Tours to areas of large concentrations of positive (places of power) or negative (lost places) energy are very popular in Europe. In Ukraine, anomalous tourism is not developed, but this does not mean that there are no anomalous zones here. The Bakhchisarai region of Crimea is a real find for a stalker. Prostoturist will suggest places where those seeking thrills can tickle their nerves.
Cave city Mangup-Kale
Mangup-Kale is the largest cave city in Crimea by area; it is located on the plateau of Mount Baba-Dag. From the 3rd to the 15th centuries it was inhabited by people. They say that the stones are not living, but on Mangup it seems that this is a misconception - here they “breathe”. The hard climb to the plateau pays off with interest, because every guest feels the delight, surge of strength and positive energy of this place.
Baba-Dag mountain plateau
Several years ago, while in Bakhchisarai, a Tibetan lama and his disciples wandered here. He insisted that he had not heard anything about Mangup, but was simply walking towards a powerful source of energy. 
Cave city Mangup-Kale
Rumor has it that in winter you can see “cold lightning” here - luminous spherical neon-colored objects. In the cave city, the balls appear during the day and hover in the air at a height of one and a half meters from three to fifteen minutes, after which they dissolve in space. Witnesses of “cold lightning” on Mangup-Kala concluded that they feed on emotions and the more people gather, the more emotional they behave, the greater the likelihood of attracting the attention of the neon ball.
There are two most energetically powerful points on Mangup-Kale. The first is located near the wall of the citadel, near the stone platform, and has the shape of a circle. The second is a few hundred meters from the citadel deep into the plateau. 
Wall and gates of the citadel
In addition to the “cold lightning,” the permanent resident of the cave city is the ghost of a boy. Legend says that this is the spirit of the son of the ruler of Mangup-Kale, who died during the defense of the city. Local residents do not recommend walking on the plateau at night, because the boy allegedly walks through the ruins, cries and takes revenge on careless tourists for his premature death, luring them into the abyss.
As a place of power, the cave city of Mangup-Kale is known far beyond the borders of our homeland. Many foreigners and our compatriots come here and spend the whole summer at the foot of the plateau in tent camps.
To get to Mangup-Kala, you need to get from Bakhchisarai to the village of Zalesnoye. The distance between settlements is 20 km. A regular bus runs regularly and will take you to the end of the village. There is a lake and a road that branches: if you turn left and walk about five kilometers through the village of Khoj-Sala, you will find yourself in a cave city.
Cave city Eski-Kermen
Eski-Kermen (translated from the Crimean Tatar language as “old fortress”) was founded in the 6th century and ceased to exist in the 14th century. 
The elongated rock in the center of the photo is Eski-Kermen
About 350 caves have been carved out in the city and about 50 more outside it. Among them are about 15 cave temples and basilicas from the 12th-13th centuries with frescoes that have survived to this day.
For such a small settlement as Eski-Kermen, the number of religious buildings here is simply amazing. Such a concentration of them in Crimea is characteristic of only one no less anomalous place - Tauride Chersonesos (here, too, there is a temple in every quarter). This only confirms the great energy potential of Eski-Kermen. 
Cave city Eski-Kermen
The largest concentration of energy in Eski-Kermen is in the “granary”. 
Granary
If you climb it, around the grain pits (there are 12 in total) you can see traces of stone lids (the depressions around the pits).
Researchers of anomalous zones claim that these are traces of devices that converted the energy of plasmoids or ball lightning. Standing over each hole, you can feel a powerful upward flow of energy. The same strong energy is inside the storage facility.
In addition to the “granary,” the restored temple, the resonance room, and the ledge, which is popularly nicknamed the “helicopter,” are considered energetically strong places. 
Three-petalled temple at the South Gate
People come to Eski-Kermen to increase their energy potential. Experienced people claim that at night the city is filled with energy entities that are not afraid of people and make contact.
Eski-Kermen is located on a plateau in the picturesque Karalez valley, which is 20 kilometers from Bakhchisarai and five from Mangup-Kale. The height of the cliffs of the plateau reaches 30 m. It is better to climb to Eski-Kermen from the direction of the village of Krasny Mak. A bus runs between the village and Bakhchisarai, but from the village to the cave city itself, you have to walk another five or six kilometers.
At the entrance to the reserve, on the territory of which the city is located, there is a camp site. They offer not only a set of standard services - accommodation, food, sauna and fishing, but also a real exclusive: accommodation in a medieval cave with the amenities of the 21st century. Pleasure is not cheap 
Luxury cave 
Siege well of Eski-Kermen
Three kilometers from Eski-Kermen is the Cherkez-Kermen valley, in which the Temple of Donators is located. The temple is small and securely hidden by vegetation, but this does not prevent it from being one of the strongest energy points in Crimea. Frescoes from the 12th to 14th centuries have been partially preserved in the temple. The name of the temple comes from the Latin word “donator”, which translates as “giver”, “gift-bringer”, “organizer” or “patron”. It is due to the fact that the fresco depicts the princely family - the “donors” of the temple.
