Cave city of Chufut-Kale in Crimea: history, features and location

Cave city ... Mysticism, phantasmagoria, close interweaving of fiction and reality, immersion in the atmosphere of time frozen in stone. These are just a few of the associations this word evokes. But the cave city is not an invention of science fiction, but a reality that has come down to us in a form that eliminates doubts. There is such a city in the Crimea, and it is called Chufut-Kale.

Speaking dryly and monosyllables, Chufut-Kale is a medieval walled city located on a mountain plateau. It is a cultural monument. The highest point is 581 meters above sea level. Hundreds of tourists visit the ancient city at an altitude, which nevertheless leaves more questions than answers.

Chufut-Kale translated from Tatar means "Jewish fortress." This name is used in Soviet historical literature, as well as in Russian-language works of Karaite authors for more than a century and a half. But they called the ancient city in a different way, namely:

• Kirk-Er or Kirk-Or, Chifut-Kalesi - These are the Crimean Tatar names of the cave city that existed during the time of the Crimean Khanate;
• Kale or Kale - this is an authentic name relating to the Karaite-Crimean dialect, which was used by the Karaites themselves;
• Village Yuhudim - translated from Hebrew as “rock of the Jews”, this phrase could be found in Karaite literature until the middle of the XIX century, and already in the second half of the next century it was replaced by Sela ha-Karaim;
• Chuft-Kale and Juft-Kale - these are later names that can be interpreted from Turkic as a pair or double fortress.

For the dwelling and settlement of people, this area was perfect: a picturesque valley in itself, a good supply of fresh water, a rock from a plateau. The city has become a reliable shelter from enemies and invaders. Nevertheless, there is no accurate, convincing information about when the city was formed. Excavations clarified the situation a little: people lived here in the Neolithic era, later a tribe of Tauris settled here. But there is no accuracy with urban planning.

One of the historical theories says that around the VI century the Byzantines built a fortress for the Alans, their allies, on a mountain peak. The settlement was called Fulla. And in the X century there was the Goto-Alan principality, a partner of the Byzantine Empire. High-quality information about this state has not been preserved, but there are references to the Tatars' raid in the third century and the sacking of the city by the Nagai Horde in 1299.

After some time, the city briefly became the capital of the Crimean Khanate - and such a milestone was in its history. Here was the residence of Khan Naji Gerai. After some time, the capital was moved to Bakhchisarai, the Tatars began to leave the city. When the Tatars dominated here, high-status prisoners were kept as prisoners in the city fortress. There was a mint here.

The loss of metropolitan power and the outflow of the local population led to the fact that only one Karaite remained in the city. Their movement was regulated by Tatar laws. And from this very time the city became known as Chufut-Kale. This is not just a "Jewish rock", it is a "Jewish rock", to be precise - such an offensive shade is not accidental.

In 1774, Russians came here, and this was marked by another outflow of local residents. Krymchaks and Karaites began to leave the settlement, in the 19th century only the caretaker's family remained here. The fame of the place for holding special prisoners of war brought widespread fame to the city.

Historians suggest that the prison was located in a cave complex in the quarter of the New City, which is located almost next to the Middle Fortress Line, near the abyss. So, the oprichnik Vasily Gryaznoy was taken on the Crimean border. He, being in captivity, corresponded with the ruler - with Ivan the Terrible. Tatars were talking about the exchange of Dirty for Diveya-Murza, the Crimean commander. And although Dirty tearfully prayed for liberation, the king saved him only in 1577.

Nikolai Pototsky was also held captive, his prison life ended in liberation after the battle of Korsun. Boyarin Vasily Sheremetev also visited the fortress in Chufut-Kale. In conclusion, the prisoner spent 21 years, during his imprisonment four rulers were replaced. In 1681, the Bakhchisaray peace treaty was signed between the Crimean Khanate and Russia, prisoners, including Sheremetev, were redeemed. But the boyar lived in the wild only a year - the health eaten by the prison made itself felt.

One of the historical mysteries is whether Catherine the Great was still in Chufut-Kale. Many experts are inclined to think that the information about her arrival is wrong, this is nothing more than a legend. But it is known for certain that these places were visited by outstanding writers - Mitskevich, Griboedov, Zhukovsky, Lesya Ukrainka, Gorky, Tolstoy. Both James Aldridge and Andrei Bitov have been here.

