Cave city in Bakhchisaray history. Location of the fortress. Southern small secret gate

One of the most famous cave cities of Crimea. It is located on the outskirts of Bakhchisarai, in the Staroselie area or, as it is also called, Salachik. Chufut-Kale is a fortress in which no one else lives.

Chufut-Kale on the map:

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Story

The city of Chufut-Kale appeared, according to various estimates, in V-VI centuries ad. historical name this settlement has not survived. Researchers believe that the site of Chufut-Kale used to be the city of Fully, which was built to strengthen the Byzantine influence in the Crimea during the time of Justenian I. The city with this name is found in various sources, but historians cannot unambiguously determine which of the currently known settlements matches him. If, nevertheless, the Fulls were here, they were built as early as 576. Then the population of the city consisted mainly of Alans.

During the reign of the Kipchaks in the Crimea (in Russian sources - Polovtsy), the city began to be called Kyrk-Er. In 1299, Kyrk-Er was taken by storm and plundered by the troops of the Golden Horde. Since then, the city has become the center of a small principality, which was in vassal dependence on the Mongol-Tatars. Starting from the 14th century, Karaites began to settle in the city - a small people who still live in the Crimea. Karaites are one of the highlights of Crimea, there are about two thousand of them left in the whole world, and most of all Karaites now live in Crimea. In the 14th century, they began to move to the cave city, among other things, because they experienced persecution in other cities of the Crimean Khanate, which began to form in these years.

Kyrk-Er was the residence of the first Khan independent Crimea Haji I Giray. His descendants founded new town on the site of the Salachik district in Bakhchisarai. Only Karaites and a small number of Krymchaks remained to live in the fortress. In the 17th century, the toponym “Kyrk-Er” was replaced by “Chufut-Kale”, which can be translated from the Crimean Tatar as “Jewish fortress”. The Karaites themselves still prefer to use another toponym - “Dzhuft-Kale”, which can be translated as “double fortress”. Despite the fact that no one has lived on the territory of the fortress for a long time, the Karaites still revere it as the cradle of their people. On the territory of Jufut-Kale there is an active Karaite kenassa - the spiritual institution of the Karaites.

After the entry of Crimea into the Russian Empire restrictions on the residence of Karaites and Krymchaks were lifted, and they began to leave the fortress and move to other Crimean cities. By the end of the 19th century, Chufut-Kale was completely abandoned by the inhabitants.

Tour of the fortress

south gate

There are also such variants of the name: Small Gate, Secret Gate, Secret Gate, Kichik-Kapu Gate. It is through this gate that tourists enter the fortress.

Caves in Chufut-Kale

Mausoleum of Janyke Khanum

Daughter of Khan Tokhtamysh, a descendant of Genghis Khan. She was a very influential person in the Crimea. After Janyke's husband Edigei betrayed her father, Tokhtamysh sent an army to pacify his son-in-law. In 1420, the battle between Kadyr-Berdy Khan and Edigey took place, in which both died - thus Janike lost her husband and only brother. From that moment on, she is the eldest of the Tokhtamysh family, and therefore the first who can claim real power in the Crimea. So Janyke became the ruler of Kyrk-Er. She died in 1437.

observation decks

Karaite kenassa

Gate of Orta Kapu

Biyuk-Kapu Gate (Great Gate)

the main street

Infrastructure

There is a toilet on the territory of the fortress.
There are no places for rest - gazebos, benches, etc.
Take food and water with you, you will not be able to buy them in the fortress.
On the way to Chufut-Kale, there are many stalls with souvenirs, and in hot weather they sell cold kvass.

How to get there

The hiking trail to Chufut-Kale starts from the Holy Assumption cave monastery. A wide concrete road leads deep into the forest along the bottom of the Maryam-Dere valley. Gradually, the road turns into a path that leads past the Gaza-Mansur cemetery and gradually leads upward, to the rocks in which the fortress was carved.

