Bakla cave city in Crimea how to get there. Crimean sights - Bakla and Kachi-Kalyon. Where is Bakla in Crimea

Bakla - cave city

Of all the cave towns on the Crimean peninsula, Bakla is the least popular and the least visited by tourists. It is located a little to the north and stands slightly apart from the rest of the cities, which have gathered in a dense bunch, thanks to which it turned out to be somewhat away from the common tourist routes. Among all the Crimean cave cities, perhaps only Bakla has the right to be called a forgotten city. All other caves are already too thoroughly inhabited by regular visitors.

"Bakla" - if translated from Tatar means "beans". It is rather difficult to assert something definite about the origin of this name. Famous local historians - the Yena brothers in their work "Quests of the mountainous Crimea" define a personal and very original position. They believe that the name of this city comes from the second word, which is of Crimean Tatar origin: "Baklak" - which means a travel vessel designed for water. Grain pits, which are carved right into the rock, are very similar to "eggplants" with water. And there are a very large number of them on the territory of Bakly.

The cave settlement is located on the middle terrace of the mountain of the same name, which has a height of four hundred and seventy meters. The slope of this mountain resembles a two-layer cake. At the bottom lie bryozoan Cretaceous limestones, a little higher there are Lower Tertiary and nummulite limestones. The strength and durability of these rocks is varied and under the influence of the weathering process, they can retreat at a variety of speeds. As a result, two steps are formed. The inhabitants of this town place their ancient buildings on medium breed, for this they choose a cozy area that has a triangular shape and a size of about one hectare, as well as fenced on all sides by rocks and a high cliff. It should be noted that such an arrangement is very inconvenient from the point of view of the organization of defense. Most likely, the ledges that rise above this settlement were intended to protect the dwellings from the cool winds blowing from the north, but at the same time, during a sharp enemy attack, they concealed a great danger, because the whole territory was perfectly visible from above and ..., of course , shot through.

People began to live on the Bucklin Plateau a very long time ago. At the end of the third - at the beginning of the fourth century, there was an agricultural village on this territory. By the sixth century, it turns into a small town, which consisted of a citadel and a suburb that surrounded it. The eleventh - thirteenth centuries become a period of great territorial prosperity for Bakly. But towards the end of the thirteenth century, the city suddenly dies, most likely due to the destruction caused by the raid of the Tatars.

Since then, life in this village has not resumed. Residential buildings were completely destroyed over time, overgrown with shrubs and grass. The slopes of the sheer cliff, which had been weakened by the rooms carved into their walls, collapsed, pulling many fragments left from the caves with them. According to the fragments of the past that were found by archaeologists, they are now trying to recreate the overall picture of the extinct life, to show the city as it was during the heyday of its existence.There were three ways to get to the cave city. The main (southern) entrance was in a natural depression at the edge of the cliff itself. Now a well-trodden path goes straight to it from the valley. On the right side of the entrance, the gaze falls on a complex of artificially created caves, which consists of three adjacent rooms, enough big size. But much more interesting for tourists and guests of this ancient settlement can be caused by strange at first sight, rounded, similar to portholes, holes that are visible from the upper section of the cliff.

Similar holes were made in the vaults of this cave. These windows, which, as a rule, have an even shape, constantly give rise to many fierce disputes. Their purpose is completely incomprehensible, and the location causes sincere surprise. “Why,” tourists ask, “the ancient foolish people they made holes in the ceilings of these cave buildings, why was it necessary to make such holes in the cliff?In fact, everything is very simple to explain. Once upon a time, several grain pits were dug near the cliff. After some time, at the same place, it became necessary to cut down a complex of caves. The lower sections of these grain pits were destroyed during construction and their mouths remained in the caves. This is probably why the local inhabitants of the city closed them with lids on top, because these holes did not cause significant inconvenience. These same holes, which can be seen in the edge of the cliff, were left from grain pits that were destroyed as a result of natural natural processes- and that part of the rock in which these pits were made completely collapsed.

