The first-class Crimean fortress Eski-Kermen with a gorgeous view and a valiant history. Cave city Eski-Kermen

There are places in Crimea that captivate the soul. One of these places is a medieval cave city Eski-Kermen, located in the southwest Crimean peninsula, 14 km south of the city Bakhchisaray. Today it is quiet and lifeless, in the Middle Ages it was a major center of trade and crafts, and occupied a leading position among the nearby settlements.

Foundation date

Territory
Height above sea level


nearest landmark	Bakhchisarai district, with. Kholmovka

Photo review of the cave city:

History of Eski-Kermen

The cave city was built in the VI century by the Byzantines to protect against raids on the city of Chersonese. From all sides, the settlement is protected by 30-meter rocky slopes. All its caves are carved into the firmament of the mountains.

In the Middle Ages, Eski-Kermen was an important cultural, administrative and political center of the southwest of Taurica. In the center of the city there were stone two-story houses with tiled roofs and high stone fences. Unfortunately, these houses have not survived to this day. Therefore, many tourists mistakenly believe that the Eski-Kermens lived in caves.

During its history, Eski-Kermen survived two devastating invasions of the Khazars and the Golden Horde. The second invasion under the leadership of the Golden Horde temnik Emir Nogai became disastrous for the fortress. Soon after the invasion, the city was deserted. Piles of destroyed stones were covered with moss and grass, overgrown with forest. In the 16th century, the name of the settlement was forgotten, so locals they began to call it Eski-Kermen, which in translation from the Crimean Tatar language means "old fortress".

ATTENTION:
Colorful episodes were filmed in the settlement for the feature films Finist the Clear Falcon, The 9th Company, The Star and Death of Joaquin Murieta

Sights of Eski-Kermen

In the old settlement there are well-preserved buildings erected in the 6th-12th centuries.

This is a large stone block, hollow inside, in which the temple is equipped. On one of the walls of the sanctuary, an ancient fresco depicting three noble horsemen and a boy has been preserved.

Defensive structures.
The defense system is represented by casemates, loopholes, towers and exit gates. In the north of the fortress, a first-class sentinel complex has been preserved, which includes two caves, loopholes and loopholes.

siege well -
This building is about 50 meters deep. 6 flights of stairs descend into the well, which lead to a hall with water. You need to go down into the well very carefully, because the steps are slippery and worn out on the lower marches.

Temple buildings.
The following temple structures have been preserved on the territory of the city:

a temple with a semicircular pedestal;
Church of the Dormition with a darkened fresco of the Mother of God;
remains of a rectangular basilica with a chapel and marble columns.

Stone Bear Cave. In one of the caves of Eski-Kermen lies a stone bear covered with moss. A hollow runs along the ridge of this giant, along which drops of water fall from the ceiling. Drops fall even in the driest weather.

Video overview of the city:

How to get to Eski-Kermen

Before medieval settlement can be reached by bus, minibus or own car. You won’t be able to get straight to the city gates; you still have to walk some part of the path.

bus route

From Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta you can get here by intercity buses, from Bakhchisaray - to suburban buses or fixed-route taxis. Destination - the villages of Krasny Mak, Zalesnoye, Kholmovka or Ternovka, located at a distance of 4-6 km from the settlement. Then you have to walk.

Automobile route

The settlement can be reached by your own car. When departing from Bakhchisarai, you must:

move along the highway T0117 "Yalta - Bakhchisarai" 14 km;
before s. Red Poppy turn right onto a country road;
without reaching the Kholmovka turn left;
drive along a dirt road to the northern slope of the plateau.

ATTENTION: At the entrance from the side of the city of Bakhchisarai to the village. Tankovoe is an off-road section cut by deep ruts and ditches. This point should be taken into account by owners of cars with low ground clearance.

Hiking trails

From the villages of Zalesnoye, Ternovka, Kholmovka, hiking trails are laid to the cave ruins. The shortest and interesting route starts at s. Zalesnoy (3.8 m), the longest and most boring - in the village. Kholmovka (6-7 m).