Cost and time of visit

Ticket offices are open daily from 9.00 to 17.30.
The expositions are open to the public until 18.00.
Sightseeing tour of Chufut-Kale. Adults - 200 rub., students - 100 rub.

Privileges:

veterans of the Great Patriotic War;
children under 7 years old;
orphans and children left without parental care,
who are pupils of orphanages and boarding schools;
disabled people of 1 and 2 groups;
a person accompanying a disabled person of groups 1 and 2;
Heroes of the Soviet Union;
Heroes Russian Federation and persons equated to them;
full cavaliers of the Order of Glory;
conscripted military personnel;
former prisoners of concentration camps and other places of detention created by the Nazis and their allies during the Great Patriotic War;
museum staff;
the head of a group of children aged 7 to 14 years old - for 10 underage tourists, aged 14 to 18 years old - for 15 underage tourists;
a guide (guide), a guide-interpreter who has passed certification in accordance with the procedure established by the Ministry of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea, accompanying an organized group of tourists (tourists);
members of official delegations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and other countries, participants of significant international and republican events in agreement with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Crimea.

Bakhchisaray district - beautiful place for walking tours. My friends and I simply adore its flowering gardens and green valleys, bordered by low picturesque mountains. I personally fell in love with him at first sight and forever. The area is famous for its ancient cave cities, carved right into the rocks on high mesas, where the persecuted peoples lived and hid, defending themselves from many attacks. Whoever did not try to seize the Crimea and establish their dominance there, what kind of peoples did not fight for its lands. And to this day, I must say, the struggle for this tasty piece of land continues. The best preserved cave city of Crimea is Chufut-Kale. It preserved not only cave rooms, but also ground buildings, of a later period.

For me, the existence of cave cities was a mystery, I had no idea that there could be such. But, as it turned out, life circumstances are different, and some categories of citizens have to cut houses in the rock. A visit to Chufut-Kale was a revelation for me, after which I could not pick up my jaw from the ground for a long time. Ancient city where every stone breathes the dust of centuries. A city hidden in the bowels of the rocks and still keeping a lot of secrets, with steep winding paths and amazing panoramic views of the forests and mountains of Crimea. Very impressive and causes a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. In it, as nowhere else, it is better to wander and think about the eternal, about the connection between generations and peoples. And one cannot but rejoice at the fact that now this unique museum located on the territory of Russia. Therefore, all feet in hand, and stomp the cobbled streets of the ancient city!

cave city Chufut-Kale is one of the oldest Crimean sights. This place is truly unique, because many caves here are created by nature. An excursion to Chufut-Kale is not an easy one, as the city is located on a mountain and is surrounded by cliffs on three sides. To get here, you will have to try, but the dug-out city in the Crimea is worth it.

Chufut-Kale - the most visited cave city of Crimea

Today, the name Chufut-Kale (translated from Tatar - Judaic fortress) is on everyone's lips. But not everyone knows that the fortress was not always called that way. It is not known for certain when Chufut-Kale was founded, some sources mention the 6th century, others - the 11th. Here's what historians have found out.

Times of the Crimean Khanate:

11th century (second half) - the fortress was owned by the Kypchaks, who gave it the name Kyrk-Er.
1299 - the Tatars conquered the city, renaming it Kyrk-Or.
XII-XIV centuries - housed the garrison of the Crimean ulus, once a member of the Golden Horde. At the beginning of the 14th century, a mosque was built from Prokonesse marble.
15th century - the fortress received the status of the first capital of the Crimean Khanate. After that, a khan's palace, a madrasah and a mosque were built here. According to some sources, the mint appeared in this period, where coins were minted from silver.
Mid 17th century - the status of the capital was lost, the fortress passed to the Karaites and was named Kale, over time the name Chufut-Kale appeared, and after the construction of the defensive system - Juft-Kale.

