous studies that were carried out in the places of existence of the Christian state of Theodoro led to the conclusion that its cordons are associated with the physical and geographical features of the area. This medieval power ended where the mountains began.

The Eski-Kermen principality, as an earlier form of statehood that existed in the same place, probably had the same borders. Internal and Home Ridge Crimean mountains were for local residents reliable protection from unexpected enemies.

On the other hand, if everything is true: Eski-Kermen was the capital of the principality, which eventually became the state of Theodoro, how to deal with the data that from the second half of the 5th century Mangup-Kale was considered political center legendary country Dory? The latter, by the way, is also localized in the same place as the Christian state. It turns out that the Eski-Kermen principality is the very mythical country, and the city of Eski-Kermen, built a century later, became the capital of the surrounding territories for several centuries, so that in the XIII century. again give power to Mangup, which has long served as the center of the Gotha diocese. This version is only a scientific assumption, but it has the right to life, just like many other theories that literally fill the history of Crimea.

Views from the height of the settlement Eski-Kermen

5 km from Eski-Kermen, there is another well-preserved ancient city on a rock - Mangup-Kale, so tourists are often offered exciting excursions around the Crimea, including visits to both unique cave attractions of the peninsula.

See photos of the cave city Eski-Kermen in our gallery

Page materials are based on the author's article Skywriter13 / INLIGHT

There are places in Crimea that amaze and impress the imagination. Undoubtedly, the cave city of Eski-Kermen belongs to such places. It is located in the Bakhchisarai region, on a flat mountain top, not far from the old town of the medieval period Mangup-Kale.

Geographical coordinates of Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.608782 E 33.740054

Eski-Kermen today operates as a museum open sky and is open to tourists and guests of the Crimea. The ticket price for visiting Eski-Kermen is 100 rubles. children 50 rub. A walk along Eski-Kermen takes an average of 2-3 hours. The tourist route is marked and almost all sights have an information board.

History of Eski-Kermen

Eski-Kermen from the Turkic language translated as - old fortress. But this name appeared much later after the emergence of the city itself. In the 16th century, these caves were called Cherkes-Kermen, and only in the 18th century did their modern name appear. How Eski-Kermen was called until the 16th century is unknown to historians, the name has been lost for centuries. The Old Fort was built in the 6th century, presumably by the Byzantines. Initially, its purpose was to prevent raids on Chersonese.

Eski-Kermen was unique for its time a fortification. From two sides it is protected by thirty-meter rocky cliffs, and all internal buildings are made exclusively in the mountain bowels. The cave city was very well equipped: the houses were built on two floors (unfortunately, none of these houses have survived to this day), the streets reached a width of about two meters, which formed blocks of regular shapes. The length of Eski-Kermen was more than one kilometer, and its width was about two hundred meters. Inside the city there were more than 500 grottoes in which its inhabitants lived. And the total area of ​​Eski-Kermen exceeded 8 hectares. In general, the Old Fortress was a powerful building, quite suitable for life.

But at the end of the 8th century Eski-Kermen suffered great destruction. The Khazars attacked the city and destroyed everything they could. However, people did not leave their city, but began the process of its restoration. By the 13th century, Eski-Kermen became even better than it was before. The heyday of the Old Fort did not last long. Around 1300, the city was attacked by the Tatar horde of Emir Nogai. He wanted to kill all the inhabitants of Eski-Kermen, only a few managed to escape from his wrath. They say that it was a way to avenge the grandson of the Emir, who was sent here to collect tribute, who was killed in the Crimea. After this attack, life in Eski-Kermen died out significantly, and until the 15th century the streets of the city were practically empty. At present, only ruins remain of the Old Fortress. The best preserved temple, in which you can see the image of three horsemen, whose names are not known for certain.

Another attraction of Eski-Kermen- This is a siege well with a depth of about 50 meters. A staircase consisting of 84 steps leads down. At the bottom of the well is Big hall where the water was stored. Tour of Eski-Kermen is very interesting and entertaining. All its halls are imbued with a peculiar mystery. Getting here is also not easy, since the final part of the path must be overcome only on foot. But the impressions of what you see will certainly cover all the inconveniences associated with the difficulties of the path.

How to get to Eski-Kermen

Get to Eski-Kermen the easiest way is from Bakhchisaray or Sevastopol, with central station. You should take a bus that goes to the village of Zalesnoye (the village of Zalesnoye, Bakhchisaray district). From the village of Zalesnoye, following the signs, you can move onto the tourist route. The tourist route is fully marked with colored markers and signs. It is very difficult to go astray, especially in the summer. On the route you will meet many tourists. tourist trail relatively gentle, you can walk along it even with children over 5 years old. The distance from the beginning of the trail to the cave city is 3.8 km. The most difficult section of 700 meters is located at the very beginning of the ascent to Eski-Kermen. Walking time is on average 2-3 hours.

Useful information before going to Eski-Kermen

To climb Eski-Kermen You should choose comfortable and non-slip shoes. The climb will alternate several surfaces: earth, stones and small gravel. Also with you, especially in the summer, you should take a hat and a backpack with water and sandwiches. At the top of the mountain, almost always, a slight wind blows, and the temperature is on average 5-10 C lower than on the southern coast of Crimea.

At the very ascent to Eski-Kermen, there is an open-air cafe, here you can rent a gazebo and fry meat on a fire. You can also order ethnic cuisine, a variety of oriental sweets or go fishing locally. It is also possible to climb the mountain in an off-road vehicle or on horseback. The cost of a jeep is from 2000 thousand rubles, horseback riding by agreement. On the rise, guides often offer their excursions, most of of them are amateurs or local residents, so the history of the city will sometimes differ quite a lot.

Hi all! I want to tell you about the mountain route, which is very popular with tourists when visiting the Bakhchisarai region in Crimea. - an amazing natural and man-made monument, which can be visited by the whole family. The main thing is to keep safe!

From the article you will learn about the route itself, how to get to Eski-Kermen and a little about the history of the settlement. My review will be large, so I bring to your attention its first part.