On the opposite side, opposite the southern entrance, there are cave structures belonging to the western settlement. The landslides cut off a piece of the slope and now we can see them almost in section. Noteworthy is a stone staircase carved into the rock, in the steps of which holes were made, strongly resembling eyelets intended for tying cattle. Naturally, their purpose was completely different. Probably, the holes were made for attaching a fence or railing. Above the caves, right on the plateau, there is a small complex of utility rooms with dug grain pits. Here, in the middle of the grain pits, you can see rectangular clearings that were intended for burials. Such a combination may seem ridiculous. The only thing that can be assumed is that these cuttings were created in more late time when they stopped using grain pits for their intended purpose.

To the east of the main entrance is the citadel. The thick walls of the fortress cut off a section that stretched along a cliff (the length of the section was about two hundred meters, and the width was about sixty meters). Probably, from the side of this cliff, there was also some kind of masonry. During the existence of the cave city, the fortress walls were rebuilt more than three times, and each time they became thicker and higher. At the final stage, they begin to represent two rows of masonry with a backfill between them. The walls of this citadel had two small towers. One tower was located in the northern part, right at the junction of the curtains, about twenty-five meters from the cliff itself. This tower had outlines, a square shape and was supposed to protect the gate or gate. The second tower was on the southeast side of the city. No need to expect monumentality from these buildings. The collapse of stone blocks, which was lost in dense thickets of bushes, is, perhaps, all that has been preserved from the previously powerful walls of this citadel. The house of the famous feudal lord, which was previously protected by these fortress walls, was not preserved either. But here you can find no less valuable and historically interesting objects.

In the east, in the citadel, there was a kind of underground passage from its walls to the eastern suburb. If you go down into the tunnel on the territory of the eastern settlement, you can get into the casemate, which is located inside the citadel. This casemate was located right on the edge of the cliff and most likely served as a watch room. Now on the site of this casemate there is a completely open area (because its overlap has completely collapsed over the past time). Not far from the entrance to this tunnel, on the territory of the eastern settlement, a temple complex was built. One of the temples was a cave. Its construction can be attributed to the eleventh - thirteenth century AD. It is fairly well preserved even today. Attention can immediately be attracted by the altar niche, located in the eastern part of the temple, which is decorated with a very modest decor in the form of grooves carved into the stone. room cave temple consisted of two chambers. In the part of the temple near the entrance above the floor, you can see a ledge that has the shape of a rectangle - this is what remains of the column.The second temple was a small ground basilica. In 2003, Crimean archaeologists found here the remains of its foundation.Next to the temple complex economic complex, which included a large number of grain pits.

Grain pits, as the name implies, were designed to store grain and supplies. They were carved into a rock monolith and shaped into a vessel common at that time - a pithos - a very large jug made of ceramics. The grain pit is almost a pithos, only it is made not of ceramics, but of stone. From above, the pit was covered with a stone lid and richly smeared with clay. Under such conditions, the contents of the grain pit were reliably protected from moisture. Around many of these, you can see the neck of the groove. They were made in order to prevent rainwater from getting into the middle of the grain pit. Such grain pits were cut in many cave cities. Crimean peninsula. But in terms of the number of them, the first place, of course, belongs to Buckle. On the territory of the settlement, one can count more than one hundred and fifty different stone "jugs", and more than a hundred of them are located precisely on the territory of the eastern settlement. It can be concluded that locals Medieval Bakly considered grain farming their specialty.

To the east of the accumulation of grain pits, a long rut cuts the cliff - it was a sewer channel. At one time, the waters of the spring, which had dried up over the past decades, were diverted through this canal. Along the channel, you can clearly see the grooves in which the wooden bars flooring covering this tunnel. If you make a descent down the canal, you can see the grain pit destroyed during the collapse from its opposite side. It can be seen as if in a section.Higher up the slope, in the eastern part of the city, there are several more pits and tarapans (designed for making wine).It makes sense to go down under the cliff itself and follow the path that goes around it from below. Along the way, you can see a few more cave buildings. In one of these buildings, feeders with eyelets for tying livestock are perfectly preserved.