Times of the Russian Empire

During the reign of Anna Ioannovna - Bakhchisaray was captured by the Russians and Chufut-Kale was destroyed.
The period of the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Empire - the ban on the residence of Karaites and Krymchaks was lifted, so people left the citadel en masse.
End of the 19th century - everyone left the fortress, except for the caretaker's family.
1874 - from that time the fortress was completely empty.

Modernity:

Ruins - that's what it is today dead city Chufut-Kale, except for a few buildings that managed to "survive". But this does not in the least affect the demand for a place as a tourist site. Excursions to Chufut-Kale are popular because it is interesting to wander through its caves. In addition, a picturesque panorama of the surroundings opens from the mountain (height above sea level - 558 m), and nearby, 3 km away, is the Bakhchisaray Khan's Palace.

Is Chufut-Kale protected by UNESCO? Not yet official information regarding the inclusion of this cave city in the list of protected sites. But he is already on the list of candidates for entry. It is not known when the issue will be finally resolved, because it may take 15 years to approve the lists.

Cave city photo:

The ancient city of Chufut-Kale is located at an altitude of about 600 m above sea level.

Where is the cave city and how to get here by car

The location of the attraction is Bakhchisarai, which can be reached from any Crimean resort, the vicinity of the village of Starolesye.

Chufut-Kale on the map of Crimea:

Chufut-Kale is located at a distance of 2.5 km from Bakhchisarai

If getting to public transport from Bakhchisaray, then you need to go to the final stop "Starolesye", and then go on foot, using tourist signs.

If you go by car to Chufut-Kale, you still have to walk part of the way. First, the course should also be taken to the above stop. There is a car park where you can leave your car, as a 1.5-kilometer walking route begins further. First interesting place, which will meet along the way - the gorge Maryam-Dere. It stretched for about two kilometers in length and half a kilometer in width. The place is spacious, so quite a lot of buildings fit here: a madrasah, as well as a cemetery, a monastery for the Orthodox, a Muslim mausoleum and 2 necropolises. The next point of the excursion, which deserves attention, is the Assumption Monastery. On the left side of the road in the valley you can see the tomb of Hadji Giray, who founded the Crimean Khanate. Behind the monastery, the road leads to a walnut grove, and then it remains to overcome the Maryam-Dere beam and get ready to climb the mountain, where the entrance to the city is located.

Walk through the cave city

Tours start from the Small (South) gate with massive oak doors, to which a paved road leads, which is rather destroyed. Small gates are located in such a way that they are not visible from the road. You can only see them if you are right in front of them.

The second entrance is through the Upper Gate, where tourists are met by a guard. This path is suitable for those who do not want to overcome the hiking route and climb a fairly steep slope to south gate. Tickets can be bought at the box office located at both gates.

How much does the entrance to Chufut-Kale cost? Ticket prices are shown in the table (prices are in rubles for the period from April 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017):

	For adults	For children aged 16-18 and students	For pensioners	Private tour service
Entrance	200	100	150	-
Excursion	100	100	100	1500 (group up to 10 people)

Total:	300	200	250	-

The object can be visited from 9 am to 4 pm. Excursion service is optional, except for children's organized groups under the age of 16.

You cannot enter the territory of the object without a hat and comfortable shoes. You also need to have drinking water at the rate of 1.5 liters per person.

The attraction is in the department of the Bakhchisaray Historical, Cultural and archaeological museum reserve (official site handvorec.ru). If the tourist is traveling with organized group and on the basis of an agreement concluded with the reserve, then he pays only 200 rubles for the entrance and excursion accompanied by a guide.

What age children can go on an excursion to Chufut-Kale? Considering that the route is quite large (they usually go here for the whole day) and you have to walk a lot, then the age of the child should be appropriate. If a child of 6-7 years old is active and inquisitive, well developed physically, then why not take him to such an interesting place.