IMPORTANT:
Every a tourist route It is marked with colored signs, so it is almost impossible to get lost here. The most difficult section is 0.7 km on the way to the settlement.

Eski-Kermen Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea

GPS Coordinates: N44.6146, E33.6380 Latitude/Longitude

What to take on a hike

Lightweight sports shoes with non-slippery soles are best suited for driving on roads with earthen, stone and gravel surfaces. In the warm season, you need to have a hat and a backpack with a reserve drinking water and sandwiches.

It is windy in the mountains, the temperature here is 5-10 ◦С lower than near the sea. Therefore, tourists with poor health, who are afraid of drafts and often catch a cold, need to take a warm, light jacket or windbreaker on the road.

Hi all! I want to tell you about the mountain route, which is very popular with tourists when visiting the Bakhchisarai region in Crimea. - 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, in addition to South Shore and the Black Sea did not see anything in the 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.

View Larger Map

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. Climbing up to the cave city 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 of the 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.

IN numerous caves stored food, weapons, kept livestock. 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. A 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, carved into the rock by hand.

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. .

Last year I visited the cave city of Chufut-Kale. This year, in the very heat, we went to conquer the cave city of Eski-Kermen. If a visit to the first last year was combined with an excursion to the Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai, then this time the day was devoted only to Eski-Kermen. Moreover, part of the way, about 6 km, we traveled on foot.

The path was standard - take a minibus to Artbukhta, take a sea ferry to the North Side and from Nakhimov Square by bus to the village of Red Poppy, from where you can walk to the cave city of Eski-Kermen.

As a result of the trip, I got quite a lot of photos, and I put some of them into separate narratives:

Eski-Kermen was founded on a hard-to-reach plateau at the beginning of the 6th century; by assumption, the Scythian-Sarmatians and existed until the end of the XIV century. Its name, translated from Tatar, means "Old Fortress" - this is one of the most picturesque cave cities. It is located in the southwestern part mountain Crimea, 6 km south of the village of Krasny Mak, on a table mountain plateau, elongated along the axis.

The cave city of Eski-Kermen 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 a major center of 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.

We get off the bus, our journey begins in the village of Krasny Mak. The village is surrounded by a picturesque area: on the left is a valley with remnant mountains. Here, for example, Uzun-Tarla - rises in the distance to the left of the road to Eski-Kermen.

On the right is a rocky wall with the remains of Bash-Kai.

Then the road goes through the field. Although it has recently rained, the grass on the field is starting to dry out, there is a huge number of large grasshoppers and other living creatures jumping from under their feet.

The sun bakes mercilessly, and I want to find some shade, lie down and rest until evening in the cool under a light breeze. But this is only the beginning of the journey, there is a whole day ahead, filled with interesting adventures.

Interactive panorama of the field and the road.

But here long road the heat is coming to an end, and we are approaching the goal of our journey. The slopes of Zangurma-Kobalar are already visible - the ridge adjacent to the cave city.

With characteristic notches-grots on the slopes.

And then Eski-Kermen appeared, or rather its northern tip. The main life on it still took place in the southern part.

On the Internet I found such a scheme. We approached the city from the north (from above)

This is where the Northern Watch Complex is located. Hence the most good view far away, as you can see in the following photos.

Northern sentinel complex, VI - XIII centuries.

In the northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau there is a gate, fortified with combat platforms and casemates. Opposite it is a small rock-outlier, in which the Northern sentinel complex is located. At the foot of the remnant, a staircase (2 flights, 33 steps) carved into the rock begins, leading to the surface of the rock, surrounded by a wooden fence. Along the stairs there are two rooms carved into the rock: the lower one was used as a tomb, the upper one as a guardroom.

From the upper platform of the complex, the northern approaches to the city and the entire region of the foothills were visible. In the Middle Ages, the Northern sentinel complex was connected to the main massif of Eski-Kermen by wooden footbridges.

In this "stone with holes" there were constantly guards who guarded the approaches from the north and, in case of danger, had to give a signal.