The second cave will interest you with triangular cuttings in the stone wall, which most likely served as shelves for icons and lamps. Such cuttings, but having an oval shape, are located in one of the caves in the western suburb.For nature lovers, Bucklinsky cliff can also cause a keen interest. Its surface is covered with bizarre shapes created in the process of honeycomb weathering (these are the so-called tafoni). Under the citadel they have especially unusual view- over a flat surface of limestone, yellowish in color, openwork tubercles cut as a result of weathering rise. In the rock, in some places, you can find perfectly preserved shells. Take a photo on a section of rock right against a bright blue sky, and then flip the photo so that the vertical and horizontal are reversed, and you can safely prank your friends by telling you that you were in the desert last weekend.

To the west, five hundred meters from the cave settlement, you can see a remnant that looks like a sledgehammer hanging over the valley, and immediately behind it is what remains of the cult grave complex. In the era of the development of the cave city, this complex was located outside its walls and had only two tiers. At the very bottom there was a burial ground and a small church (the building dates back to the tenth - eleventh century), and a little higher, on the upper section of the plateau, there was a chapel carved in stone (the building of the eleventh - thirteenth century). At the very end of the nineties, as a result of natural, destructive processes, the stone with the carved chapel completely collapsed and today lies on the slope above the burial ground, and is turned upside down by the entrance.

The Baklin settlement has not been fully explored to date. Most of its territory has not even been excavated yet. Traces are buried under the layers of this earth ancient life- there are foundations of residential buildings, which in those days were part of a fairly dense building.

What is the easiest way to get to the cave city of Bakla?

The easiest way to get to the city is from the village called Skalistoye, which belongs to the Bakhchisaray district. A road runs through the village of Skalistoye, which connects the route from Simferopol to Sevastopol and the Scientific Village. Having passed the village, on the road it is necessary to move towards the village of Nauchnoye up to the roadside sign with the inscription: “Skalistoe village”. From this pointer to the north (at left side) leads a dirt road that runs along the territory of the cliffs of a small ridge of mountains, and when you drive two and a half kilometers, you will see the desired cave city. However, this path will be more convenient for walking, because it is rather difficult to make this path by car. Because the road narrows a lot and turns into a mountain path. And this path, in turn, goes through a forest, then along an open plain. On the right side there is a very noticeable, but not at all aesthetic landmark - this is a very large trash can. Another landmark that will indicate to you that you have reached the place will be the remnant “growing” out of the rock, which has a characteristic shape.

Immediately below it you can see the caves belonging to the western settlement of Bakly.

It is easier for car tourists to drive right under the slopes of the mountain range. To do this, you need to use not the dirt road that originates near the sign, but the other one, which is located about a hundred meters from the inscription "Rocky".

You can get to Rocky as follows:

By public transport:

From the city of Simferopol: by bus with the route "Simferopol - Nauchny Settlement", which departs from the station "Zapadnaya".

From the city of Sevastopol:

1) - by bus "city of Sevastopol - city of Simferopol", get to the village of Novopavlovka, and then transfer to another bus "city of Simferopol - settlement of Nauchny".

2) - take the train to the station called Pochtovaya, then walk to Novopavlovka, and then transfer to the bus to the village of Nauchny.

By own car:

On the highway from Simferopol to Sevastopol, get to Novopavlovka. Turn towards Nauchny settlement. The second village after Scientific is the village of Skalistoye.

Photo beautiful places Crimea

The history of Crimea keeps many secrets and mysteries. Scientists are still studying it, finding more and more confirmation of the events of ancient times. Bakla is one of the complexes located on the peninsula, which is of the greatest interest to researchers.

Where is the city?

The mysterious settlement is located near the village of Skalistoye, in Bakhchisarai. There is also Lake Martian, which strikes with truly unearthly beauty.