Temple of Donators
Experienced travelers recommend first going up to the Temple of Donators, and then visiting Eski-Kermen. True, for this you will need two days and one night in a tent in the Cherkez-Kermen valley or on the lake (it is located on a plateau just above the valley). 
Temple of Donators 
Lake near the Temple of Donators
Cave city Chufut-Kale
Chufut-Kale (translated from the Crimean Tatar language as “Jewish fortress”) is a medieval fortress city located on a plateau three kilometers from Bakhchisarai. On the northern, western and southern sides the city is impregnable, the cliffs reach 50 meters. 
Cave city Chufut-Kale 
As Chufut-Kale researchers assure, the energy of the cave city during the day brings uplift, a surge of strength, and euphoria. This is especially clearly felt in the area of the ancient market, which is located outside the eastern gates of the city. But as soon as darkness falls over the city, fear, horror and anxiety become the companions of everyone present. Negative energy is especially felt in the city center and at the Karaite cemetery.
Karaite cemetery
Getting to Chufut-Kale is not difficult. In Bakhchisaray, walk along Lenin, Rosa Luxemburg and Staroselskaya streets (or take a shuttle bus to the final stop “Staroselye”). They will lead to the Bakhchisarai Palace Museum. A kilometer away is the Assumption Monastery, from which one road leads to Chufut-Kale. You will have to walk about three kilometers more.
Cave monastery Kachi-Kalyon
Kachi-Kalyon is a medieval cave monastery in the valley of the Kacha River, which flourished in the 6th-18th centuries. The most powerful energy points of the monastery: the Church of St. Sophia (the first grotto) and the Grotto of St. Anastasia (the fourth in a row).
An ancient legend is associated with the Anastasia grotto: in the Middle Ages, monsters lived in one of the caves of Kachi-Kalyon, who kept the local residents in fear. 
Cave monastery Kachi-Kalyon
Once, Christian Anastasia was tending sheep near the grottoes. Suddenly a monster jumped out from under the rock, grabbed the sheep and dragged it to its lair. Anastasia was not afraid of the monster and, armed with prayer, rushed at him.
There were many monsters, they surrounded the girl, and with her last strength she performed God’s sign. Stones fell from the arches of the grotto, they buried the monsters and Anastasia herself.
The next day, when local residents came to the grotto, they saw that it was “crying” - water was seeping through the walls. Later, the Anastasievsky monastery was created in this grotto, which operated until the twenties of the last century. There was a source of St. Anastasia in it, but today it has almost dried up.
It is believed that Kachi-Kalyon is associated with the energy of mesoconsciousness (the oldest human consciousness), so frequent guests here are people who practice meditation techniques. In addition, “cold lightning” is periodically observed here.
View from the Kachi-Kalyon grotto
Kachi-Kalyon is located between the villages of Preduschelny and the village of Bashtanovka, 7-8 km (20 minutes drive) from Bakhchisarai. The cave city is open to the public every day.
In Bakhchisarai you need to take a bus in the direction of the village of Sinapnoye and get off at the Predushchelnoye stop. Beyond the village the valley narrows sharply, from here it is less than a kilometer to Kachi-Kalyon.
The cave city of Chufut-Kale is located near the city of Bakhchisarai, at a distance of 2.8 km. The Chufut-Kale fortress is located at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. Three of the four approaches to the fortress are sheer cliffs.
Geographic coordinates of Chufut-Kale on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.741298, E 33.920656
Getting to Chufut-Kale is very easy from Bakhchisaray, there are signs from almost anywhere in the city, but even if you don’t pay attention to them, from the center towards the outskirts of the city move along Lenin Street to Staroselskaya Street. Continuing to move towards the outskirts of the city along Staroselskaya Street, you will come across a wide road paved with stones, in places with pieces of laid asphalt, move along it for about 600 meters and you will reach the rocky Assumption Monastery, from the monastery the road moves into the mountains.
There are two ways to get to the Chufut-Kale fortress: either on foot or by going up in jeeps from Bakhchisarai. Both options are good in their own way. By jeep you will visit more places. Driving along a mountain ridge, narrow rocky roads and stunning views are guaranteed. Going up on foot, you can visit the Assumption Monastery, and if from the monastery you take a little right along the road towards Chufut-Kale, you will come to an ancient cemetery, the place is a little creepy, but leaves impressions of its antiquity and architectural forms.
Then the road will move up at a slight angle. At an average speed of 2-3 km per hour, you will reach the top in 30 minutes in quite good condition.
Name Chufut-Kale appeared in the 17th century and is translated as “Jewish Fortress”. They began to call it Jewish because of the Karaites who inhabited these places. According to many historians and the Karaites themselves, their roots come from the Jews.
The history of the Fortress supposedly began in the 5th century AD, with the settlement of Fulla, which is often mentioned in Byzantine archives and chronicles. But learned historians have not determined a definite date.