At the top of the Northern Watch Complex. View south towards the city.

A piece of guard caves and Mount Kaya-Bash.

Our "watchmen" wave their hands from the gatehouse.

Another view to the south - on one of the rocks on the side, a pine tree crouched. And grows in a hanging position on a vertical rock.

Remains medieval tower with gates - Kyz-Kule castle (Maiden Tower)

It seems that the tower is nearby and can be easily and quickly reached. In fact, Kyz-Kul can only be climbed by the ancient walking trail with steps carved into the rock from another gorge located to the west of the tower. To do this, you need to go down from the northern sentinel complex to the saddle and turn left, carefully going down the ledge, in some places with traces of artificial cuttings, slope. Then on the way out to former village Strong (now there are koshary). From here you can climb up to the castle from the gorge.

A panorama of how the north side was seen from the top of the sentinel complex. You can zoom in and move the image.

More view of the nearby mountain

And to the valley. We came along this road.

There is a deep crevice between the Northern Watch Complex and the main part. And while I was photographing her, strong wind took away and dragged down my cap, I did not even have time to pick it up. It was also useless to run after her - there was a multi-meter cliff ahead. Fortunately, Valerka also noticed how she fell, he was closer to the place of the fall, on the path under the sentinel complex and found her. Otherwise, I could easily catch a sunstroke.

But enough to stomp at the Northern sentinel complex, the main part is still further. Let's walk along the path along the rocky slope

And here is one of the first cave structures. This is how a cave made in the rock looks from the inside. there was a door in place of the opening, and, probably, the window was closed with something. And a round hole in the ceiling - probably in order to draw out the smoke from the hearth.

The next object is what allowed the city to remain impregnable for a long time - a siege well.

Siege well, VI - IX centuries.

The siege well is located in the northern part of the eastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The structure is a stairway (6 flights, 84 steps), ending with a trapping gallery that leads to the cave where natural source water. The total water supply of the well was about 75 cubic meters. Delivery of water to the surface was carried out manually. Each march of descent ended with a platform where water carriers could disperse.

Apparently, the siege well was built simultaneously with the fortress in the 6th century. The researchers connect the cessation of the functioning of the structure with the deliberate destruction of the well by the Khazars. The siege well was used as a source of water for the population of Eski-Kermen in case of a long siege. In peacetime, rainwater was used, as well as water that entered the city through a ceramic water pipe from the Bilderan beam.

I didn’t dare to go down below the guardroom (it’s just one flight of stairs), then the steps were worn out, broken and more and more resembled a children’s slide, which you can easily slide down on your priest, but it’s hard to climb back. On next photo view from one of the caves with steps.

Part of the city with multi-level caves and stairs between them

Some more photos of the city outside

And from within

Another view to the southeast

More views of the city

View of the neighboring Chupak-Syrt rock through a telephoto lens.

And pitted again man-made caves stones.

Here I decided to light up

Interesting cave, resembling a hole - the dwelling of a hobbit. With round window and round entrance. It's a pity that a tree that grew here blocked the entrance.

A wooden bridge over the abyss once led to this stone. It's in that hole on the right.

Large caves were reinforced from the inside with stone columns.

Along the walls, special niches were equipped for arranging beds in them. In the guard rooms, a window was usually arranged at the head of such a bed.

Not all caves have withstood the struggle with time. This one had a collapsed roof.

View to the north from the southern part of Eski-Kermen. Somewhere at the end of the ridge is the Northern Sentinel Complex.

Here we find ourselves in an interesting building - a cave temple. The frescoes in it were chipped off by vandals, but some traces of them are still visible.

Church of the Dormition, 13th century

The Temple of the Assumption is located on the eastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The complex has a rectangular shape (5.7×3.25 m). To the right of the entrance is the altar. A niche was carved in the northwestern wall, in which a wine press (tarapan) was installed. In the center is a small water tank. The remains of fresco painting have been preserved on the walls of the temple. In the altar part there are images of the Annunciation scene, the baby Jesus with angels, the Mother of God - Hodegetria. The scene of the Presentation was located on the northeastern wall, and a large composition of the Assumption occupied a section of the wall opposite the altar.