Bakla cave city: history

This historical monument is the northernmost cave city of the Crimea - behind it is only the steppe. This location played a special role in his fate. The city was founded at the end of the III century, in the VIII-IX centuries its first line of defense was strengthened. By the time the building was created, it was one with the village, on south side which housed various buildings for household purposes, including a wine-making complex.

In the 6th century a castle was erected in its place. All of its defensive structures were made of massive limestone blocks. Under the western section of the citadel, under a twenty-meter cliff, there were battle caves. Manholes led into some of them, stairs carved into the rock into others. Slingers and archers served here and fired on the flank.

The castle was protected by a deep moat. adjacent to the building rural settlement and the settlement were not protected by walls, which is typical for the feudal complexes of that time. The name of the settlement originates from the Turkic language. The word "baklak" means "vessel for water". It should be noted that main feature of this city are grain pits shaped like bowls with narrow necks.

cave city Bakla (Crimea) was first studied by employees of the local history museum of the peninsula in 1929. In 1961, scientists joined this work Historical Museum Moscow. In the post-Soviet period, the cave city of Bakla, as well as the surrounding necropolises, were plundered by "black archaeologists".

Population

The inhabitants of the ancient city were Sarmatian-Alans and Goths, who were engaged in animal husbandry, agriculture and wine making. This version of scientists is confirmed by more than two hundred grain pits that have survived to this day.

According to a number of researchers, the cave city of Bakla was used by the Byzantines for some time - they converted local residents to Christianity here and deployed their troops. Numerous allowed to assert that when the city was threatened deadly danger, the inhabitants left Bakla and found refuge behind the walls of another city - Chufut-Kale, which was nearby.

The cave city of Bakla, whose photo we posted in this article, existed until the end of the 13th century. By this time, the invasion of the Horde troops on the peninsula, led by Khan Nogai, dates back. This invasion was the last battle with the nomads, as a result of which the cave city fell. Quite a bit did not reach Buckle until the millennium from the moment of formation. This center of culture and religious enlightenment of antiquity existed for several centuries, but starting from the 14th century, people no longer lived here.

Description of the settlement

The cave city of Bakla is clearly visible from afar - from the valley located at the foot of the settlement. Climbing closer to the plateau along the slope to the grottoes themselves, you can immediately see numerous holes in the soft calcareous rock. In shape, they resemble the ancient Greek pithoi - huge vessels for storing wine. But most often grain was stored in these.

All archaeological finds confirm that for many centuries cereals were grown here, mainly wheat. There is a version that part of the crop was imported from more northern regions. Thus, the city of Bakla was used as a trade interchange between sea ​​coast and steppe.

Water

IN ancient city there have always been problems with water. In the life of the villagers, the struggle for the preservation of precious moisture occupied a significant place. For this, various devices were created, which can still be seen on the rocks today.

An active spring has survived to this day in the upper part of the plateau, which usually dries up by the middle of summer. Traces on the stones indicate that in ancient times it was more full-flowing, and was one of the sources of water for local residents. In some areas, the so-called herringbone is visible - a special recess in the stone, which made it possible to collect rainwater.

Religious buildings

Undoubtedly, Bakla was an important early Christian religious center. This is evidenced by the foundations of several temple structures. This gave researchers reason to assert that during the years of persecution of Christianity in Byzantium, many adherents of the faith fled from persecution here, where morals were somewhat milder. This explains the presence of several churches that were built in the city.

There is an opinion that the cave city of Bakla was more actively used by the Byzantines as an outpost of Christianity, and not as a military stronghold. On the western outskirts of the city, you can see the remains of a church of quite impressive size, and crypts in the form of quadrangles, which are carved into the rock. Apparently, it was a monastery. Semi-circular cells with low and narrow corridors were carved into the rocks nearby. Niches for lamps and lamps are hollowed out in the walls here.