This article is intended primarily for those holidaymakers who, apart from the South Coast and the Black Sea, have not seen anything in Crimea. Thanks to our directors. After watching the movie "9th Company", the settlement of Eski-Kermen became more popular. Filming took place at 18 objects of the peninsula, one of which we will visit with you.

Our trip took place in mid-November. There were few tourists, for which I appreciate this time of year. In the Eski-Kermen season, you definitely can’t call it dead.

Settlement Eski-Kermen on the map.

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Near the plateau there is free parking and horseback riding. A booking tour has been created. groups on jeeps along the routes: Eski-Kermen, Tepe-Kerien, Chufut-Kale. Without leaving the cash desk, you can order a guide. Climb to the cave city with an excursion group or on your own.

Here is a picture from a helicopter, I borrowed it from the site sergeydolya.livejournal. This is what Eski-Kermen looks like in summer. On the one hand, it is certainly more beautiful in summer, but in November, thanks to bare trees, all the surroundings are clearly visible.

Northern part plateau. The length is a little over 1 km. See the path leading deep into the forest? This is where our ascent began.

At self-guided tour study the route carefully! We met a group that got lost and didn't know how to get down the mountain. We had friends with us who were our guides. As you can see, you can go up or down from the north side and from the south.

Signs are placed along the entire excursion route, there are short descriptions of objects.

Our hike began along the rather steep northern slope of the mountain.

Turning back, I noticed the first casemates of the cave city.

We climbed to the plateau where the Northern sentinel complex is located.

View of the neighboring mountain and grottoes of Zangurma-Kobalar.

A boulder at the foot of the mountain caught my attention.

It was as if a giant took a knife and cut off one part of the common pie. :)

After looking around, we continued our way to the cave city. The path led through dense thickets.

A little history of the emergence of the city of Eski-Kermen

Presumably, the city of Eski-Kermen began its existence as a rock fortress in the sixth century, during the Byzantine Empire. In the southwestern part of the peninsula, nature has created rocks of amazing shapes, which served as protection for people from the enemy. The mountain itself steep slopes and a plateau on the surface, called a table mountain. There are beams on both sides of Eski-Kermen.

Despite quite large settlement Very little is known about the history of the rock fortress. In the ancient chronicles of references ancient city No. The local population called the cave city "old fortress" in the Crimean Tatar Eski-Kermen.

As it is written on the sign, the city has about 500 caves and grottoes, some of which are natural, and some are carved out of limestone. In almost every cave, the results of physical labor are visible: niches, windows, doorways and entire halls with columns. Thanks to the soft rock, a fortress city was built from the rocky walls, with multi-storey caves, streets, casemates and temples.

Food, weapons, and livestock were kept in numerous caves. The outer caves served as watch posts. Combat casemates covered the approaches to the city and the most vulnerable areas of defense.

The population built their houses on the upper flat part of the rock. The impregnable sheer walls served as a good defense for the population of the cave city.

Most of the cave structures of Eski-Kermen were built already in the XII-XIII centuries.

As for ethnicity, versions are different. It would be more accurate to say that the population consisted of mixed Crimean peoples: Taurians, Scythians and Goths.

The siege well is one of the main attractions of Eski-Kermen, which has become overgrown with legends. Many claim that it was because of him that the fortress fell.

The building is quite interesting. well with drinking water helped the inhabitants of the cave city to withstand the siege.

My son and a friend tried to go down one flight below. The descent is very steep and difficult. It remains to guess how the water was raised up such steps.

According to the information on the signs, there are six such spans, and 84 steps lead down. Without a flashlight, there is no point in descending into the well. At the very bottom there was a cave with water from a spring. Some water remains to this day.

If you want to go down into the siege well, take a flashlight and a rope with you.

The excursion trail passes at the very edge of the mountain, there is another one in the depths of the thickets, but the first one is much more interesting.

Caves of Eski-Kermen

The closer we were to the South Gate of Eski-Kermen, the more interesting were the "facades" of the caves.

Here is a two-story house, stone steps lead to it, cut down in rock manually.

The photographs came out unimportant, but in general the “design” of the cave is understandable.

Transition between the first and second floors.

As I mentioned, the main dwellings of the townspeople were destroyed long ago. The caves that you see served as utility and guard rooms.

A long and narrow cave city can be compared to a liner and cabins of different classes. That's just instead of the sea, the vast expanses and mountains of Crimea.

Each cave has ventilation holes, and upon closer inspection, prehistoric clam shells can be seen in the walls.

View from the window on the Zangurma-Bair plateau, pay attention to the thickness of the walls.

The multi-level housing of the Flintstones' neighbors. :)

Jump from cliff to cliff, and here we are new cave with a preserved column.

Stone figures of the cave city

It is difficult to say whether a person natural phenomena left behind intricate figures in stone.

You can dream up and see different images ...

But the big-nosed uncle in profile ... see? :)

Through the labyrinths of passages we get out to the surface and head to the place, thanks to which we ancient settlement learned even more tourists.

In the footsteps of the film expedition

In front of you is the set of the film "9th Company". According to the scenario, the Mujahideen jumped into the wells, but in reality they are granaries with an excellent ventilation system. Under such conditions, grain could be stored for 10-15 years. If necessary, cut holes were covered with stone covers.

The inhabitants were engaged in winemaking, cattle breeding, and thanks to the numerous fields and agriculture.

Tour groups love to take pictures here.

And here, in fact, are shots from the film "9th Company"

Be very careful and watch your children! By the way, my “baby” really made me worry….. And at that moment…. “My heart stopped soooo...then it caught my breath a little...and started again”, the son realized that it was better to go back.

Next time, the most beautiful part of the cave city Eski-Kermen is waiting for you. .

January 22nd, 2015

I have been to the Crimea several times already, and still I can’t visit this cave city. Now I will at least take a virtual walk through it and learn its history. Who cares, come with me...

The cave city of Eski-Kermen, founded at the beginning of the 6th century, was a first-class fortress for its time. Sheer cliffs are almost impregnable, and in the upper reaches of the crevices, along which it was possible to climb into the city, battle walls rose. The defense system included well-protected gates and exit gates, ground towers and cave casemates.