The Alans are considered the founders of the cave city of Chufut-Kale, but this is contradicted by their reluctance to build and settle down. Most likely, the Alan tribes captured someone’s fortified cave city, but history has not conveyed such information to us.
From the 10th to the 14th centuries, the cave city of Chufut-Kale gradually turned into a fortress, a fortress wall and defensive structures appeared.
In the 15th century, the city was already almost 80% populated by Karaites due to the fact that in the Crimean Khanate they were allowed to settle only in a small number of places.
In 1532, not far from Chufut-Kale, Khan Sahib Geray built a new khan's residence, which was called Bakhchisarai. Since then, the fortified city of Chufut-Kale began to lose its relevance; if not for the Khan’s decree on the place of residence of the Karaites, it might have been empty immediately.
In 1783, the Crimean Peninsula became part of the Russian Empire and the Chufut-Kale fortress began to empty. By the end of the 19th century, the fortress was completely deserted, the Karaites settled throughout Crimea, and the defensive properties of the fortress almost in the center of Crimea lost their necessity.
Visit to Chufut-Kale quite interesting, the whole city is practically carved into stone, into the rock, in two, and sometimes three, floors. The fortified city had two entrances, natural defenses on three sides and a man-made wall on the fourth. Inside the city there were many buildings, armories, warehouses, a mosque, barracks for the garrison and living quarters. A small palace was built and for many years the mint of the Crimean Khanate was located here. There was also a school and a small food market in Chufut-Kale.
At the beginning of the 15th century, a moat appeared, due to trends from the west. The effectiveness of the moat was highly questionable, but like a real Fortress, this attribute gave it a more imposing appearance.
Chufut-Kale is one of the oldest, its geographical proximity to often combines these two attractions into one excursion: first, then the climb to the rocky Assumption Monastery and the last effort the climb to the fortified city of Chufut-Kale.
Greetings, friends!
Do you know that when you come to Crimea, you get the opportunity to travel back many centuries and feel like a real resident of an ancient settlement?
No, this is not participation in the crowd for a historical film, not cheap decorations with mummers extorting payment for photos, this is a real, albeit long-abandoned Chufut-Kale cave city.
As our journey progresses, I will answer many questions, including who advised the inhabitants of the fortified city to dig caves instead of building with stone, what could be What Karaites have in common with Jews , and when they left the deserted city.
Well, let's start with the most important thing - how, when, why and for whom entire cities were created in such inaccessible places and how people lived there.
It is not known for certain when the first cave settlement appeared high above the green valley. According to scientists and researchers, people have inhabited these places since the 5th century. The found burial grounds belonging to the Alan tribes seem to confirm this theory, but this is not certain - the debate about this is still ongoing.
We can say with confidence that the ancient people did not just climb onto the rocks and equip their home there. The time was turbulent; endless bloody conquests of neighboring lands were a traditional matter.
The steppe nomads especially loved this event - to snatch a good piece from the peaceful and hard-working population, kill and take the inhabitants into slavery.
But there is another version, according to which, the advantageous location and relief of the stone plateau was used as a defensive object by the Byzantines, who built their structures here approximately in the years 500-600.
Maybe this is where he stood the mysterious city of Fulla , which our scientists cannot find in any way, and the chronicles do not say where exactly it was located.
History and fate of the settlement
But no matter how the tribes defended their city, it periodically passed from one people to another. Life, politics and names changed.
So, during the Mongol-Tatars’ possession of this area, the city was called Kyrk-Er. In 1299, the Horde, under the leadership of Emir Nogai, entered this land, having previously plundered the previous settlement.
Then the cave city developed and became the center of the principality, although under the subordination of the Crimean yurt Golden Horde . After the collapse of the latter and the formation of the Crimean Khanate, Kyrk-Er became the residence of Haji 1 Giray.
Mengli 1 Giray moved the capital of the khanate to another place - Salachik, in modern times the village of Staroselye. Most of the inhabitants left the cave city and went to the new capital. Only the unwanted Karaites and Krymchaks remained in the impregnable settlement.
Judean city on the rock
There was no special love for the Karaites, as representatives of another religion. When the Khan's people moved to the valley, the Karaites were forbidden to leave the cave city for free settlement.
It was then that the current name was born - Chufut-Kale, as "Jewish fortress" Although the Karaites, according to some theories, came from the Khazar and Polovtsian tribes, they at one time adopted the “religion of the Jews”, had an ancient Hebrew dialect, but at the same time did not consider themselves to be part of this nation.
After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, Karaites were allowed to live outside their city. But only at the end of the 19th century. Chufut-Kale was abandoned by the last inhabitants.
What's happening there now
It must be said that until recently, the caretaker’s family lived in the abandoned city. And it’s amazing how well Chufut-Kale has survived to this day. Now this area is a nature reserve and a cultural heritage site.