The construction of the church dates back to the 13th century. After the death of the city, the building, apparently, is adapted for household needs.

On the left side of the frame is the entrance to the temple, on the right - a mountain range.

Round hole-chimney.

The next part is the main protective and main residential building of the city - the complex of the Main City Gates

Complex of the Main City Gates, VI - XIII centuries.

WITH south side on the Eski-Kermen plateau, a wheeled road carved into the rock leads to the Main City Gate, winding in three marches. The upper march of the road was fortified with a proteichism (advanced defensive wall), from which a rocky foundation has been preserved. The opening of the main gate was carved into the rock; there was a rectangular tower above the gate, from which rock cuttings have been preserved. Behind the gates began the main street of the city. In the area of the wheel road and the Main City Gates there are a number of cave structures for various purposes: combat casemates, churches, tombs.

Behind the gate, in the eastern part of the passage, there is a cave temple "Court". The complex has an asymmetric layout (15×17.5×2 m). Three doorways lead to the temple, equipped with grooves for wooden door frames. The ceiling rests on 4 columns carved into the rock. The altar part, apparently, was painted with frescoes. The construction of the temple dates back to the XI - XII centuries, to the XIII century. the complex was connected to a chapel in the southeastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau and acquired a modern look.

For many centuries, loaded carts walked along these ruts, delivering food up and the results of the work of artisans down.

Temple of Judgment. Vitya imagined himself to be either a supreme leader or a priest and is trying to resolve the situation - who to execute and who to pardon.

The time is already approaching evening, the last bus from the Red Poppy is leaving soon, it's time to go down. On the way, you come across a temple of the Three Horsemen carved in a separate stone.

Temple of the Three Horsemen, 13th century

The Temple of the Three Horsemen is located on the southeastern slope of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The church, carved into a separate rock block, has the shape of a shamrock (5.5 x 3.5 x 2.7 m.). The altar part is separated from the rest of the room by the rocky foundation of the altar barrier, on which the wooden parts of the iconostasis were placed. A bench was carved along the walls of the temple. There are 2 graves in the floor, an adult and a child. on the northern wall there is a fresco depicting three horsemen with halos, in cuirasses and with fluttering cloaks. The middle one strikes the serpent with a spear. The one closest to the altar is holding the figure of a boy on the back of a horse. Above the image there is an inscription in Greek: “the holy martyrs of Christ were carved and written for the salvation of the soul and the remission of sins…”.

Several interpretations of the saints depicted on the fresco are known: Theodore Stratilat, Theodore Tyrone and George the Victorious; George in various scenes; George and local soldiers; George, Theodore Stratilat and Dmitry Thessalonica. The construction of the Temple of the Three Horsemen dates back to the 13th century.

The last look in the opposite part of the valley and move to the place of the beginning of the inspection.

We see off a group of cyclists who almost simultaneously arrived in the cave city with us, listened to the tour with a guide and are now leaving.

We have to quickly, quickly, sometimes even running, move towards the bus. Time is running out, we might not make it. And the sun beats down only a little weaker than at noon.

But here are the already familiar mountains of the Red Poppy. We did. The bus did not show us the tail, there was even a couple of minutes to sit and finish drinking liquid supplies. By the way, each of us drank about 3 liters of water during this trip.

On a dirt road leading through fields and flowering gardens, among small hills, we drive up to a mountain-outlier. She seemed to be detached from the main mountain range and comfortably located in the center of the picturesque valleys: Dzhan-Gazy and Dzhurla.

Well, hello, old city, whose name no one knows. We will call you the same as everyone calls you - just old fortress, Eski-kermen.

The city is located on a plateau of a steep mountain, elongated from north to south. It is best to start acquaintance with its remains from its southern part, where the main gate was. Bypassing it from the east, on the way we examine the temple of the Three Horsemen.