Artists Repin, Serov, Kramskoy saw the cave city with their own eyes. Today, most of the territory is in ruins.But many interesting, extremely valuable objects have been preserved well - the skeleton of a mosque, the mausoleum of Dzhanyke-khanim, Karaite temples, a residential estate, and some household ones. If you are coming here as a tourist, be sure that the excursion will not be speculation in the scorched ashes of the once legendary place. There is something to see and something to be impressed with.

The first destination is Bakhchisaray. By car or minibus from here you can reach the station Staroselye. There is a car parking here. From here begins a walking route, the length of which is 1.5 km. Only 10-15 minutes to go and you will approach the Holy Assumption Monastery, one of the famous shrines of the Crimea. Later, through Maryam Dere, you will come to the notorious cave city.

The coordinates of the city on the map - 44 ° 44 ′ 25.44 ′ ′ N 33 ° 55 ′ 19.85 ′ ′ E. If you have any worries about whether to go this far just for the cave city, mark them. The Bakhchisarai district is interesting in itself.

The path leading the tourist to Chufut-Kale is winding, naughty, steep. Travelers who decide to visit the amazing city in shales or, worse, in heels, risk not getting to their destination. Only sneakers or sneakers will not make an excursion. The trail will lead to the southern entrance to the settlement - these are real oak gates, double-leafed, studded with iron strips. The gates are called Kuchuk-Kapu, they are arranged in the southern wall of the fortress.

The very sight of this wall is speaking: a real fortress, not subject to the invader, ready to defend the possessions with all the bitterness.

A narrow and long corridor is waiting outside the gate, resembling a bag (only stone). The enemy who came here was shelled by defenders. For lovers of ancient history, such a device of the fortress is familiar - it is a classical defensive system of ancient cities (and medieval ones too). The road that starts outside the gate is paved with stone. She goes up from the gloomy tunnel. There, in a bright light, stands a primitive rock with potholes of caves.

And so, the tourist who came to the site finds himself in a real cave world. 28 premises today are called the definition of "Christian monastery." But the fact that such was definitely here is unknown. Even if we assume that there was no church, no religious place here, each of the 28 caves is interesting in its own right. But the courtyard with the Karaite temples you will see further, and this is definitely the temples - kenases. Karaites honor the Torah, but their temples are distinct from synagogues.

This place definitely deserves a detailed description. The valley that goes south-east of Chufut-Kale is called Jehoshaphatova (the analogy with Jerusalem is not accidental). In its upper reaches is a large Karaite cemetery. Not a small churchyard, but hundreds of old gravestones. They are different in size and shape, they are shifted and even turned upside down, they are shackled in their tight arms by the roots of trees. And all this - randomly, but imperiously, occupies a vast territory.

Historians believe that funeral rites for different segments of the population did not have significant differences, but the shape and size of the tombstones varied. On many monuments, you can even make out epitaphs. Is it scary that some tourists come here as a place of power? Could the place of the last shelter be like this? But if you do not cling to words, then the Karaite cemetery is really energetically strong.

It was not razed to the ground, it did not disappear into the whirlwind of history, but stands here in our high-tech time as a living reminder that we are not the first on this earth, and that they are not the last. And there is some kind of simple, barely perceptible wisdom.

There are many mysteries that tourists have repeatedly described.And about the evil fate in relation to those who tried to desecrate the cemetery, and about the amazing sites on its territory, which remained incomprehensibly clean when everything outside them was strewn with leaves. But the cases that someone came here with peace and reverence, and the cemetery negatively influenced him, have not been seen anywhere else.

This is another interesting place. At the edge of the eastern cliff is this artifact, created in parallel with the city and related to its defensive structure. In Pythos and cisterns, the water reserves were very modest; for a long time, of course, they could not give them water. In peacetime, the townspeople took water, suitable for the base of the plateau through a ceramic plumbing system.

A hole with four corners was made in the rocky massif by craftsmen. Down a staircase of six marches, on each - a platform. And water carriers successfully dispersed on them. And in the middle of the first march, a rather big cave with a door, so to speak, was cut down. It is believed that this was the place of guards guarding the strategic facility. And another window was cut through in the middle of the descent to the cliff.

A thoughtful tourist is tormented by the question of how water was delivered here. And now this is almost the greatest secret of the Foothills. Although many researchers are sure that back in the 30s of the last century, the scientist Repnikov was able to explain the phenomenon. And the specialist suggested that there could only be atmospheric moisture, which was represented on the rock as usual night dew. Since the sea is close, daytime temperatures are high, the air remained moist at night.