There is also a grotto, on the walls of which there are drawings: crosses, figures of holy martyrs, silhouettes of ships, fish and temples. Above this church complex is a very small church, located in a ledge of a rock. Not far from it, a little downstream of the small river Kuba, a necropolis was discovered in 1970 (V - IX centuries). During the excavations, scientists examined more than 800 structures, usually crypts. Experts attribute their creation to the 4th - 11th centuries AD. e. In the museum of Bakhchisarai you can get acquainted with valuable artifacts. Here are: a Byzantine bracelet and a belt buckle, brooches fastened with a chain on the chest, crosses, rings, dishes made of glass and ceramics.

Opposite Bakla, in the valley, the remains of three more temples were found. The most ancient of them was built in the VIII - IX centuries. In the X - XI centuries. a temple appeared on this land, cruciform in section. To this day, only fragments of a frieze and fragments of an arched portal of the Byzantine style have survived from it.

Cave city Bakla (Crimea): how to get there?

From Simferopol to the village of Skalisty, a regular bus runs between the stations "Zapadnaya" and "Simferopol-Scientific". It is located at a distance of eighteen kilometers. Travel time is twenty minutes.

Today, many tourists are interested in Bakla (cave city). How to get here by car is of interest to many motorists. You should go to the highway "Sevastopol-Simferopol" and drive until the turn with the sign "Nauchny", the next turn to the village of Skalistoye.

You can use the electric train. From Simferopol, he will take you to the Postal station. From here you will have to walk two kilometers on foot to Novopavlovka, and take a bus to the Nauchny station.

Where to stay?

Because the closest locality from the cave city - the village of Skalistoye, it is best to stay here. True, there are no hotels or camp sites here, but the locals will be happy to rent you a room. The cost of living is 500-600 rubles per day.

For cyclists there is a camp site in Trudolyubovka, as well as the Skif Hotel in Novopavlovka. Here the cost of a room varies from 1100 to 1800 rubles.

Among all the cave cities of Crimea, Bakla is distinguished by its more northern location and less popularity. Not all excursions in the mountainous Crimea include a tourist route to Bakla. This cave city is not as large as the touristic Chufut-Kale or the vast Eski-Kermen, but it also has specific “zest” for which this historical and architectural monument is worth visiting.

Located away from the main cave cities of the peninsula, surrounded by hills overgrown with pine forest, this rocky city, despite the destructive influence of time and "black archaeologists", still retained many secrets of antiquity, and the spirit of the past is quite palpable here.

South slope of the Inner Range Crimean mountains

The 40-meter Sphinx rock is a geological landmark of Bakla

Like most of the cave cities of Crimea, Bakla is located on the territory of the Bakhchisarai region, near the settlement of Skalistoye, whose name alone is already associated with high rocks. However, cave cities differ in that they were inaccessible to enemies due to their location on impregnable rocks, which near the cave city of Bakla reach a height of almost 300 meters.

On these hills is Cave city Bakla	Narrow path between cliff and rocky ledges where Bakly caves are located

Bakla is one of the most mysterious cave cities of Crimea. Little is reliably known about him, and there are more mysteries for researchers than answers found. The first mention of Buckle dates back to about the 4th-5th centuries. AD, and the Goths, but it is not known for certain when exactly this rocky settlement arose, and who was its founder. In Byzantine times, a military garrison was located here, but the complete destruction of the city is associated with the invasion of the Mongol-Tatars under the leadership of Nogai, which dates back to the middle of the 14th century.

One of the most common versions of the origin of the name of this cave city is that it comes from the Turkic “baklak”, meaning “a vessel for water with a narrow neck”, which travelers usually took with them on the road. It is possible that such a name was given due to the fact that on the territory of the city there are many grain pits that have a similar shape.

Bakla consists of ground and underground parts, while its total area is about 1 ha. There are no serious fortifications on the territory of Bakly, and it is difficult to understand why this rocky settlement did not have high-quality protection from invaders.