Eski-Kermen was major center crafts and trade, but the basis of its economy was agriculture - viticulture, gardening, gardening. In the vicinity of Eski-Kermen, the remains of an irrigation system, traces of terraced areas with wild vines were found. For a number of years, employees of the Crimean Agricultural Institute have been studying these vines, trying to restore grape varieties that have lived for hundreds of years. Some of them are already being used as breeding material for breeding new grape varieties.

Photo 2.

Eski-Kermen was also an important political and administrative center southwestern Taurica. According to archaeological data, the city died at the end of the 13th century. It was destroyed and burned in 1299 by the Golden Horde temnik Nogai. Time completed the destruction: piles of stones were covered with earth, overgrown with grass and forest. The Polish writer and diplomat Martin Bronevsky, who visited this place in 1578, found some ruins, which, according to him, "are so ancient that neither the Turks, nor the Tatars, nor the Greeks themselves know their name." And the name of Eski-Kermen - "the old fortress" - is the best fit for this city.

A road once led to the southern gates of the city. It passed along the eastern gorge and rose from the south in three marches. The track from the wheels is still visible on them. On the third march, two advanced gates were successively placed. The main gate was at the beginning of the street, in a carved rock mass. They were double-leafed and opened inwards. A tower towered above them, and combat platforms with parapets protruded forward on the sides. Along the edge of the third march and in front of the main gate, skirting the ledge of the rock, there was an advanced wall (proteichism). From the tower in both directions along the edge of the plateau there was the main fortress wall to the casemates. Only after destroying proteichism and taking possession of the front gates, the enemy could approach the main ones. But then he came under cross fire from the gate tower, the battlefields near the main wall.

Photo 3.

Nothing remained of all these fortifications, except for “beds” carved into the rock for walls and well-marked traces at the site of the main gate. At the bottom, on the sides, there are recesses for pillars, to which a wooden sheet, upholstered with wrought iron, was attached, probably of the same type as at Chufut-Kale. The vaulted ceiling above the gate opening was intact at the beginning of the 19th century. He was seen by the writer and academician P.I. Sumarokov, who visited Eski-Kermen. small cave churches, tombs, graves carved into the rock below, along the cliff, arose later. And on the sides of the gate on the battlefields, two small chapels were built.

At the beginning of the street there are caves for various purposes. One of them, on the left at the gate, is a gatehouse, the other served as a passage to the gate tower. On the right, a complex of adjacent caves; was here big temple. Opposite the entrance is an apse with a bishop's chair, on the right are benches for parishioners, on the left is a font. The ceiling was supported by columns, now they have collapsed. This is the oldest part of the temple, which arose along with the fortress. Later, the temple was expanded to the north and east, a door was cut through in the outer wall, from which a wooden staircase led down. Tombs are carved into the floor.

Photo 4.

After examining the temple, go from the main street to the west to the first casemate. It is located in a ledge of a rock overhanging the road and the fortress. There are six holes in the walls of the casemate, most likely these are loopholes and loopholes. Through them, perhaps, they threw prepared stones or fired from a bow when the enemy appeared at the turn of the first march of the road. But the main purpose of the casemate is to protect the approach to the crevice, through which it was possible to penetrate the plateau.

Nearby on the promontory, from which a bridge and a ladder led to the casemate through a crevice, round holes are visible. These are grain pits typical of the early Eski-Kermen, they were near each defensive node. Grain reserves were created in advance, perhaps by the surrounding residents, who also participated in the defense of the city. Later, the grain pits were turned into utility caves, and a church was built over the casemate.
To get to the second casemate, you need to cross the plateau in an easterly direction. This fortification consists of four cave rooms connected in pairs with embrasures and loopholes.

Photo 5.

Further, along the edge of the cliff there is a small cave church of the Assumption of the Mother of God. On its western wall, fragments of a painting depicting the Assumption are visible. Mother of God. The fresco dates from the end of the 13th century. It is believed that the church arose at the same time.

From here it is not far to the third casemate, which also protected the approaches to the crevice. Its defensive caves, connected by passages and stairs, were carved in the rock mass and in separate rocks. In later times, all the premises were adapted for household needs. Next to the casemate, the remains of the fortress wall, built of large blocks of hewn limestone, have been preserved. Such a wall, two meters wide, encircled Eski-Kermen from the southwest and east. Where it covered access to the plateau through wide crevices or where the cliffs were insignificant, the wall had a height of 3 m. In the defense system, the wall was integral with casemates, over which parapets passed.

To the north was the fourth casemate. Its fighting caves, communicating with each other, are located in two tiers. He controlled the crevices from the north and the approach to east aisle to the city where there was a gate. A staircase led to it along the slope of the mountain, its remains are clearly visible. The casemate defense complex included military-economic cave rooms, grain pits and cisterns. You can see them by climbing the path among the thickets of bushes.

According to the remains of the fortifications, the defense system of the fortress is quite fully restored, but little is known about the city itself. Only two sites with residential buildings have been excavated, and then of a later time. The first section is located next to the fourth casemate, to the west of it. The remains of two houses uncovered by excavations are separated by a narrow alley. Archaeologists have found that the houses were destroyed by fire. In the basement of one of them, they found male, female and children's bones with traces of saber blows on the skulls.

Photo 6.

The second section of residential buildings, located about a hundred meters to the north, consisted of three separate courtyards, separated by a street and a narrow alley. In some places, the masonry of the walls has been preserved. The houses were two-story, as in Chufut-Kale. It was found that these houses were destroyed by fire. In one of the cellars, during excavations, three adults and two children's bones were found. People, apparently, hid in the basement at the moment of danger, and the collapsed building filled them up.

On the territory of the yards, cellars and pits for household needs are carved into the rock.

From here, along the path through the thickets of the forest, go west up to the ruins of the basilica. It was built in the 6th century, simultaneously with the fortifications, but later
rebuilt. The temple is rectangular in plan with three apses protruding to the east. Inside they were semicircular, outside - five-sided. The building was divided by columns into three naves. Martin Bronevsky wrote: “The temple, decorated with marble and serpentine columns, testifies to the former significance and glory of Eski-Kermen, although it was thrown to the ground and destroyed.” Archaeologists date the destruction of the basilica to the 8th or 9th century. Later, a small chapel appeared on the site of the majestic temple in the western part of the south nave, and the rest of the territory of the basilica turned into a cemetery; tombs were attached to the walls from the outside.