Map of the cave city of Chufut-Kale

What to see

caves

They were used as living quarters, cellars, stables, prisons. They housed observation rooms and crypts. At the time of its foundation, it was a fortress city, located in the rocks and safely hidden from prying eyes by natural relief. There are 170 caves in total. They differ from each other in quality, finish, purpose, architectural solutions. In many of them, fragments of stairs remained, which may have served to connect the cave rooms.

There are about 170 caves in Chufut-Kale, located on different height. Many caves are interconnected by stone stairs.

Tik-Kuyu well

This is a siege well, intended to shelter residents during the siege of the fortress, and also served as a source of water. The name "Tik-Kuyu" means a vertical well. It has dungeons and mines that will be interesting to visit. The diameter of the structure is 2.2 m, the depth is 27 m. At a depth of approximately 25 m, a gallery adjoins it, from which a gentle ascent stretches to a height of 30 m. And that's not all! Below the gallery there is another well, perpendicular, with a diameter of 5 m.

To enter Tik-Kuyu, located on a mountain slope, you need to go walking route, which leads to the city's South Gate. A visit to the well is paid (300 r. full ticket and 150 r. preferential) and is not included in the ticket price for visiting the city.

The siege well of Chufut_Kale goes deep into almost 30 meters

Karaite kenasses

Kenassa is a Karaite temple. During the tour, you can see two kenasses, which are located nearby and date back to the 14th century. (Big kenassa) and the 18th century. (Small kenassa). Despite their impressive age, they are well preserved. It will not work to examine them from the inside, but from the outside you can look at the bas-reliefs as much as you like, ancient architecture, wall prints.

Large and Small Karaite kenasses have been perfectly preserved to our time

Mausoleum of Janike Khanym

Dzhakine-khanym is the daughter of Tokhtamysh-khan, who ruled in the 15th century. The octagonal structure with a tiled roof and carved columns on the sides is made in the style typical of Ottoman period and is well preserved. You can’t go inside, but through the bars you can see the tombstone, to which steps lead. From the place where the mausoleum was built, a panorama of the mountains and the Ashlamadere valley opens.

The mausoleum of Janike Khanym, built in the 15th century, was practically not destroyed

Ground structures of the XVII-XVIII centuries

Many of the buildings are well preserved, among them:

protective walls;
residential buildings;
the main street, paved with stone, the tracks from the chariots are still visible on it;
house A.S. Firkovich (Karaite archaeologist and historian);
a dungeon in which voivode Sheremetyev was imprisoned for 21 years, awaiting a ransom.

Despite its dilapidated state, big interest represent mosques, palaces, temples.

All ground structures can only be viewed from the outside, inside entry is prohibited.

Ancient cemetery of Karaites

It is located in the forest, outside the city, on a plateau, 500 meters from the upper gate. The place is shrouded in a mysterious and gloomy atmosphere - black trees, tombstones of intricate shapes, overgrown with moss and keeping ancient inscriptions. But it's definitely worth a look here.

The Karaite cemetery is a gloomy, but incredibly interesting place, especially for esotericists

Video tour:

In Crimea, there are 5 cave cities that are popular with tourists: Chufut-Kale, Mangup-Kale (a fairly popular attraction), Eski-Kermen, Tepe-Kermen, Kyz-Kermen. Each has its own history, secrets and legends. If the question arises which is better - Mangup-Kale or Chufut-Kale, feel free to visit both, look, compare. In Mangup-Kale, which arose in the 5th century, there is also something to stare at: the ruins of the fortress wall, gates and citadels, casemates, sentinel and technical bunk caves.

There are several cave cities in Crimea, but Chufut-Kale is the best preserved. In terms of popularity among tourists, it can be compared with the Yalta " swallow's nest"and the Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai. Walking through the ruins of a ghost town, travelers plunge into the history of Crimea, as if entering another dimension. For hundreds of years, the rock has been a reliable protection and haven for people. Alans, Karaites, Crimean Tatars - each nation gave the name to the city in its own way. But the main meaning that unites all these names is concentrated in the word "Fortress".