On the territory of the city itself, almost no ancient buildings have been preserved, with the exception of the foundations of some houses and a temple dating back to the Byzantine period. But the underground part, where there are more than 100 cave structures, both for economic and sacred purposes, is more interesting to study.

	Bakla, inside an artificial cave traces of stone processing are clearly visible

Inside the caves there are pits of a peculiar shape for storing grain, and numerous channels and containers carved in stone and intended to store the life-giving moisture that accumulated in them after the rains. The depth of many grain pits reaches the average height of an adult, and most of these storages are concentrated in the central part of the underground Bakla.

When exploring this cave city, you should be especially careful not to inadvertently be trapped, because many of the pits are overgrown with grass or covered with rock fragments. As in other cave cities of Crimea, there are also many tarpans here - places for storing and processing grapes, because winemaking in these parts has long been one of the main occupations.

At the base of the rocks on which Bakla rises, there is the Shaitan-Koba grotto, which is an ancient site of Neanderthals. It is said that a strange mystical haze enveloping this place makes people bypass the grotto by the tenth road.

8 km from this secluded cave city there is a more popular pilgrimage site - the famous Bakhchisarai menhir, which attracts many connoisseurs of esotericism here, while Bakla itself is considered one of the most successful places for esoteric tourism in the Crimea.

See photos of the cave city of Bakla in our gallery

Page materials are based on an author's article by Skywriter13

The cave city of Bakla in Crimea is not the most popular place among tourists. Firstly, it is the northernmost of all cave cities and is far from tourist routes. Secondly, not many interesting historical objects have been preserved there. But I love this place great views to Chatyr-Dag, for planes in the sky and for unity with nature. It was created for walking alone, taking many beautiful photographs and exploring utility caves, grain storages, underground temples. And after a walk, you should choose a convenient place for a picnic and listen to the sound of the wind, the rustle of grass, the singing of birds.

Location

Bakla is located near the village of Skalistoye in the Bakhchisarai region. This cave city is the northernmost. The path to it runs through the so-called Martian Lake, a flooded quarry with an incredible color of water. In the summer they swim here, the rest of the time they just take pictures. Most beautiful pictures will be obtained in the fall, when turquoise of water is harmoniously combined with white banks and yellow-red leaves on the trees.

The name of the cave city is translated as "beans". But there is another translation - "a vessel for water." On the territory of Bakla there are many holes in the rock, shaped like Greek wine vessels. However, they did not store wine, but grain. The inhabitants of Bakla were engaged in agriculture, in particular, they grew wheat.

Story

The history of the cave city of Bakla begins in the second half of the 3rd century. It was then that a settlement appeared on this place. Two centuries after that, the settlement was fortified: the inhabitants built the first wall that protected it from the southern sloping side. Around the same time, the winery complex was replaced with a castle. It was fortified on all sides. From the north, on the cliffs, combat casemates were equipped, some of them could be entered through a hatch. However, only the castle was protected, the village that spread around it remained outside the fortress walls.

In 1299, the Golden Horde Khan Nogai attacked the city of Bakla. After this raid, the city fell into decay, the last inhabitants left their homes, the story ended.

How to get there

From Sevastopol by bus in the direction of Simferopol. You need to exit at the turn to Nauchny, go to the village of Skalistoye. At the end of Rocky, turn left, go around the Martian Lake, climb through the forest to the cliffs. After that, turn left again and go down to Bakla.

If you go to the cave city of Bakla public transport from Simferopol, then you need to take a bus going to Nauchny, at the Zapadnaya bus station. Exit at Skalisty and go to Bakla. The walk will take about an hour. In summer, be sure to take water with you and wear a hat, as the path will go in open areas.

I love this Crimean attraction so much that I included the cave cities in the routes for one-day hikes in Crimea. You can read more about this.

bakla

The tract Bakla (bakla - bean from Turkic) is located at the very beginning of the Inner Ridge of the Crimean Mountains, 18 km from Simferopol and 2.5 km from the village of Skalistoye, Bakhchisarai region, between the Alma and Bodrak rivers. On a really rocky slope between two overhanging mountain ridges, at an altitude of 300m, people still in the VI century. founded a fortified settlement.

