The fortified city of Eski-Kermen in Crimea: features and location

The centuries-old history of the peninsula has left its indelible mark on it. Therefore, today it is possible for vacationers and guests of the Crimea to visit some truly unique places. Among the huge list of such attractions, it is worth highlighting the fortified city of Eski-Kermen, which will not leave indifferent any tourist.

On the peninsula you can find interesting ancient buildings, which are cave cities. Eski-Kermen is a vivid representative of the joint work of man and nature, the result of which was a landmark that has survived to this day, filled with secrets and mysteries. The place of an abandoned fortress today is often visited by vacationers of the Crimea, as well as directors and directors who use this archaeological site for filming films.

Once in the upper reaches of the clefts there were battle walls intended for the defense of the city, in addition, fragments of elevated sentinel towers and cave casemates have survived to our times.

The name of the city is translated as "old fortress", once the city occupied about 4/5 of the entire plateau with a length of 10 hectares. The approach to Eski-Kermen was a road running from the south, the eastern and western walls were sheer cliffs. In addition to the main road, it was possible to get to the settlement from the north, where the cliff was located, as well as from the east side.

Temples were built inside the fortress; among the buildings of this purpose, the most popular, called the temple of the Three Horsemen, should be highlighted. Based on the available data, it was built in the 12th-13th centuries. Famous warriors in whose honor the temple was built, consider George the Victorious, as well as Fedor Stratilat and Dmitry Salunsky.

The fortress was built with an emphasis on protection from raids and invasions of enemies, so the walls of Eski-Kermen were impressive in size, contained places for the location of stonecutters. In addition, in case of siege, the fortress was provided with the most necessary - water. For these purposes, inside was built well, in which to this day there is water. This attraction is the most important in the city.

The depth of the well is 50 meters, and the descent ladder contains 84 steps. Its bottom is a spacious hall.

Residential buildings were built of stone, tiles were used as roofing materials, buildings on the upper tiers had balconies. However, to save space, the yards were narrow and small. The dwellings contained spacious basements, which were used for household needs.

Among the interesting places of the fortress city, it is worth noting the numerous pits in the rocks, the purpose of which was the storage of grain crops. All rooms had good ventilation, therefore even with a prolonged siege, the inhabitants were provided with food supplies. On the slopes of the fortress there are thickets of once cultivated vineyards.

Now the fortifications are almost destroyed, it is believed that most of them were destroyed in the VIII century as a result of the uprising against the Khazars. However, some stairs and caves can be viewed today. Almost all of them were carved into the rocks with a human hand. At the top of the cliff, the remains of the sentinel tower, which is called Kyz-Kul.

Information regarding the emergence of Eski-Kermen was obtained only through archaeological work being carried out in this area. In ancient writings, there is no mention of the fortress, and the true name of this magnificent building is also unknown.

So, according to historical studies, the city has been around for 15 centuries, and the Byzantines were the founders of the fortifications on the territory of Crimea. In that era, an important northern segment of the trade route from the Black Sea to Chersonesos passed through the lands of the peninsula, and Eski-Kermen was a parking lot, which it was decided to strengthen for security.

The fortress was raided and attacked many times, and finally the city was plundered and destroyed by the Khazars in the 18th century. Later, the cave city continued to exist, but already as an ordinary point, which is the center of trade. Its heyday came in the X century, when, according to archaeologists, more than two thousand inhabitants lived in the city. Dwellings for them served as caves, hollowed out in stone. In addition to trade, the main craft, gardening and viticulture, various crafts, and fishing were actively developed in Eski-Kermen.

The city fell into decay during the reign of the Greek princes. Various myths and legends are associated with this period. According to one of them, terrible atrocities were committed on a stone mountain. And supposedly a confirmation of this was the numerous remains of bones found in the caves of the city.Then such finds were regarded as targeted destruction of people living in the area.

However, the rooms where human bones were found were located near the temples in the city, and were cameras that looked like stone tombs with a narrow entrance. It was subsequently established that they played the role of family crypts. The indigenous inhabitants of the fortified city adhered to certain funeral rites, according to which, the dead were buried in tombs, and not in cemeteries.

The attraction is located at some distance from modern highways and roads, so the most convenient option for visiting Eski-Kermen is considered to be traveling by personal car. On the map, the ancient city is located 14 kilometers from Bakhchisarai. The nearest settlement near the attraction is village of Red Poppy. In addition, when visiting the monument by car, you will also be able to visit another cave city - Mangup Kale, which is located 4 kilometers from the once majestic fortress.