You can visit the cave city all year round, which is what numerous curious tourists and Crimeans do.
Where is Chufut-Kale
Why is the cave city interesting?
As you already understand, Chufut-Kale is a very ancient city, with a complete (you will even be surprised how much) structure. It is difficult to imagine how and under what conditions the builders and craftsmen of that time carried out their work.
Buildings on the ground appeared later. Initially, all the rooms were carved out of the rocks.
Each people living here made their own adjustments. Their own temples were created - Christian, Muslim, Karaite, fortress walls were rebuilt, roads were laid, the city grew and was replenished with new buildings.
Under the Khan's rule, for example, casemates appeared here, where prisoners were kept in the most terrible and harsh conditions.
And many noble people were captured - Prince Romodanovsky, Lithuanian Ambassador Lez, Russian Ambassador V. Gryaznoy, Hetman Pototsky, governor and favorite of the Tsar Sheremetev spent more than 20 years in this dungeon.
They demanded ransom for them, sometimes with such impossible conditions as give up Astrakhan and Kazan.
There are a lot of ruins in Chufut-Kale, and ancient above-ground structures can only be seen from the outside.
Walk through the streets of a “dead” city
So, you go on your own or with an excursion to the Southern (main) gate of Chufut-Kale. The impregnable wall, behind which a view of the city opens, has withstood more than one brutal siege.
The city itself is divided by a defensive wall with an arch into old and new. In the old city you will come to a square, on the sides of which there are various structures - a stone well, the ruins of a Christian temple and mosque, and other buildings.
The Karaites lived, so to speak, in a separate quarter. They were engaged in crafts and farming.
The large stone house of the famous Karaite chronicler, scientist and traveler Firkovich is well preserved.
The city had its own mint, printing house, and various craft shops. Many cave rooms are outbuildings where supplies were stored, some work was done, livestock was kept, but in dangerous moments, stone labyrinths became a shelter for city residents.
What to pay attention to
Among the many ruins there are also well-preserved structures.
- Mausoleum of Janike-Khanym, where Takhtamysh’s beloved daughter was buried. But the story of her death or natural death is interpreted differently. The guide can tell you three versions!
- Big and Small Kenassa . Karaite houses of worship;
- Siege well Tik-Kuyu - an amazingly well-thought-out underground structure designed to collect, settle and store water. You can read about it in detail in my article
Despite the bustling life in the cave city, the streets are perfectly preserved. By the way, when it rains, all the water flows down the road, and you can safely walk along the stone sidewalk, which is slightly elevated.
You can wander through the streets of the city, look into cells, and think about the meaning of life on observation platforms all day long, if you are not tied to a guide and a group.
What else to see in Chufut-Kale
On the side of the Eastern Gate, which leads to the Karaite part of the city, there is Jehosophat Valley.
And across the road, deep into the forest, you can come across an ancient Karaite cemetery – the place is extremely atmospheric. In the darkness of dense thickets, without any paths or paths, one can see rickety, intact and dilapidated tombstones, overgrown with soft emerald moss.
There were windmills and bathhouse complexes in the city, but, unfortunately, they have not survived. But the pools carved out of stone to collect rainwater, combat and living cave rooms with cut-out staircases will remind us for many centuries of the once-existing city of Chufut-Kale.
A word to visitors: reviews
Imagine, there is not a single negative review! An amazing place where the history and fate of many peoples are intertwined, leaving no one indifferent.
A dead, dilapidated city on a high plateau, with magnificent views, attracts not only tourists, but also scientists, archaeologists, as well as lovers of mysticism and esotericism.
Among the disadvantages, it was noted: the peculiarity of the landscape is a difficult walk along the mountain slopes, broken roads, and a cooler weather atmosphere, wind is possible.
And, if you don’t want to be limited in time, then choose an independent excursion or a hike with experienced guide, and I’ll tell you how to get there and return below.
Information for visitors
The official website says that visit carried out from 9.00 to 18.00. The ticket office closes 1 hour earlier. And it is written in red and white that without hats and a supply of drinking water, entry into Chufut-Kale is strictly prohibited!
So at the checkout, please present your hat and bottle. Well, not with beer, of course!
There is an entrance fee and tickets can be purchased at the South and East Gates.
Price adult and child tickets: 200/100 rubles.
They took pity on pensioners, but not as much as on students - 150 rubles. They could have let them in for free. I don't think many of our pensioners will climb this hill.
Official site: handvorec.ru(one for two with ).
How to get there yourself
On foot
If you get there on your own, then first you need to purchase a ticket to Bakhchisarai. Then from the bus station take bus number 2 to the stop "Staroselye" .
But you can use any other route transport, having previously found out whether it will reach this stop. It's at least an hour's walk from the stop.
Further signs will guide you, and there is only one road to Chufut-Kale. As I already said, on the way is located cave monastery – a place that captivates even non-religious visitors. You can plan a visit to it before or after the excursion to Chufut-Kale.