The temple is carved in a block that has fallen off the massif. A fresco depicting three horsemen has been preserved on the northern wall. The middle one strikes a snake with a spear, the other two hold spears with their points up. One of the riders has a figure of a boy on the horse's croup. Below the image are traces of a Greek inscription. The temple dates back to the XII century, at the same time or at the beginning of the XIII century, the painting was made.

From the south, an ancient wheeled road leads into the city, zigzagging along the rocks. We are approaching the main gates of the city. In front of the gate and in front of the upper march of the road there was an advanced defensive wall (proteichism), the “beds” carved into the rock on which it was erected have been well preserved to this day. The ancient masters were excellent fortifiers and during the construction they took into account all the features of the terrain, thanks to which the last march of the road lay between the proteichism and the main defensive wall.

The space between the walls was essentially a corridor - deaf, high, locked in addition to the main ones, by two more advanced double-leaf gates at the beginning and at the end of the march. Only by destroying these barriers one after another under a hail of arrows and stones flying from above, the enemy could approach the main, third gate (also double-leaf). It is no coincidence that such corridors are often called "corridors of death."

Before proceeding an amusing trip along the streets of cozy Eski-Kermen, a little about the history of its origin.

Researchers believe that the city arose at the end of the VI century. It's been enough major center crafts and trade. In the surrounding fertile valleys, the population was engaged in agriculture, in case of approaching danger from the "steppe", people took refuge in the city behind reliable defensive fortifications.

However, at the end of the 8th c. these fortifications failed to save the city and its inhabitants. At this time there is an uprising local population led by John of Gotha, which the Khazars severely suppressed, subjecting a terrible defeat to a number of settlements and, in particular, Eski-Kermen. Archaeological research confirm this fact, but at the same time make it possible to assume that later the defensive fortifications are restored: new cave fighting structures - casemates were carved.

Thus, Eski-Kermen was restored, and life in the city continued for several more centuries. And only at the end of the XIII century. after the devastating invasion of the Tatar horde led by Emir Nogai, the city, engulfed in fire, finally perished. Until the 15th century not yet lived on the plateau a large number of people, but they soon left. By the beginning of the XIX century. no one remembered the name once blooming city, they began to call it Eski-Kermen - the Old Fortress.

Let's continue our journey. We stopped at the main gate of Eski-Kermen. Before us is a corridor carved into the rock, leading to the main street. Caves were carved in the slopes of its rocky walls, on the left there was a gatehouse, and next to it there was a passage to the gate tower, on the right there is a fairly spacious church with a baptismal. In the eastern part of the temple there is a semicircular apse with a stepped bench (sintron) and an episcopal chair in the middle of it; in the south - a semicircular bench, next to which a font is arranged.

We continue down a road with deep ruts left in the rock by wagon wheels. Pay attention to the gutters along the rocky slopes, which the ancient builders cut down to drain rainwater (the culture of urban planning was the highest).

turning away main street to the left, we approach one of the cave casemates. It is located in a ledge of rock, directly above the road, where the western border of the city's defenses passed. The main purpose of this casemate is to protect the crevice in the rock leading to the plateau. Six holes have been preserved, located at floor level, to throw stones at the heads of the enemy. The casemate also had two auxiliary premises: a pantry with a recess for pithoi, in which food and water supplies were stored; as well as a "barracks" with benches carved along the walls: here the soldiers could rest.

On the neighboring cape there is an extremely important building for the life of the city - a grain pit, in which grain reserves were stored. The casemate was connected to the grain pit by a ladder and a bridge.

Now we're heading to eastern edge settlements. We see how the streets and lanes of the city scattered in different directions, traces of buildings have been preserved on them. Eastern part the cities were protected by defensive walls and a cave casemate, which consisted of caves connected in pairs, which had a separate entrance from above.

Nearby is a temple called the Assumption. Fragments of paintings have been preserved on its western wall. The fresco depicts the Assumption Mother of God, hence its name - the temple of the Assumption. The painting is presumably dated to the end of the 13th century. Initially, there was a water cistern on the site of the church, created together with the battle wall and part of the defense system. After the destruction of the wall, the cistern was expanded, the neck was covered with a slab, an approach was made from the side, from the side of the cliff, and a grape press was built in it with a reservoir into which the juice flowed. In a deep hole in the floor, in all likelihood, there were pithoi, since their fragments were found during excavations. Later, when a temple was built here, the pit was filled up.