However, access directly to Eski-Kermen is not possible, therefore tourists will have to walk a certain part of the way from the village. From Bakhchisaray to Zalesnoye can be reached by regular bus, and the scheduled routes to the sights come from Simferopol, Yalta and Sevastopol. From there, following the signs, you can get into the cave city.

Private excursion services organize the transport of tourists in jeeps to the very foot of the mountain, but the climb is carried out without any additional equipment. An alternative to road transport will be the railway. By train from Bakhchisarai you need to get to the platform “1509 km”, and then follow towards the village of Kholmovka. Following along the Kaya-Bash mountain, fields and gardens, in 30-40 minutes you can be at the plateau.

The main interesting places in Eski Kermen are caves, only in the city itself there are more than three hundred of them. Also, tourists can visit the caves located on the slopes of the mountains, there are about five dozen.

The most memorable neighborhoods of the ancient city will be if you follow the route through the southern gate of the fortress. It will be possible for tourists to visit the temple of the Three Horsemen as well as ancient frescoes carved inside. It was cut down in a separate fragment of the rock at the very foot. The construction had two entrances; to our times, high benches located along the walls have been preserved. To access the light inside, two windows were made in the rock.

Also among the interesting places in Eski Kermen should be highlighted the temple "Judgment", the church of the Assumption and the ancient casemate. At the main entrance to the city was a large temple with a baptismal church, an altar and an armchair. They are the most ancient rooms in the temple, later the size of the temple was increased. The Church of the Assumption is small, according to archaeological work, previously this room in the rock was used for other purposes. Ancient frescoes depicting Christ are preserved on the walls, as well as the main fresco, the Assumption. These murals date from the 12th century.

The main attraction will be a siege well, as well as fragments of the basilica.

Visitors will be offered to inspect Northern sentinel complex, which was located a little distance from the rest of the buildings. In the thicket, the staircase and entrance are still preserved. There are two caves here, each of which performed its function. The fortified city from the north ends with two separate cliffs, previously they were interconnected by folding stairs.

Not far from the historical monument of ancient culture is Circassian-Kermen. The once existing settlement is today geographically located in the village of Krepkoe. It has been used and flourished on the peninsula since the late antiquity period. Until today, only nightmares have survived from the buildings, some of them are located in rock fragments and rocky canopies.

The "Temple of the Donators" is another ancient building that is located nearby. The name of the church is due to the murals inside, which once depicted a family of church donors.

In Jurle's beam located in this part of the peninsula, a short distance from the ancient fortified city, you can find a recreation center designed for tourists. For everyone who wants to relax after an excursion to the sights, it is possible to stay for the night in rooms or spend time in a tent city.

Now the fortress is one of the historical and archaeological sites that are under state protection. There are no restrictions on the number and duration of visits to attractions. However, there are certain rules that are binding on everyone. So, on the territory of Eski-Kermen it is forbidden:

• carry out any excavation, up to violation of the integrity of the soil;
• spread the fire;
• pitch tent camps;
• stay in the territory with an overnight stay;
• litter, harm the environment;
• leave inscriptions on any fragments of the structure.

To make the tour of the surroundings and the city itself as convenient as possible for vacationers, Throughout the territory, posters are posted on which there is information about all the main objects suitable for visiting. Also available for review here general map of the area.

To explore the ancient city, you can use tour company services, thanks to which, during the walks, you will be able to learn about each attraction separately. Also, the fortress is accessible to visitors for self-examination and walks.

Photos and videos on the territory of the monument are allowedtherefore, vacationers can rent a fortress without any restrictions. The beauty and mystery of this place is conducive to photographing.

So that in the process of getting acquainted with the ancient buildings there are no various kinds of problems, tourists are advised to select the most comfortable shoes with non-slip soles. The climb to the mountain will contain several options for the surfaces under your feet: soil, stones, gravel medium in size.

Upstairs at any time of the year it will be quite windy, in addition, unlike the temperature below, the air will be 5-10 degrees cooler. For a comfortable rest of tourists, at the very climb to the mountain there is a cafe, it is in the open.It offers visitors a separate gazebo, barbecue for cooking. The guests of the restaurant can enjoy local dishes performed by professional chefs, as well as traditional oriental delicacies and seafood.

For those who want to spend time in Crimea with a maximum of positive impressions, there is the possibility of horseback riding, as well as climbing the mountain on off-road vehicles.

Sightseeing tour of the Eski-Kermen fortress see below.