From the monastery it’s another half hour uphill. It is better to have a mobile device with maps.me maps.
Where can I get them? — Download from the Play Market application. How to use them correctly? - Look Here.
By transport
By car from Bakhchisarai to Chufut-Kale it takes 10-15 minutes.
You need to move along the following streets: Zhdanova, Lenina, Skalistaya. Either have a map at hand or use the coordinates for the navigator.
You leave the car before entering the territory of the Assumption Monastery for 100 rubles before the evening and walk for another 30-40 minutes, depending on your performance characteristics.
You can, of course, use the services of a taxi or local auto guides, who clearly lie in wait for tourists in Bakhchisarai at every corner.
Or immediately ask to be on the crew of one of professional jeepers. They will take you on a more scenic route through the valley.
Good to know
Chufut-Kale is not an embankment, be sure to wear closed and comfortable shoes and comfortable clothes. There is no place to buy water there, stock up in advance.
It is better not to go there with small children, there are still dangerous slopes, climbs, cliffs, and holes. Although schoolchildren are ahead of everyone and you are unlikely to catch up with them.
I'll wrap it up here, I think you'll soon see everything for yourself. If you want to prepare for the hike visually, here is help cavetowns.crimea.com
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The Bakhchisaray district is a great place for educational walks on foot. My friends and I simply adore its blooming 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 the high table mountains, where persecuted peoples lived and hid, defending themselves from many attacks. Whoever tried to seize Crimea and establish their dominance there, all kinds of peoples fought for its lands. And to this day, it must be said, the struggle for this tasty piece of land continues. The best preserved cave city in Crimea is Chufut-Kale. It preserved not only cave premises, but also above-ground buildings from a later period.
For me, the existence of cave cities was a mystery; I had no idea that such things could exist. But, as it turned out, life circumstances are different, and some categories of citizens have to cut houses into the rock. Visiting Chufut-Kale was a revelation for me, after which I could not pick up my jaw from the ground for a long time. An ancient city where every stone breathes the dust of centuries. A city hidden in the depths of the rocks and 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. There is nowhere better to wander and reflect on the eternal, on the connection between generations and peoples. And one cannot but rejoice at the fact that now this unique museum is located on Russian territory. Therefore, put all your feet in your hands and trample the cobbled streets of the ancient city!
Story
There is no consensus on the period of the city’s emergence, but the most common chronology in various sources is as follows: the city initially arose in the 6th century. like a Byzantine cave fortress. The first to settle in the city were the Allans - warlike Iranian tribes. In sources of that time, the city is mentioned under the name Kyrk-Or, which translates as “forty fortifications.” In 1299, the Tatar horde, which periodically attacked Crimea, robbed this city. Its powerful fortifications and defensive walls impressed the Tatars, and they themselves stationed their garrisons there. Since the 14th century, Karaites, a fugitive people of disputed origin, began to settle in the city. Some say that they originated from the Khazars, some say that they came from Jews, others are of the opinion that the Karaites are not an ethnic, but a religious group, and Karaism, in turn, is a sect that separated from Judaism. A murky story, overall. The Karaites were driven away from everywhere, and there were also many restrictions on their residence in the cities of the Crimean Khanate. Therefore, they fled to the cave cities in which they were allowed to settle. Since then, the city was called Chufut-Kale, translated as a Jewish city. The Karaites were artisans; in the city at that time there were many workshops serving the Tatars, including their mint.
Karaites inhabited the city until the end of the 19th century. After the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire, restrictions on the residence of Karaites were lifted and little by little these guys came down from the mountains and began to settle in all the cities and towns of Crimea. Today, the Karaite community exists and is actively functioning in Crimea. The descendants of this people preserve and pass on their language (much like Hebrew) and their traditions.
Currently, Chufut-Kale is a very popular tourist site - a natural museum-fortress. On a fine day during the season, the steep cave steps and mountain paths are often impossible to disperse - crowds of tourists are rushing to touch the antiquity with such a controversial and multinational history.
The cave fortress city is located on a plateau of a table mountain with a high point of 581 m. Below the mountain there are beautiful fertile valleys, with amazing views of the neighboring mountains. The rocky slopes of the mountain are quite steep; only on one side there is a walking trail.
What to see
Entrance to the territory of the city-museum is paid, the price of a full ticket is 200 rubles, a reduced ticket is 100.
The main objects of the city are marked on this plan: 
You can wander through the ruins, caves and winding streets as much as you like. This activity is very interesting and unusual. It’s a pity that they are not allowed into the above-ground buildings of the city and you can only look at them from the outside.
You can enter the city either through the South Gate, where the main mountain hiking trail leads along the slope, or through the Upper Gate, where you can get there by UAZ or jeep if laziness or other circumstances do not allow you to climb on foot. Cab drivers will be offered to you at every step, from the stop to the start of the walking trail.