My home is my castle

The mountain spur, towering over three valleys, attracted the attention of people 7 thousand years ago. For primitive man, he served as a safe haven, and possibly a temple. At first, people simply hid in a stone house, and then they began to build fortifications. Researchers are still arguing about when exactly the very first fortress on Chufut-Kale appeared. Some believe that the fortification arose already in the 6th century, while others confidently point to the 11th century.

It is definitely known that one of the first peoples who settled in picturesque mountains were the closest relatives of the Scythians - the Sarmatian-Alans. This warlike people sympathized with the Christians, which explains why the Alans voluntarily assumed the role of defenders of Chersonese from uninvited guests.

Judging by the chronicles, the first settlement and fortress was called Fulli. Perhaps its construction took place during the time of Justenian I and was associated with the strengthening of Byzantine influence in the Crimea. In the VIII-IX centuries, during the period of Khazar domination in the Crimea, the city of the Alans received the Turkic name Kyrkor, meaning "forty fortresses". At this time, the fortification already corresponded to the new formidable name.

History has shown that the city will change owners and name more than once. Already at the end of the 13th century, the Golden Horde under the leadership of Emir Nogai approached Kyrkor. It was not easy to quickly storm the "forty fortresses". Therefore, the cunning Mongols toll deceit. According to legend, the emir ordered his subordinates to collect musical instruments and copper utensils from all around. For three days and three nights the Tatars pounded on frying pans and drums, creating the sound effect of an impending assault. The Alanian defenders, taking the trick at face value, never closing their eyes day or night, sat tensely in anticipation of the invasion. But on the fourth morning, even the most persistent could not stand it and fell asleep right with weapons in their hands. At that very moment, the Tatars victoriously entered the city.

This is how Kyrkor became the capital of the Crimean Khanate and the residence of its first khans - Haji Devlet-Girey and Mengli-Girey. Later, a new city was founded on the site of the current Bakhchisaray suburb of Salachik. The Khan's capital was moved, and the fortress became a privileged prison and the state mint at the same time.

Local Karaites were invited to look after Kyrkor - this is how the Jews called themselves, who abandoned the Talmud. Gradually, the mountain citadel became a purely Karaite city and received another name - Chufut-Kale, which means "Jewish fortress" in Crimean Tatar.

By the middle of the 19th century, more than a thousand people lived in Chufut-Kale, but soon the city was deserted. After the entry of Crimea into the Russian Empire, the Karaites began to leave the fortress and move to other Crimean cities. This was due to the privileges granted by the Russian tsars. Now ancient people was allowed to settle throughout the empire and enter the civil service.

Even at the end of the 19th century, there were many houses on Chufut-Kale. Here is a description made at the end of the last century by the Karaite gaham S.M. Shapshal: “The houses, with very few exceptions, indicate to us that the city had a very original look; houses always with balconies (sofa), windows into the courtyard, mostly two-story, and the owner himself always lived on the upper floor, and the lower one was usually set aside for a stable for horses and donkeys, and there was also a room where the inhabitants drove their herds for the night. The houses were heated by primitive stoves - tandoors, arranged in the ground in the middle of the room. On both sides of the street or lane stretched high solid fences, as if designed to hide from the indiscreet gaze what was happening behind them. From time to time there was a tiny window with a grate in the wall, a porch with several steps, and again a bare white wall stretched.

By the end of the 19th century, Chufut-Kale was completely abandoned by the inhabitants. According to the traveler Yevgeny Markov: "some houses are completely intact, with shutters, doors, balconies, benches with a locked entrance."

Currently, most of the fortified city of Chufut-Kale is in ruins. In its most ancient part, numerous utility rooms carved in caves have been preserved. Also well-preserved are two kenasses of the Karaite temple and the estate of Firkovich, consisting of two houses. Very interesting are the ruins of the mosque and the mausoleum of the daughter of the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh Dzhanyke-khanym, an ancient prison and a siege well ...