For any fortress, the most important problem is water supply in case of a long siege. On Eski-Kermen, this issue was resolved by the construction of a "siege well". To inspect it, go down again to the path leading along the cliff to the north. After walking a hundred meters, at the edge of the cliff in the thickets of trees you will see a quadrangular hole - this is the entrance to the well. Six flights down a steep staircase carved into the thickness of the rock. It ends with a capping gallery up to 10 m long, into which water seeped from the ceiling. Apparently, here a spring flowed from under the rock, the water of which the builders intercepted in the thickness of the mountain, creating a trapping gallery. According to estimates, up to 75 cubic meters of water almost constantly kept in the well. This was enough for the defenders of the city and the population for a long siege. When destroyed defensive structures Eski-Kermen, a hole was punched at the bottom of the stairs and the well became accessible from below.

Photo 7.

There are no crevices to the north of the well, and the height of the cliffs is 25 m or more; therefore, there was no defensive wall here, and the plateau was crossed from east to west by a non-defensive wall. This wall separated the city blocks from a vast undeveloped area. Passing through it along the path, you will reach northern border plateau, where there is a defense site called the "sentinel complex". Dominating the crevice, he protected the northern entrance to the fortress.

To inspect the northern "sentinel complex" go down the stairs and go along the cliff on the western side of the crevice. In the thickets of trees there is an entrance from which a staircase starts. To the right are two caves. The first, perhaps, was a gatehouse, the second, with an embrasure and a loophole, had a military purpose. The staircase leads to the landing, along the edge of which there are deep recesses, apparently made for fastening the risers of wooden parapets. The northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau ends with small rocks isolated from each other. According to the clearings on them, one can judge that they were once connected to each other by changeover bridges. Here the inspection of Eski-Kermen ends.

Photo 8.

The buildings of Eski-Kermen belong to two periods: the 6th-8th centuries, when the defensive structures of the city functioned, and the 9th-13th centuries, when Eski-Kermen, after being captured by the Khazars, was a large, almost unprotected settlement.

The Eski-Kermen fortress had four entrances. The main entrance was from the south side through the main gate of the city, a winding road carved into the rock led to them. Three hiking trails led into the city from the east and north.
A distinctive feature of large "cave cities" is their relatively big square(10–5 hectares) and a characteristic layout: only part of the territory, approximately 2/3, was allocated to city blocks near the main gates of the city. The second part was devoid of buildings and was separated from the first by a non-defensive wall. During the period of the invasion of nomadic tribes in such cities, not only the population of the city, but also the inhabitants of the surrounding villages found refuge. In peacetime, this inner space could serve as a market square, pasture and a place for trading caravans.

Eski-Kermen was a first-class fortress of its time. It fully met the requirements that were imposed on military installations of this type. Eski-Kermen combines exceptional terrain with man-made fortifications. Vertical cliffs precluded the possibility of the attackers using battering rams. The steep cliffs of the mountains made it impossible to attack with mobile towers. The dominant height on which the fortress was located made it possible even to shoot through all the approaches to it with an ordinary bow. In addition, the defenders had at their disposal more powerful weapons of that time, such as stone throwers, which were installed on the platforms of rock ledges. Shells for them in the form of round cores were found during archaeological excavations.

Photo 9.

Nevertheless, the main weapons of the defenders of the fortress were a bow, arrows, a sling and large rounded stones. The basis of the defense of the fortress was its battle walls, ground towers and "cave casemates" characteristic only for Eski-Kermen. The fortress could withstand a long defense, as a very important problem of water supply was solved on its territory, thanks to the construction of a siege well and cisterns for collecting water.

In addition, the inhabitants of Eski-Kermen could prepare thousands of centners of grain in case of a long siege. For its storage, in many areas of the defense, grain pits were dug into the rocks, which have survived to this day.

All this taken together allows us to speak of Eski-Kermen as a powerful defensive fortress of the 6th-7th centuries, which was able to withstand even a strong enemy who had all the power military equipment that time.

But Eski-Kermen was not only military fortress. At the same time, it was a major center of crafts and trade. Agriculture was the backbone of the city's economy. In the fertile valleys they were engaged in viticulture, horticulture, and horticulture. This is evidenced by grape presses discovered by archaeologists, as well as traces of terracing of plots for vineyards and wild grape bushes in the vicinity of Eski-Kermen.

A powerful defense system, a developed economy for that time, an advantageous location - all this made Eski-Kermen an important political and administrative center of the southwestern Crimea. And this role remained until the end of the 8th century, when an event occurred that dramatically changed the fate of the city.

The uprising was such an event. local population in the mountainous Crimea against the rule of the Khazars. The uprising took place in 787 over a large area. It was headed by Bishop John of Gotha. The Zahars crushed the uprising and subjugated the entire southwestern Crimea. Not needing fortresses, they destroyed the defensive structures of Eski-Kermen. But life in Eski-Kermen did not stop. The city continued to exist for another 500 years already as an open locality. Defensive caves were adapted for household needs: as pantries, stalls for livestock, as well as for churches, chapels, and tombs.
Eski-Kermen was finally destroyed in 1288 by the hordes of Emir Nogai. Almost all of its population was destroyed. After that, the city did not revive. Time has turned it into piles of stones covered with earth, overgrown with grass and bushes. The name of the city has been forgotten. When Martin Bronevsky visited here, he already found some ruins, which, according to him, "are so ancient that neither the Turks, nor the Tatars, nor the Greeks themselves know their name." And the name of Eski-Kermen, which in Turkic means "Old Fortress", is the best suited for this city.

Photo 10.

The ruins of the basilica, the siege well, the remains of residential areas, numerous cave structures, remind of the former greatness of the city, about 400 of them have survived in Eski-Kermen.

Of great interest is the Temple of the Three Horsemen. It was carved in a large piece of rock at the foot of Eski-Kermen. The temple has two entrances. Between entrances along
walls - high benches. The temple was illuminated by two small windows.

Photo 11.

Photo 12.