Bakla, before dying under the blows of nomads in the 13th century, existed for 10 centuries! Time did not spare ground buildings, but artificial caves have survived to this day: there are more than a hundred of them! In the southern part of the cape, overgrown with shrubs and small trees, you can find the foundation of a defensive wall and traces of an ancient quarry. The walls protected the most vulnerable gentle slope. On the opposite side of the cape, in a twenty-meter cliff, traces of numerous casemates are visible, from which archers and slingers may have fired at the enemy. Directly under the walls, in the rock, an underground tunnel is carved, the purpose of which is not entirely clear.

On the northeastern part of the plateau, traces of closely standing 2-storey houses and narrow streets have been preserved - this was the residential part of the fortification. There you can also see the remains of a small temple of the IX century. (it seems that it was a house church, although this is not typical for the Crimea). To the east of the fortress wall there was an underground temple, in the wall of which a skillfully carved niche and an inscription on Greek with an appeal to heavenly patrons. On another cape, 500m west of the settlement, a whole cave complex (presumably a monastery) was discovered. Remains of the temple of the VIII-IX centuries; crypts carved into the mountain, very similar to the famous crypts of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra; a grotto with traces of wall paintings, among which figures of saints, crosses, silhouettes of a temple, ships and fish are guessed. At the base of the cape, semicircular cramped cells were carved with low corridors between them and niches for lamps and lamps hollowed out in the walls. In one of the cells, several dozens of men, women and children were found buried.

In the valley opposite Bakla, half a kilometer to the south, the remains of three Orthodox churches. The earliest dates back to the 8th-9th centuries. The other two - as if inscribed into each other. The earlier one is cruciform, the other, simpler, is already in its place. Fragments of an arched portal with fragments of a casing with an unusual frieze in the form of a vine, in the bends of which are crossed palmettes (stylized palm leaves), have been preserved. Vine is a favorite motif of Byzantine art, but the image of palmettes is extremely rare. Below these temples, along the river Cuba,. (during the excavations, a buckle and a bracelet of Byzantine work were found here).

Kachi-Kalyon

This rock is located on a spur of the Inner Ridge of the Crimean Mountains, 8 km south of Bakhchisaray. It is not exactly established how this name arose, but such a version of the translation as "crusade ship" is popular. With a certain amount of imagination, one can really see the likeness of a grandiose cross formed by rocky cracks. Like other Byzantine fortifications, the citadel arose in the VI century. Its area is 1.5 hectares. You can see the remains of a defensive wall made of hewn blocks and a gate protected by a rectangular tower. It is assumed that once it was restored by the Khazars, and then again by the Byzantines. Rock clearings of the settlement are located in five natural grottoes and around them. There are about 150 premises for various purposes, once connected by terraces and stairs (the wooden parts, of course, have not been preserved). In some grottoes, the remains of churches are visible (on the walls in some places there are well-preserved inscriptions in Greek and images of crosses), traces of graves and tombs.

The fortress was built most intensively in the 8th-9th centuries. At the same time, the main shrine of the settlement, the church of St. Sophia, was built by icon worshipers persecuted from Byzantium. This temple existed until 1778, before the exodus of the Crimean Greeks. An oval-shaped room with an area of ​​12 sq.m and a height of 2.15m was carved into a huge piece of rock. The apse of the temple is horseshoe-shaped. Inside the church are the remains of ancient graves. In the XIX century. the temple was restored by the local landowner G. Khvitsky and consecrated in the name of St. Anastasia. There is also a source of St. Anastasia the Patterner. Its water seeps through cracks in the rock and accumulates in a round font. Niches are visible above the source, in which icons once stood, as well as a carved cross. You can get there if you walk along the Kacha River to the south from the intersection of the Simferopol- highway.