In a word, on Chufut-Kale you can find many interesting and mysterious sights. Some of them would like to be told in more detail.

Gate Kuchuk-Kapu

If you decide to go on an excursion to a ghost town, you just need comfortable sports shoes, because you will have to walk a lot in the mountains - in the valleys. To get to Chufut-Kale, you must first come to Bakhchisaray, then take a fixed-route taxi, which moves to Staroselie. Out on final stop, you will have to overcome a kilometer-long climb to the beautiful rocky Assumption Monastery, and there Chufut-Kale is within easy reach!

Climbing up the steep zigzag of the ancient paved road, you will finally find yourself in the "dead city" ... The view is opened by the southern Small Gate - Kuchuk-Kapu. They were called "secret" because the gates are not visible from afar. The massive oak doors of the gates are upholstered with iron; they are adjoined by the southern defensive wall, built of raw stone up to 1 meter thick and up to 5 meters high. The upper part of the wall is equipped with loopholes for firing guns.

Once Kuchuk-Kapu were a real trap. It was almost impossible to knock out the gate with a ram. An uncomfortable steep descent and a gentle path at the very entrance, which turns sharply, made any maneuvers very difficult. Even if the attackers still broke into the territory of the fortress, they fell into a narrow corridor specially carved into the rock. From the wooden flooring, stones fell on them, boiling water poured, and in the defensive caves, archers were waiting for the unfortunate, shooting without a miss.

cave complex

Initially, the defensive wall ran 20 meters higher, along the very edge of the plateau. Today it crosses the cave complex, which appeared here much earlier. In front of the southern wall there are 10 most ancient caves arranged in three tiers. Beyond the gate there are more caves running on both sides of the road leading deep into the settlement. They also form tiers. In total there are 32 stone rooms. All of them are different in form, quality of finishing and architectural details. Apparently, these premises were built for different purposes. In some, there are traces of carved stairs that once connected the tiers.

Archival sources mention that in one of the caves there was a church with traces of painting, as well as a tomb with bones. In the 70s of the XX century, a tomb was indeed excavated, in which human remains were found. The original appearance of the temple has not been preserved, however, scratched crosses can be found on the walls of the cave complex. Probably, the monastery of the times of the Alanian Kirkor was empty after the fortress was captured by the Tatars. The wall pierced the cave complex, and part of the premises began to be used as defensive ones.

Karaite kenasses

"Kenasskaya" street runs along south side plateau. On the left are the ruins of numerous houses, on the right, behind a high fence, two temple buildings. The Great or Cathedral Kenassa was built in the 14th century. A small kenassa was erected in the 18th century by the Karaites, who moved from Mangup and took out “building materials” from there.

Both temples are located in a courtyard behind stone walls. A gate leads into the courtyard, and a white marble slab, taken from more ancient building. In front of the Great Kenassa, near the fence, there is a water tank carved from stone with a small drain hole. Most likely, these are the remains of a mikveh - a fountain for ritual ablutions before visiting the temple. Near the walls there are benches with niches at the bottom. In ancient times, believers gathered on this terrace in anticipation of the service.

The small kenassa was intended for everyday services and meetings, since the current and judicial affairs of the Karaite community were decided by the spiritual authorities.

The Great Cathedral Kenasa is a building of the basilica type, surrounded from the outside by a gallery with ten columns supporting semicircular arches. Solemn festive services were held here.

Printing house

On main street the building of the oldest printing house in the Crimea, founded in 1731, has been preserved. Mostly religious literature was printed here. The first book dates from 1734, the last from 1805. Later, the printing house was transferred to Evpatoria. By the way, in the library of the Bakhchisaray Museum you can see books in Hebrew and Karaim, printed in the Chufut-Kala printing house.