The fresco is considered by researchers as a monument in honor of the battle, apparently so serious that some of its participants were equated with St. George - the common patron of all defenders of the Fatherland.

The horsemen to the right and left of him could be images of local heroes who were considered saints and buried here. Perhaps the warrior-heroes became famous in battle, and then were canonized as saints, and the Temple of the Three Horsemen was built in their honor. The temple dates back to the 12th - early 13th century, when the threat of Tatar invasion loomed over the Crimea, and in connection with this, religious propaganda of the idea of ​​​​defending the Fatherland intensified. Then the painting was done.

South-west of the Temple of the Three Horsemen, on the southern outskirts of Eski-Kermen, there were the main gates of the city. But, before approaching them, it was necessary to overcome the complex system of their protection.

A road led up the slope of the mountain to the main gate of the city. It has been used by the inhabitants of this city for several centuries. Its antiquity is evidenced by the deep ruts that have survived to this day, carved into the monolith of the rock by the transport of that time: the middle one is carved by horses' hooves, the two side ones - by wheels. The gate was the most vulnerable place in the fortress, so the ancient builders always paid great attention to this object. A powerful, well-thought-out defensive system was created not only directly at the gates, but also on the approaches to them, which presented great difficulties for the enemy to overcome.
Before leading to the gate, the road makes several turns. First, she comes to the foot of the western cave casemate. From the embrasures of this casemate, an avalanche of stones was dropped on the heads of the enemy.

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It is difficult to judge the gate buildings, since there is almost nothing left of them, but according to the preserved cuttings in the rock, the so-called. “beds”, and from the stones that survived at the time of excavation, one can get an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire structure.

The traveler P. Sumarokov, a lover of antiquities, having visited Eski-Kermen at the beginning of the last century, wrote: “At the entrance to it, a hole cut in the mountain makes a gate; integral with the gate tower. To the east and west of the tower departed the main fortress walls, the thickness of which was about 2 meters. In front of the walls, on top of the rocky headlands protruding on both sides of the entrance to the city, there were battlefields with parapets from which the approaches to the main gate were defended.

At the main gate there is a large cave church with a baptismal. It was carved into the rock simultaneously with the construction of defensive structures in the 6th-7th centuries. The temple had two entrances from the main gate corridor and a window between them. Opposite the entrance is an altar. Along the semicircle of the altar niche there is a stepped bench, the so-called. syntron, with a bishop's chair in the middle. The altar was separated from the temple by the base of the altar barrier. In its middle part there is a threshold of the “royal doors”, and on the sides there are grooves for installing parts of a wooden iconostasis. The altar part was painted with frescoes, unfortunately, they have not been preserved. Above, a ring for a lamp was carved into the ceiling. Next to the altar is a niche, most likely for prayer books. To the right of the entrance is a bench for parishioners. To the left of the altar was a font or baptismal. The altar, font and benches are the most ancient part of the temple, later the temple was expanded to the north and east sides.

On the western edge of the plateau there was a cave casemate that covered the approaches to the main gate. From the main gate, along the bend of the rock, a fortress wall approached him. The casemate was located in a ledge of a rock hanging over the beginning of the first section of the road. His device is the following. Carved into the rock big cave. Its ceiling is supported by a massive pillar. From the platform of the neighboring cliff, a ladder led to this cave, from the lower platform of which, in ancient times, wooden bridges were thrown across the cleft.

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The cave had two side compartments. There are six holes in the walls of the casemate. Three large window-like embrasures, now badly weathered, once had the appearance of rectangular windows located at floor level. Some of these embrasures still have traces of shoulder pads, indicating that they were covered with board barriers. These embrasures are wide and set low. From them it was possible to shoot from a bow, kneeling down. But their main purpose was different: stones were rolled through them on the enemy, who was trying to penetrate the plateau.

The side auxiliary rooms of the casemate were: the right one - a pantry, in the floor of which up to a dozen recesses were stored along the walls for installing pithoi with food and water supplies; the left one - a small barracks, where the defenders of the fortress could rest on benches carved into the rock along the walls.

On the upper platform of the neighboring promontory, from which a ladder led to the cave casemate, 10 grain pits were carved into the rock. This is typical for the early Eski-Kermen. Grain pits were located near each defensive node. Stocks were created in advance, apparently by the surrounding residents, since they also took part in the defense of the city. After the destruction of the fortifications, the grain pits were expanded and turned into caves for household needs. At the same time, a ground church was built over the casemate, from which the throne stone was preserved. There were several cave temples in the city. Some of them have preserved fresco paintings.

The Church of the Assumption is interesting in this respect. It has some peculiarities in the device: the unusual location and dimensions of the altar part are not directly, but to the right of the entrance. The altar is arranged in a corner, it is very small and cramped, has the shape of a niche-apse, a miniature throne in the form of a pedestal stands right next to the wall. There is a small recess for relics in the altar. In front of the niche in the wall and in the floor, grooves and sockets for a wooden fence, possibly an iconostasis, were cut.

Upon careful examination of the details of the structure of the temple, it becomes obvious that a room previously intended for a different purpose was adapted for the temple. At first there was a grain pit (a hole covered with a stone slab can be seen in the ceiling), then a water cistern. When the battle walls lost their significance and were dismantled, the cistern was expanded and a winery was made here. In the western corner, a tare was carved for pressing grapes, the juice of which flowed into containers installed in a large rectangular clearing. Then there is a temple. The tarapan was carelessly hewn and disguised as a bench for parishioners. The recess in the floor was filled in, and an altar niche was cut down in the right corner.

The dating moment of the temple is its painting. It has been partially preserved. In the altar niche there is an image of Christ in a purple cloak, sitting on a golden-yellow throne, and two full-length figures: on the left is the Virgin Mary, on the right is the apostle. The painting of the north-eastern part of the temple (the wall next to the altar) has almost not been preserved. On the ceiling is a scene of the Epiphany and the Nativity.

On the northwestern side of the wall (opposite the entrance) there is a large fresco of the Dormition, which gave the temple its name today. It was made on wet limestone soil. The compositional center is the figure of the Mother of God stretched out on the couch with her arms folded on her chest. Weeping figures surround her. An angel with a sword pursues the wicked. The painting dates from the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century. The appearance of the temple dates back to the same time.