When the well ceased to function, it is not known exactly. But, most likely, this happened at a time when the invaders managed to break through the outer wall of the fortress. She ceased to be impregnable. A separate source of water has been lost. Although water to this day comes here, but in much more modest quantities. Experts do not advise trying it - the siege well is very dirty.

The Orthodox monastery in this area will also cause considerable interest. The accuracy of the information about the history of its origin is not guaranteed, but there is an opinion that the temple was founded on the border of the 8th and 9th centuries, and that it was actually the center of Christian culture on the peninsula.

Crimea, as you know, was then Protestant, Christians, to put it mildly, oppressed. The taxes they were forced to pay were virtually unbearable. They had no choice but to take refuge in the mountain crevices from this injustice. Then for some time the monastery ceased to exist. But in the XIV century a new stage of its existence began.

During the years of the Turkish invasion The Assumption Monastery was listed as the residence of the Metropolitan Gotfsky. There is an opinion that only in the XV century a monastery was born. He survived not Russian-Turkish wars. In some years of military hardship, a hospital was located here, the deceased were buried in the monastery cemetery.

But what crippled the life of the monastery was the arrival of Soviet power. And the bitter fate that befell many temples throughout Soviet territory could be even more sad for the monastery. During the Great Patriotic War, a military hospital functioned here, and after the war a real psychiatric clinic opened here.

Inside the temple is very small, there are a lot of tourists. One group goes up, the other down. The temple has a very interesting ceiling - stone, it is obvious that it was diligently pressed down, that it was speckled with a special chisel. There is a small room, the icon of the Mother of God of Bakhchisarai (Panagia) is stored there. The exterior of the monastery is no less impressive. Stone cornices hang majestically, icons - right on the rocks.

This is the name of the mausoleum of the XV century, which is virtually entirely preserved. It is considered an architectural monument, located in the southeast of the city. This is the historical heritage of the Golden Horde. The territory adjacent to it is empty today, but once there was a cemetery on this site. In 1437, Khan Tokhtamysh ordered the construction of a mausoleum in memory of his daughter Janika Khanum.

Someone compares the fate of this girl with the Orleans maiden, but no expert can tell you the exact story of her life.

True, one interesting line is known and transmitted by word of mouth, although this is nothing more than a legend. During the siege of the city, Janique saved the people: she, being as thin as a reed, was the only one who could get to the well.

This is not to say that some object of the cave city can obscure others. No, a single, holistic impression is the city as a whole. A tourist enters the square, which has left traces of old, very old events - a mosque, a stone well, a Christian church. You will learn about the Karaites who lived apart, in their neighborhood, were engaged in crafts and farming. The large stone house of one of them, the chronicler and scientist Firkovich, still stands in a cave city.

The mint, craft shops, printing houses - everything was here, and judging by the integrity of the buildings, it seems that it was yesterday. But centuries have passed, and this is the most enormous, vivid, hardly conscious impression of the ancient city: how is it possible that through layering of centuries in front of us is a house whose walls do not crumble at the touch of our hands.

It will be interesting to wander through the streets of the ancient city, trying to unravel its secrets, decipher the messages of people who once lived here, to understand what kind of strength the person had, that his trace is so evident today. The streets of Chufut-Kale are perfectly preserved: but how in ancient times pavements were made should be shown to many current builders. In heavy rain, water flows down the road, but the traveler calmly passes along the stone sidewalk. That's for sure, done for ages.

The official site of the cultural and historical object informs that it is possible to organize a tour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the ticket office hours are open until 17.00. There is also an announcement that every visitor should have a hat and a supply of drinking water: without this, an excursion is impossible. This is not a promenade, but a rocky area, even if you arrived not in the winter, but in the hot season, the shoes should be durable and closed - sneakers. Wear comfortable clothing.

You should not go here with small children: rocks, mountains, pits and cliffs are dangerous for unsightly kids. Ticket price - around 200 rubles (full) and 100 (preferential). You can drink and eat in the cave city, but only if you carry food and drink with you, and in no case do not litter.

Chufut-Kale is a stone relic of the Crimea. Many tourists excursion here makes you think about important things, review your life, mission, life footprint. Therefore, even from the point of view of energy recharge, a trip here will be useful. Finally, immersion in history is exciting and, fortunately, affordable.

See how the cave city of Chufut-Kale in the Crimea looks in the next video.