Tomb of Janike Khanim

On the territory of Chufut-Kale there is an almost completely preserved mausoleum of the 15th century - a unique example of "Seljuk" architecture. It is an octagonal building under a tiled roof, decorated with carved columns. It is adjoined by a carved portal with a massive arch. In the depths of the mausoleum, on a stepped elevation, there is a tombstone, decorated with an elegant Arabic inscription: “This is the tomb of the great empress Janike Khanym, daughter of Tokhtamysh Khan, who died in the month of Ramadan 841 (1437).”

A romantic legend is associated with this monument. According to one of them, Janike died defending the fortress from enemies, and her father ordered a mausoleum to be erected at the site of her death. The second version tells about a serious illness of the beloved daughter of the khan, who needed the healthy air of Kyrkor for treatment. The third story tells about the illicit love of a girl for a Tatar bey or a Genoese. Pursued by her father, the rebellious daughter threw herself into the abyss from the place near which she was buried as a suicide, i.e. away from their own graves.

But history destroys all versions of this legend. In fact, Janike's father, the legendary Khan of the Golden Horde Tokhtamysh, who led a vast army under the walls of Moscow in 1382, was subsequently defeated by Timur. Subsequently, he fled to the Kyrgyz steppes, where he died. Thus, the daughter outlived her father by 32 years.

On a memorial plaque in the mausoleum it is written that Janike-khanym was a famous empress, while historians say that it was she who provided refuge to Hadji Giray, who fought with the Crimean beys. It also says that this worthy lady, the wife of the powerful Emir of the Nogai horde Edigey, made a pilgrimage to Mecca, earning universal respect in the Muslim world.

Jail

One of the darkest places in Chufut-Kale is a prison. She struck the imagination of the traveler Evliya Celebi in her time. Describing his impressions, he writes: “In this fortress there is a prison for the khan's captives. There is no prison in the world like this hellish dungeon... There is no way to free yourself from the prison of this Chufut-Kale, unless they take it out of it in a coffin.” The cave complex in the New Town on the edge of a 50-meter cliff consists of four rooms, to which a narrow passage leads. To his left is a vast room with two retaining pillars and small windows overlooking the abyss. Near this wall is a hatch opening leading to the lower room. It was covered with a wooden platform, forming a stone bag.

Temporary prisoners were locked up in the upper cell, while dangerous prisoners were thrown into the lower room. Cramped and low, it has one narrow window that illuminates the chamber and allows you to breathe fresh air. It was here that the khans held noble captives, extorting a large ransom for them.

It is known that at the end of the 15th century, the Lithuanian ambassador Lez was imprisoned here, and in the middle of the 17th century, the Polish hetman Potocki. Russian ambassadors also languished in the dungeons of Chufut-Kale: Ivan the Terrible's favorite Vasily Gryaznoy, as well as Vasily Aitemirov and Prince Romodanovsky, sent to the Crimea at the end of the 17th century to conclude a peace treaty.

From 1660 to 1681, the Russian governor V.B. was imprisoned here. Sheremetev. Four khans managed to change during the governor's imprisonment, making impossible demands. According to sources, the Crimean khans demanded two cities as ransom - Kazan and Astrakhan! Sheremetev did not want freedom at such a cost. He wrote to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich: “Khan tormented me, no one torments anyone like that, which are sovereign people among murzas, ag, and black Tatars. The shackles on me are more than half a pood; For four years I have been incessantly locked up in a ward, the windows are covered with stones, only one window has been left. I have not been to the yard from the hut of a span for six years and I fulfill every need in the hut; and from the spirit, and from the need, and from the tightness, I stung more, and my teeth fell out from the scurvy, and I see little from headaches, but from the shackles I became debilitated, and even hungry ... ".

Realizing that his demands were impossible to fulfill, the khan took 60 thousand gold rubles for the governor and set him free. Returning home blind, seriously ill, Vasily Borisovich died six months later ...

siege well

Between 1998-2001 in ancient fortress was done sensational discovery. The researchers discovered the siege well Chufut-Kale.

It is known that the water in the fortress was imported. It was collected in the sources of Karai-Chokrak and Gazi-Mansur. Rain and snow water was also used. The icy waters were stored in caves under straw and felt.