Along the eastern cliff of the plateau there is a series of defensive casemates, which, together with the fortress wall, formed a single whole in the city's defense system.
To the west of the casemates were the residential quarters of the city. As archaeological excavations have shown, the cultural layer on Eski-Kermen fits into the framework of the 6th-13th centuries. The residential quarters of the city were closely built up with houses. Houses went out into narrow alleys with dead ends inevitable in crowded buildings. Sections of houses from the last period of the city's existence have been excavated here. Four separate courtyards can be traced, separated by a street running parallel to a cliff and a narrow pedestrian lane. The houses were built in the XII-XII centuries. in place of the older ones. At the same time, the previous plan was not respected.

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The estates are small: an area of ​​150-200 sq. m. each. The houses were two stories high. The lower floor was stone, the upper - wooden. Small rooms below
floors were used for household and craft needs. There were pantries with rectangular cellars carved into the rock for supplies. In the cellars there were pithoi, for their installation, nests were cut down at the bottom of the cellars. The cellars had wooden floors. The rooms on the top floor were residential.

The houses were built of stone. The sloping roofs were covered with massive tiles. The top floor had overhanging balconies. Because of the lack of space, the patios were small and cramped. A canopy adjoining the houses was of economic importance. Light canopies were installed over the rams. The findings of archaeologists during excavations shed light on the daily life of the townspeople, from the lesson. The most frequent find is pottery, simple and glazed, local and imported. Found a lot of fragments of tiles. Of the women's jewelry, the most common are the simplest glass bracelets.

All dwellings perished in a fire at the end of the 13th century. During excavations, burnt human skeletons were found under their ruins, which indicates a sudden attack: people did not even have time to jump out of some houses.

In the middle of residential areas, on the very high place plateau, there was a basilica. It was one of the main types of Christian churches. There are suggestions that the Eski-Kermen basilica was built in the 6th century, probably simultaneously with the emergence of the city. However, archaeological excavations recent years allow us to date its appearance no earlier than the 8th century. The basilica is located in the middle of the plateau. The temple is rectangular in plan with three multifaceted apses. In the central apse is an altar. The basilica was divided into three naves by two rows of marble columns. The floor of the central nave was paved with red slate tiles. The walls are made of well-hewn stone with rubble filling. The ceiling was wooden, the roof was tiled. The wooden ceiling burned down and collapsed inside the building. The walls collapsed later. The basilica was probably destroyed by the Khazars at the end of the 8th century. The ambassador of the Polish king, Martin Bronevsky, wrote: “A temple decorated with marble and serpentine columns testifies to the former significance and glory of Eski-Kermen, although it is thrown to the ground and destroyed.”

For any fortress, the most important issue was the supply of water to its defenders in case of a long siege. On Eski-Kermen, it was resolved thanks to the construction of the so-called "siege well". The well was located not far from the residential quarters of the city, at the very edge of the cliff. An entrance hatch leads into it from the rock platform. A steep staircase of 84 steps goes down in six flights, cut into the thickness of the rock. Platforms were arranged between the marches, a window was cut down on the middle staircase to illuminate the cliff towards the cliff. The staircase ends with a captive gallery about 10 meters long. Water seeps through the ceiling of the gallery. It is possible that a small spring flowed from the natural cave here, the water of which was intercepted by the builders of the fortress before it entered the cave. Water accumulated quite enough so that the defenders of the city could withstand a long siege.

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The well was apparently built simultaneously with the fortress in the 6th century. Water was drawn from the well to the surface by hand. The well was destroyed at the same time as the fortress, but it was used until the end of the 18th century.
The Eski-Kermen plateau has a natural access from the north, so the northern sentinel complex was built here. Its functions included not only monitoring the approaches to the fortress, but also protecting the northern entrance to the fortress.

The entrance to the sentinel complex began with a doorway carved into the rock. The door was single-leaf, opened inward and locked with a bar. Behind the door is a staircase carved into the thickness of the rock in two flights, which led to the top of a small isolated plateau. Along the stairs, on the right, two small caves. The first cave apparently served as a resting place for the defenders of the complex. It had a door and was illuminated by a window. A little higher - the second cave - a casemate with two holes. One is an embrasure in the form of a window at floor level. The other is a small loophole. The embrasure was designed for rolling stones, it is equipped with a small hole. Next to it are water wells. The embrasure and loophole served to shell the approaches to the plateau. However, this was not enough to delay the advance of the enemy. In all likelihood, the main blow in the defense of the approaches to the plateau and the northern gate was delivered from the cliff from above.

From the site of the northern sentinel complex, a majestic view opens up of the entire area of ​​the foothills, the approaches to the city and the northern parts of the beams that envelop it from the east and west.
Along the edge of the promontory protruding to the south, rather deep nests have been preserved, probably for fixing a wooden parapet, behind which the defenders of the fortress were located. At the northern end of the site, above the cliff, there is an oblong rectangular clearing, and symmetrically to it, on the opposite edge of a separate rock, several meters away from the site, there is another similar one. Undoubtedly, in ancient times, wooden bridges were thrown here to communicate with the now inaccessible northern tip of the mountain.

From here you can see clearly northern section Tapshan plateau, on which in the X-XI centuries. a small fortress was erected - the castle of Kyz-Kule. From the south, along the slope of the mountain, a road approached the tower of the castle. In front of the tower, a shallow ditch was cut down, through which they moved along the flip bridge. Archaeological excavations near the tower, the remains of a miniature single-apse chapel of the 11th-13th centuries were unearthed, inside of which tombs were carved.
Like many medieval monuments of the Crimea, this fortification has its own mysteries. Its name translates as "Maiden's Tower". However, a wide view of the area opening from the tower causes another explanation of the toponym Kyz-Kule - Kez-Kule, where "Kez" means "eye" - a watchtower.
These ancient, legendary ruins, caves, picturesque rocks remind us of the events that took place here many centuries ago. Emanates from them ancient history, long-disappeared peoples, long-quiet interests, long-nosed life.

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Remember also about. But did you know, for example, that The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Crimea is a territory that is rich in natural and man-made attractions. Perhaps, in no other corner of the country so many masterpieces of old and new times have been collected.