All the city’s objects are quite unusual and interesting, but I will tell you about the most remarkable ones. In my humble opinion, naturally.
Cave rooms
Caves for various purposes have been carved into the solid limestone of the mountain since the 6th century. Living quarters, prisons, stables, cellars, observation rooms for sentries and shooters, crypts... It’s not for nothing that the city is called a cave city. Ground buildings appeared much later; initially it was a secret fortress city hidden in the depths of the rocks.
During the warm season, in one of the cave rooms you can meet a musician playing medieval and modern melodies on a fancy plucked string instrument. Very atmospheric! And he plays, I must admit, masterfully.
Well Tik-Kuyu
There are siege wells in all cave cities of Crimea. They served as shelter for the city's inhabitants during sieges and were a source of water in case access to the sources was blocked. From the Turkic language the name is translated as vertical well. Grandiose vertical and horizontal shafts, sacred inscriptions, erased steps of dark dungeons. Everyone will be curious. Entrance to the well is paid, it is not included in the price of a ticket to visit the city; at the time of my visit, a full ticket cost 300 rubles, a reduced one - 150.
The entrance to the well is located on the walking path to the city gate, on the mountainside.
Karaite kenasses
The house of prayer or temple among the Karaites was called kenassa. In the city, there are two kenassas from the 14th and 18th centuries, which are quite well preserved. You can’t go inside, but their exterior is very interesting - ancient rubble architecture, interesting boreliefs and prints on the walls.
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Mausoleum of Janike Khanum
Mausoleum of the daughter of Tokhtamysh Khan, one of the Crimean khans of the 15th century. A typical example of Seljuk (related to Ottoman) architecture. You can't go inside, but you can look in through the bars.
Ground buildings
Well-preserved above-ground buildings of the 17th-18th centuries are also of interest to tourists due to their unusualness and unfamiliarity to the contemporary eye. Residential buildings, defensive walls, gates, ruins of temples, palaces and mosques. Also interesting is the main stone-paved street, with deep ruts crushed by chariots. There is also a well-preserved house of the historian and archaeologist, Karaite A.S. Firkovich, who lived in the 18th century and made a huge contribution to the research and excavations of the city.
Filmmakers come to the city to shoot historical films about a variety of eras and peoples. And about cavemen, and about medieval European merchants.
Karaite cemetery
Behind the upper gates of the city, 500 meters away along the plateau, in the forest, there is an ancient Karaite cemetery. The oddly shaped tombstones, inscribed with Hebrew epitaphs and covered with moss, in a shady forest with black trees are worth a visit. A gloomy but atmospheric place. Favorite of Crimean and visiting esotericists and other mystics.
How to get there
Chufut-Kale is located in the old town of Bakhchisarai, on its outskirts, at the final stop of the Staroselye buses.
Regular buses from Yalta, Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Evpatoria go to Bakhchisarai daily. Also, from Sevastopol and Simferopol you can get to the city by train. The exact train schedule is on, it has never let me down.
Bus No. 2 runs from the railway station to Staroselye.
Many minibuses go there from the bus station and from the city center; the final one is usually written on a sign. But it’s better to check with the driver whether it goes to Staroselye.
Once you get out on the spot, you won’t get lost. There will be a bunch of signs on the road to the city, a lot of guides will offer their services. You will need to go to the city along the only road up. First, past the cave Assumption Monastery, and then along a well-trodden path that begins 50 meters from the monastery.
Excursions
Any excursion bureau offers organized excursions to Chufut-Kale. All the excursion stalls, presented in abundance on the embankments and main tourist streets, are ready to take you, feed you, and provide qualified excursion support. Also, private guides offer their services right in front of the entrance to the cave city. These are, as a rule, local guys, and you can completely trust them. Often, they know such piquant details and interesting historical places that are unknown to guides of a wide range of activities.
The price of a full bus excursion is about 1,500 rubles, private traders offer their services for 300-500 rubles.
Souvenirs
As for souvenirs, you can buy them at the final stop “Staroselye” - there is a small square and a market where they sell absolutely everything - homemade leather wallets and jewelry, Turks and coffee grinders, honey and magnets, whistles and scarves, tea and amulets, and much more. to others. Also in the forest on the approaches to the South Gate of the city, there are homemade stalls where local craftsmen also sell whatever their heart desires.
Finally
Cave fortified cities are not found on every corner. This is hardly McDonald's. Moreover, they are so mysterious, with a rich history and a bunch of unsolved mysteries. While in Crimea, it would be a sin not to visit the most famous of them. Moreover, Crimea is small and no matter where you vacation, the road to Bakhchisarai will not take much time. These structures are unique and there are not many of them preserved all over the world. So you should definitely go and have a look. And if this topic drags on, then you can also go to Eski-Kermen, Mangup-Kale, Tepe-Kermen and Kachi-Kalyon - also cave cities of the Bakhchisaray region, all different, each with its own twist.