Walking through the city, we are once again convinced of how thoughtful and powerful the defensive system was, as evidenced by the well-preserved traces of numerous "beds", defensive and sentinel complexes.
The city has preserved traces of numerous residential and commercial buildings, which confirm that at the time of its heyday a large number of inhabitants lived in the city. One of the most competent researchers of "cave cities" A. G. Herzen describes the estates of the townspeople as follows:

“The ordinary estate of the Eski-Kermenets was separated from the narrow and deserted streets by a high and deaf stone fence. A low, vaulted gate led into a courtyard, small and cramped. It was surrounded on all sides by various outbuildings. In these courtyards, the entire economic life of the city dweller proceeded. At the back of the courtyard, women were grinding grain on hand-held stone millstones, cooking food on primitive open hearths, spinning, weaving and other endless household chores. Here, under a wooden shed, livestock was placed, in particular donkeys, on which heavy loads were usually transported. Each house had a spacious pantry or a basement carved into the rock, where they descended along a wooden staircase and where they stored grain in huge vessels (pithoi), partly dug into the rock, or in large amphoras, which also served as a container for wine and oil. A supply of drinking water was also kept here. The estate was quite crowded. The residential building itself, located in the depths of the courtyard, consisted of several rooms, partly two-story, with gable or single-slope tiled ceilings. The lower floor was always stone. The upper one, where a stone or wooden staircase led, with a wooden frame filled with adobe bricks. Here were living rooms, the walls of which were coated with clay, and then whitewashed. The second floor, as a rule, had balconies. All sorts of household utensils were stored under their sheds.

A peculiar center of the city and its decoration was the basilica, erected on the very high place plateau. The time of construction of the temple causes controversy among researchers: some attribute it to the 6th century, others to the 8th century. Two rows of columns, decorating the basilica, divided it into three elongated halls, the central one ended with an altar semicircle - an apse. On the western side was a transverse porch. Much later to north side temple attached a chapel under a tiled roof. It was plastered and frescoed, and the floor was paved with ceramic tiles.

The attraction of Eski-Kermen is a unique structure - a siege well. To see it, you need to return from the basilica to residential buildings and again go to the path leading along the eastern cliff to the north. Having passed about a hundred meters, you will see a quadrangular hole in the bushes, at the very edge of the cliff. This is the entrance hatch to the well. A steep staircase descends in six flights. Platforms were arranged between the marches, a window was cut through on the middle staircase to illuminate the cliff towards the cliff. The staircase ends with a capping gallery about 10 meters long. Water seeped into the gallery from the ceiling. It is possible that a small spring flowed from a natural cave here, the water of which the builders of the fortress intercepted in the thickness of the rock before leaving the cave. Apparently, it accumulated quite enough so that the defenders of the city and its population could withstand a long siege. According to the calculations made in early time the existence of the well, it more or less constantly held up to 70 cubic meters of water. During the siege of the city, the enemy managed to break through the rock between the fourth and fifth marches. But even in the future, until the 17th century, the well continued to be used.

Until now, the remains of the wall separating the built-up part of the city from the vast wasteland are clearly visible. As in many other fortresses of this type, a significant part of the territory remained undeveloped and was intended for residents of nearby settlements located in the valleys. In case of danger, they with their belongings found protection in the fortress.

We finish the journey on the northern part of the plateau. The crevice, accessible both for descent and for ascent, was one of the most vulnerable places of the fortress, in order to protect it, a sentinel complex was built here. A carved stone staircase of 33 steps with two flights leads us to a platform isolated by rocky cliffs. A gatehouse and a casemate with loopholes were also carved into the rock. At the top there is a platform with deep recesses for the installation of a wooden parapet, which served as protection for the soldiers. The site was used as a sentinel point, from which the defenders of the fortress perfectly viewed the entire area of the foothills.