Therefore, if you are not attracted to supermarket trips, go to Eski Kermen - the most "cave" of all cave cities peninsulas. Such beauties and secrets, bathing and legends await here, which will remain in memory for a very long time.

Where is the cave city of Eski Kermen

The medieval bastion city is located in the southwest of the peninsula, if you look for the cave city of Eski Kermen on the map, then count 14 km south from Bakhchisaray and then 5 km northwest from the equally interesting Mangup Kale. In general, the entire inner ridge of the Crimean forest-steppe is full of secrets, but the foothills are famous for just such rocky ghost towns, which have long outlived glory, but at the same time remain attractive to travelers.

Going to see Eski Kermen - a cave city that amazes the imagination, do not plan to do it quickly. Three long routes, cut in the rocks, will be taken to the entrance with a serpentine and will give the opportunity to bypass the entire settlement along the perimeter. And it is absolutely necessary to do this in order to enjoy not only stunning natural views, but also to understand how great the skill of the ancient builders was, to see the secrets of the ghost town and make sure that not everything is subject to the human mind.

Representing a table mountain with steep edges, the Iski Kermen plateau is elongated from north to south. The total length is a little over a kilometer, the width reaches 170 meters, and the height of the cliffs is up to 30 meters! This is a real impregnable fortification, which has long retained its integrity. Today, Eski Kermen is a route that gives you the opportunity to see a lot. The plateau offers a wonderful view of Mangup Kale, Tepe-Kermen, Chatyr-Dag. In good weather, the panoramas are such that it is painful and pitiful to leave here to tears, you want to stay and settle in Eski Kermen - the cave bastion rarely lets travelers go without a feeling of sadness and regret about the past.

The history of the emergence and development of the city

The old cave Eski Kermen or, as it is also called, Eksi Kermen, began its existence in the VI century, when people came to the plateau to equip another pass on trade routes. IN old times here passed the busiest trade trails leading to Tauric Chersonesus. At first it was an ordinary overnight stay, then travelers needed reinforcements in order to leave some goods in complete safety. This is how the arrangement of Eksi Kermen began, a city that survived the destruction and was again restored from the ashes like a phoenix.

The first trouble came at the end of the 8th century, when there was an uprising against the Khazar Khaganate led by John of Gotha. Judging by the excavations, the nearby Doros fortress was destroyed to the ground, but Eski Kermen was a little more fortunate, not only the defensive walls were restored, but also numerous intra-rocky economic caves were preserved: barns, stockyards, and so on. The heyday begins, when new guardrooms on the cliffs, shelters for guards at all approaches and improvement of roads are equipped.

The favorable period for Iska Kermen lasted a long time, in X-XII centuries on the site of the fortification, a real city grows with regular quarters, wide streets of 2 meters each and a population of many thousands. The testimony of contemporaries suggests that Eski Kermen in Bakhchisarai could accommodate not only residents, guests, but also a huge number of livestock.

The presence of water sources, sufficient supplies of provisions - this city could resist all misfortunes for a long time, as actually happened at the beginning of the 13th century, when the countless troops of Nogai came here. Destroyers swept across the highlands in a devastating wave, sweeping away everything in their path, killing and destroying. stone caves Eski Kermen survived, but the people turned out to be weaker than the rocks - they left. After a while, life, of course, returned, but no one wanted to restore the walls, renovate the caves, and little by little the Bakhchisaray Eski Kermen began to fade away.

At the end of the 15th century, the ruins were already almost completely overgrown with shrubs, the stones collapsed, nature gradually returned the rocks to their original state, in the 16th century even the real name of the city did not remain, it was called Cherkes-Kermen, and then Eski Kermen, which literally means simply "Old Fortress" The true name of the city can no longer be found, and even in the annals of 1578, the Lithuanian ambassador wrote to the khan that: “neither the Greeks, nor the Tatars, nor the Turks know what kind of fortification remains are located next to Cherkes-Kermen.”

Of course, the cave city of Eski Kermen loses in area to other settlements, but only here 332 caves, manually carved into the rocky base, have survived to this day almost intact! And it is worth seeing with your own eyes. Let someone praise the temples lost in the jungle - we will not dispute their value, but our treasure is hidden in the Crimea, which can only be reached on foot or in a good car, making a distance of several kilometers. You can only find shelter if it is an excursion to Eski Kermen, otherwise you can simply get lost in the foothills without finding the right road to the cave city of Eski Kermen.

Grottoes and tombs

Eski Kermen is an excursion famous not only for the skill of the ancient people who carved the city into the rocks. There are plenty of rooms, equipped at a slightly later time, where people lived happily, enjoying the impregnability of the refuge. Two-story comfortable cave-apartments were spacious and comfortable. But after a raging fire, they turned into real tombs. Excavations of archaeologists have found in the cellars of many houses the remains of people who did not survive the elements.

In addition, the ruins of the basilica, once built in the city, today have become one of the sights, although of a slightly sad kind - a cemetery for the inhabitants of the village. For a long time the basilica was beautiful, equipped with three semicircular apses, naves, marble columns, but time does not spare such masterpieces.

Therefore, today it remains only to represent beauty, paying tribute to the dead and buried in the ruins of people. One of the naves has survived; a chapel has been built there, which is definitely worth a visit. And, of course, to inspect the siege well with a 20-meter tunnel, 84 steps and a water shaft. The steepness of the descent is great, so please be patient - this well is unique for the peninsula, it is not like it in any siege bastion city. When descending, do not look under your feet, the grottoes and tombs located in the branches and recesses of the corridor are much more interesting. That's where the scope for fantasy, legends and speculation. They say that from time to time, in especially quiet moments, you can hear the rattling of weapons and the voices of people who defended the well and the whole city from nomadic tribes.

Altars and frescoes

No less interesting for visiting the sanctuary of the city. The Church of the Three Horsemen has two entrances and a pair of windows that illuminate the entire space. Carved into the rock, the shrine is today a resting place. Two graves: one larger, the second small are located right in the temple, and between them there is a place for candlesticks and a cross. It is assumed that the temple was also named after a large grave, here George the Victorious is depicted pacifying the snake, on the sides there are two horsemen, one of whom holds a child in his arms. It is possible that the fresco was painted in honor of a significant battle, of which there were plenty. Most likely, the dead were canonized as Saints, the time of construction dates back to the end of the 12th century, and the battle was with the Tatar hordes, who filled the plateau with a myriad army.