There are several cave cities in Crimea, but the best preserved is Chufut-Kale. 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 are immersed in the history of Crimea, as if entering another dimension. For hundreds of years, the rock has been a reliable protection and shelter for people. Alans, Karaites, Crimean Tatars - each nation named 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, rising above three valleys, attracted the attention of people 7 thousand years ago. For primitive man, it served as a reliable refuge, and possibly a temple. At first, people simply hid in a stone house, and then they began to build fortifications. Researchers are still arguing over exactly when the very first fortress appeared on Chufut-Kala. Some believe that the fortification appeared already in the 6th century, others confidently point to the 11th century.
It is definitely known that one of the first peoples to settle in the picturesque mountains were the closest relatives of the Scythians - the Sarmato-Alans. This warlike people sympathized with Christians, which explains that the Alans voluntarily took on the role of defenders of Chersonesos from uninvited guests.
Judging by the chronicles, the first settlement and fortress was called Fully. Perhaps its construction took place during the time of Justinian I and was associated with the strengthening of Byzantine influence in Crimea. In the 8th-9th centuries, during the period of Khazar rule in 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 turned out to be difficult to quickly take the “forty fortresses” by storm. Therefore, the cunning Mongols are deceiving the duty. According to legend, the emir ordered his subordinates to collect musical instruments and copper utensils from all over the area. For three days and three nights the Tatars beat on frying pans and drums, creating the sound effect of an impending assault. The Alan defenders, taking the trick at face value, did not sleep a wink day or night and sat tensely, awaiting the invasion. But on the fourth morning, even the most persistent could not stand it and fell asleep with weapons in their hands. At this very moment the Tatars entered the city victoriously.
This is how Kyrkor became the capital of the Crimean Khanate and the residence of its first khans - Hadji Devlet-Girey and Mengli-Girey. Later, a new city was founded on the site of the current Bakhchisarai suburb of Salachik. The Khan's capital was moved, and the fortress became a privileged prison and a state mint at the same time.
Local Karaites were invited to look after Kirkor - that’s what the Jews who abandoned the Talmud called themselves. Gradually, the mountain citadel became a purely Karaite city and received another name - Chufut-Kale, which translated from Crimean Tatar means “Jewish fortress”.
By the middle of the 19th century, more than a thousand people lived in Chufut-Kale, but the city soon became empty. After Crimea became part of 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 the ancient people were allowed to settle throughout the empire and enter government service.
At the end of the 19th century there were many houses on Chufut-Kale. This is the 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 appearance; the houses always had balconies (sofas), windows to the courtyard, mostly two-story, and the owner himself always lived on the upper floor, and the lower one was usually reserved for stables for horses and donkeys, and there was also a room where residents drove their herds at night. The houses were heated by primitive stoves - tandoors, built in the ground in the middle of the room. On both sides of the street or alley there were high solid fences, as if intended to hide from the indiscreet gaze what was happening behind them. Occasionally there was a tiny window with a bar in the wall, a porch with several steps, and again there was a bare white wall.”
By the end of the 19th century, Chufut-Kale was completely abandoned by its inhabitants. According to traveler Evgeny Markov: “some houses stand completely intact, with shutters, doors, balconies, shops 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 out of caves have been preserved. Also well preserved are two kenassas of the Karaite temple and the Firkovich estate, 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 short, in Chufut-Kale you can find many interesting and mysterious sights. I would like to talk about some of them in more detail.
Kuchuk-Kapu Gate
If you decide to go on an excursion to a ghost town, you simply need comfortable sports shoes, since you will have to walk a lot through the mountains and valleys. To get to Chufut-Kale, you first need to come to Bakhchisarai, then take a minibus that goes to Staroselye. Getting off at the final stop, you will have to overcome a kilometer-long climb to the beautiful rock Assumption Monastery, and from there it’s just a stone’s throw to Chufut-Kale!
Having climbed the steep zigzag of the ancient paved road, you will finally find yourself in the “dead city”... The show opens with the southern Small Gate - Kuchuk-Kapu. They were nicknamed “secret” because the gates are not visible from afar. The massive oak doors of the gates are covered with iron; They are adjacent to the southern defensive wall, made of untreated 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 upon a time, Kuchuk-Kapu was a real trap. It was almost impossible to knock down the gate with a ram. The inconvenient steep descent and the gentle path at the very entrance, which turns sharply, made any maneuvers very difficult. Even if the attackers did break into the territory of the fortress, they found themselves in a narrow corridor specially carved into the rock. Stones fell on them from the wooden flooring, boiling water poured down on them, and in the defensive caves, archers were waiting for the unfortunate ones, shooting without missing.