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Eski-Kermen - Straya fortress. Located cave city Eski-kermen, like most of the cave cities of Crimea, in the Bakhchisarai region. You can get there by following through Bakhchisaray, Red Poppy, Kholmovka. There is a sign in Kholmovka, then the road to Eski-Kermen is asphalt, but with big amount pits, potholes, so motorists “paved” a second road parallel to the field.

3. View of the neighboring plateau with Eski-Kermen - the Zangurma-Bair plateau. It is also interesting, but there will be a walk next time

Researchers believe that the city arose at the end of the VI century. It was a fairly large center of crafts and trade. In the surrounding fertile valleys, the population was engaged in agriculture, in case of approaching danger from the "steppe", people took refuge in the city behind reliable defensive fortifications.

However, at the end of the 8th c. these fortifications failed to save the city and its inhabitants. At this time, there was an uprising of the local population led by John of Gotha, which the Khazars severely suppressed, subjecting a terrible defeat to a number of settlements and, in particular, Eski-Kermen. Archaeological research confirms this fact, but at the same time it makes it possible to assume that later the defensive fortifications are restored: new cave fighting structures - casemates were carved.

Thus, Eski-Kermen was restored, and life in the city continued for several more centuries. And only at the end of the XIII century. after the devastating invasion of the Tatar horde led by Emir Nogai, the city, engulfed in fire, finally perished. Until the 15th century a small number of people still lived on the plateau, but they soon left. By the beginning of the XIX century. no one remembered the name of the once flourishing city, they began to call it Eski-Kermen - the Old Fortress.

My the way goes to the main gates of the city. This is the southern outskirts of Eski-Kermen. I pass three marches of the road with deep ruts from cart wheels. The preserved three marches of the serpentine road lead to them. You can see deep ruts worn in the rock from ancient wheels. Having made two sharp turns, the road comes to the edge of the cliff, climbed to a small platform. From here there is one turn to the main city gates of Eski-Kermen. A sharp turn in the road makes it impossible to accelerate along the road of a wheel ram

Ahead of me is a wide corridor, cut into the rock, which was blocked by a gate tower with a chapel.

The passage to the city from the southern city gate, 2.5 meters wide, is carved in the form of a corridor in the rock mass and represents the beginning of the main street of the city of Eski-Kermen, leading from the main gate from south to north. Along the rocky slopes run gutters for rainwater runoff.

A large cave temple was carved into the eastern wall of the corridor, today it is called the Judgment Hall. In ancient times, the temple had three entrances from the street (from the west) and a window between them. The thresholds of the doors rise significantly above the rocky bottom of the corridor - the "carriage" of the street.

In the northern part of the Temple of Judgment, tombs are grouped - tombs, in which the remains of noble citizens were buried. 10 tombs and two grain pits were carved into the floor, today they are filled with water

The total area of the Judgment is 140 sq m
Judgment is the Tatar name for the Christian cave temple unusual shape - it is formed by four conditional semicircles, separated from one another by columns carved in the rock mass (only the foundations survived from some).

9. The layout of the temple is quite complex. There is an assumption that initially there were different rooms, which were later combined into one.

10. Earlier in the temple there was a painting described during excavations in 1929. Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day.

11. From South Gate the direction of my movement over the Dzhurla ravine, parallel to the Topshan hill

12. In the area of the main gate on both sides of the street there are several caves that were clearly used for economic purposes: in the caves on the eastern side, feeders and drinkers for livestock have been preserved

13. In the cleavage of a cave of a defensive or economic nature

14. Interesting cave with a column in the center

15. Wild ivy wrapped around ancient rocks

16. The entrance to the cave is partially covered with earth

18. A tree trunk and a column propping up the entrance to the cave are intricately bent.

19. Somewhere there, on the horizon, behind the branches of the trees, the Temple of Donators

21. View of the Dzhurla ravine, Topshan upland. On the right are private buildings. There used to be a village here. Now the passage is closed, it is in private ownership.