During the siege, water was brought from a secret system of hydraulic structures. When the fortress was lost military value information about her has been lost. The secret of the location of underground structures was passed down from generation to generation to the elite. Sparse information was published by the Karaites gaham S. Shapshal in 1895. “The Karaites could endure a long siege due to the fact that near the Small Gates of Kyrk-Yera there was an underground passage to the source located at the foot of the cliff.”

And then one day, having mostly legends, and also relying on geological exploration data, a group of enthusiasts undertook a search. They have done a huge amount of work. As a result, a vertical well with a diameter of 1.8 to 2.2 meters was cleared 150 meters west of the Small Gate and 35 meters south of the Penjere-Isar wall. At a depth of 25 meters, an underground gallery with a square section 2 by 2 meters adjoins it, which gently rises to a height of 30 meters. Steps have been cut down almost along its entire length.

Researchers suggest that in the 16th century the well was no longer functioning. For some reason, it was backfilled securely and quickly. It is unlikely that the enemy did it. Most likely, the well was filled up by the inhabitants themselves, forced to defend themselves from a terrible danger. During excavations, animal bones were found in the well. Perhaps these sick creatures that accidentally fell down became the cause of water poisoning. If the source of the infection was the well, nothing could prevent its destruction. This is just a version, but it can explain why the memory of the well disappeared even among the inhabitants of Chufut-Kale themselves.

Chufut-Kale is a medieval fortified city in the Crimea, located on the territory of the Bakhchisaray district, 2.5 km east of Bakhchisaray.

Chufut-Kale translated from the Crimean Tatar language as "Jewish fortress". The Karaites call the city Dzhuft-Kale (translated from the Karaite language as “double fortress”. Previously, the city was known under the names Kyrk-Er, Kyrk-Or, Gevher-Kermen.

In the era of Mengli Giray I, the city received its current name. As a rule, this is explained by the fact that Karaimism, the religion of the Karaite people who inhabited the fortress, is equally related to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, since all four Abrahamic religions recognize the Old Testament as a sacred book. However, only for Karaism the latter is considered the only source of faith. It is worth noting that in addition to the Karaites, there was also a community of Krymchaks in the fortress who professed Orthodox Judaism. The Karaites themselves call the city Juft-Kale or simply Kale.

The city arose presumably in the 5th-6th centuries as a fortified settlement on the border of Byzantine possessions. It is likely that in that era it was called Fulla. A city with this name is found in various sources, but historians cannot unequivocally determine which of the currently known settlements corresponds to it. The population of the city during this period consisted mainly of Alans.

In the era of Kipchak domination in the Crimea, the city came under their control and received the name Kyrk-Er.

In 1299, Kyrk-Er was taken by storm and robbed by the Horde army of Emir Nogai. In the XIII-XIV centuries, the city was the center of a small principality, which was in vassal dependence on the rulers of the Crimean Yurt of the Golden Horde. Starting from the 14th century, Karaites began to settle in the city, and by the time the Crimean Khanate was formed, they, most likely, already constituted most the population of the city.

Kyrk-Er was the residence of the first Khan of the independent Crimea, Haji I Giray. After the founding under Mengli I Girey, Bakhchisaray, the khan's capital was moved there. During the time of the Crimean Khanate, the fortress was a place where high-ranking prisoners of war were kept, and the state mint was also located there.

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After the entry of Crimea into the Russian Empire, the Karaites began to leave the fortress and move to other Crimean cities. By the end of the 19th century Chufut-Kale was completely abandoned by the inhabitants. Only the caretaker's family remained in the fortress.

Assumption Monastery

Both the First and Second Defenses housed military hospitals there. And where there are hospitals, there are cemeteries ... but in the photo - a cemetery of the 19th century (crosses in the center of the picture). And the white building in the rock above the cemetery is by no means cells, but just a monastery chicken coop.