A little closer to the main gate is oldest temple, once equipped with three entrances, a bishop's chair and baptismal font. There are also tombs in the floor of the temple, but the very shape of the structure is asymmetrical, which made scientists scratch their heads. It is assumed that this place was a kind of "trial court", where not only pardoned, but also punished. Frescoes have not been preserved, but the painting is alive in the Church of the Assumption, located a little further and almost completely destroyed. This church is truly unique. At first it was an ordinary pit for pouring grain, then it was converted into a grape press, that is, a winery, and then a church was opened - apparently a time of troubles had come and the inhabitants of Iska Kermen decided that the salvation of souls was much more important than all other things.

In addition to the frescoes and altars in the bastion, there are quite a lot of interesting things: sentinel sites, loopholes, loopholes - you can’t count everything, but there is one more unique monument which deserves the attention of travelers.

Valley of the Givers

A little away from Iska Kermen was the temple of the Donators. The frescoes depicting the Holy Grail perplex scientists and make them think over and over again all the details of the construction of the temple, the events that followed. A donor is a “donor”, ​​plus such a sacred fresco – the result is almost the same lost Grail burial place!

The famous scientist N. Repnikov at one time put forward a version that once upon a time the valley and the temple of the Donators were a single entity. He also described the rich and skillful frescoes that covered the walls and ceiling of the temple. It is interesting that the frescoes were painted with a skill that was available only to students of the Constantinople school, and this speaks volumes, for example, about the greatest significance the Temple of the Donators had for the inhabitants of the plateau. Today, the frescoes are completely lost, but there is an opportunity to see the remains of the shrine and attend the liturgy, which are sometimes held here.

Lake Eski Kermen

Going on an excursion to Eski Kermen, do not forget your bathing suit, because there is a real lake here! Someone will say that there is nothing interesting in a small pond if there is a huge sea nearby, but still it is worth swimming. Lake Eski Kermen is a masterpiece of nature. The water heated from above by the sun remains cool even in the hottest summer - below the reservoir is fed by the purest springs.

They say that not only the city of Eski Kermen, the lake is also sacred. If you are not afraid of coolness and plunge into the water with your head, failures will leave a person forever. And all lovers of extreme sports should definitely visit here: the opposite rocks are considered the most convenient place for jumping into the water, the height of some reaches 10 meters, so there are enough desperate people here!

Well, whoever likes calm water is invited to splash in cool jets, admire the surroundings and forget sorrows forever, because this lake gives peace to the soul and relaxation to the body.

Hostel Eski Kermen

Do you want to go to the internet cave? Then a trip to Eski Kermen is a decided route. The tourist base is located at the base of the city and is a whole complex of comfortable premises. There is everything for lovers of extreme sports and comfort. A hotel with apartments of various classes, an ethnic cave, preserved in the same ancient style.

Inside the ensemble, everything is very decent: there is a large parking lot, so you can see the route of Eski Kermen on the map for an individual trip, there is also a good cafe, there is a small corner of living creatures where children come, a bathhouse, camping for "savages" and a horse yard. The latter should be mentioned separately: you don’t particularly run into the mountains by car, but on horseback you can go to any secluded place, which all travelers do with pleasure. For fishing or mountain walk, ride yourself and take the kids for a ride - the horses are quiet, well-groomed and the price is affordable.

By the way, fishing in the ponds will please everyone! Carp, silver carp, crucian carp - they ask for the grill and they are fried right there, on fresh air, seizing with a tortilla and greens - tasty, healthy and very pleasant. And in order to go fishing for a day, you need to pay only about 1000 rubles, it is quite inexpensive for great pleasure and enjoyment from fishing. If you don’t want to fish nearby, go on horseback to other lakes and ponds, there are plenty of them here and fish, big and small, are perfectly caught everywhere.

How to get there?

To see all the wonder, you need to know how to get to Eski Kermen cave ghost town:

1. From Simferopol by regular bus on the route to Zalesnoye, get to the stop village of Krasny Mak;

Bus schedule from Simferopol to the stop Krasny Mak

Bus schedule Sevastopol-Red Poppy

2. By train Simferopol-Sevastopol get to the village. Front (station 1509 km), there transfer to bus number 45 and get to the village of Krasny Mak or Kholmovka;

Train timetable Simferopol-Sevastopol

3. By regular bus to Kholmovka to the final one.

Bus schedule Sevastopol-Kholmovka

And now from the Red Poppy or Kholmovka, following the signs, about 6 km on foot. Rides run frequently, so the question of how to get to Eski Kermen will not arise. But even if you choose a walk, you will not be disappointed - the places are so rich in beauty that the trip will bring pure pleasure!

By car, drive to the village of Tankovoye, and then to Krasny Mak, before which there is a turn to Kholmovka - turn left and head to Eski Kermen. How to get from the turn: drive to a large farm - its hedge can be seen immediately, turn left and the same reserved valley will open, and above it Eski Kermen - the cave city on the map is indicated by coordinates: N 44.6087 E 33.7400.

How to get by car from Simferopol to Eski Kermen (map)

From Sevastopol

From Yalta

From Sevastopol there is an electric train Sevastopol-Simferopol, get to the village of Frontovoe, there is bus 45 of the route. From Yalta by regular bus to Bakhchisaray, then on foot following the signs.

How to get to the cave city Eski Kermen from Bakhchisaray:

1. By bus Bakhchisaray - Zalessnoe to Red Poppy

2. By bus Bakhchisaray - Kholmovka to the final stop.

Going to Eski Kermen in your own car, don't worry about where to stay. There is no protected area, so you can choose a place to spend the night according to your own taste. In addition to the camp site, there are good campsites along the way, and the attraction is not so far from Simferopol that it was impossible to return at night. But what you can’t do is not to see the Eski Kermen cave city, in which the secrets of eternity have not yet been unraveled.