Cave complex
Initially, the defensive wall ran 20 meters higher, along the very edge of the plateau. Today it crosses a cave complex that appeared here much earlier. In front of the southern wall there are 10 of the most ancient caves, located in three tiers. Behind the gate there are more caves, running on both sides of the road leading deeper into the settlement. They also form tiers. In total there are 32 stone rooms. They are all different in shape, quality of finish and architectural details. Apparently, these premises were built for different purposes. Some have preserved traces of cut down staircases 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 20th century, a tomb was actually excavated and human remains were found. The original appearance of the temple has not been preserved, but scratched crosses can be found on the walls of the cave complex. Probably, the monastery of the times of the Alans Kyrkor was deserted after the fortress was captured by the Tatars. The wall pierced the cave complex, and some of the premises began to be used as defensive ones.
Karaite kenasses
“Kenasskaya” street runs along the southern side of the plateau. On the left you can see the ruins of numerous houses, on the right behind a high fence are two temple buildings. The Great or Cathedral Kenassa was built in the 14th century. The small kenassa was built in the 18th century by the Karaites, who moved from Mangup and took “building materials” from there.
Both temples are located in a courtyard behind stone walls. A gate leads into the courtyard, and the threshold is a white marble slab taken from an older building. In front of the Big Kenassa, near the fence, there is a water tank carved from stone with a small drainage hole. Most likely, these are the remains of a mikvah - a fountain for ritual ablutions before visiting the temple. Benches with niches below are installed near the walls. In time immemorial, believers gathered on this terrace in anticipation of the service.
The small kenassa was intended for daily 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 basilica-type building, surrounded on the outside by a gallery with ten columns supporting semicircular arches. Solemn holiday services were held here.
Printing house
On Main Street the building of the oldest printing house in Crimea, founded in 1731, has been preserved. Mostly religious literature was published here. The first book dates from 1734, the last from 1805. Later the printing house was moved to Yevpatoria. By the way, in the library of the Bakhchisarai Museum you can see books in Hebrew and Karaite languages, printed in the Chufut-Kala printing house.
Tomb of Janike Hanim
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 structure under a tiled roof, decorated with carved columns. Adjacent to it is 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 Khanum, daughter of Tokhtamysh Khan, who died in the month of Ramadan 841 (1437).”
There is a romantic legend 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 the serious illness of the khan’s beloved daughter, 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. far from family 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 countless army to 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 the memorial plaque in the mausoleum it is written that Janike Khanum was a famous empress, but historians claim 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, Edigei, made a pilgrimage to Mecca, earning universal respect in the Muslim world.
Jail
One of the darkest places in Chufut-Kale is the prison. It captured the imagination of the traveler Evliya Celebi. Describing his impressions, he will write: “In this fortress there is a prison for the khan’s prisoners. There is no prison in the world like this hellish dungeon... It is impossible to free oneself from the prison of this Chufut-Kale, unless one is carried 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, accessed by a narrow passage. To his left is a vast room with two supporting pillars and small windows looking out into 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 kept under lock and key 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 makes it possible to breathe in fresh air. It was here that the khans kept 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 was imprisoned here. 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 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 positions 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 price. He wrote to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich: “The Khan tormented me, no one torments anyone like that, who are the sovereign’s people among the Murzas, the Ags, and the Black Tatars. I have more than half a pound of shackles on me; For four years I have been constantly locked in a room, the windows are covered with stones, only one window is left. I haven’t been outside the hut for six years and I fulfill every need in the hut; and from the spirit, and from need, and from cramped conditions, I became sick more, and my teeth fell out from scurvy, and from headaches I see little, but from the shackles I became legless, and I’m hungry...”
Realizing that his demands were impossible to fulfill, the khan took 60 thousand rubles in gold for the governor and set him free. Returning home blind and seriously ill, Vasily Borisovich died six months later...
Siege Well
In the period from 1998-2001, a sensational discovery was made in the ancient fortress. Researchers discovered the Chufut-Kale siege well.
It is known that the water in the fortress was imported. It was collected from the Karai-Chokrak and Gazi-Mansur springs. Rain and snow water were also used. Ice waters were stored in caves under straw and felt.
During the siege, water was delivered from a secret system of hydraulic structures. When the fortress lost its military significance, information about it was lost. The secret of the location of underground structures was passed down from generation to generation to the chosen ones. The Karaite gaham S. Shapshal published scant information in 1895: “The Karaites could endure a long siege due to the fact that near the Small Gate of Kyrk-Yera there was an underground passage to a source located at the foot of the cliff.”
And then one day, having mostly legends, and also relying on data from geological exploration of the area, a group of enthusiasts undertook a search. They completed 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, it is adjacent to an underground gallery with a square section of 2 by 2 meters, which gently rises to a height of 30 meters. Almost along its entire length steps have been cut down.
Researchers suggest that in the 16th century the well was no longer functioning. For some reason, it was buried securely and quickly. It is unlikely that the enemy did this. Most likely, the well was filled up by the residents themselves, forced to protect themselves from a terrible danger. During excavations, animal bones were found in the well. Perhaps these sick creatures that accidentally fell down caused the water to be poisoned. If the source of the infection was a 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 residents of Chufut-Kale themselves.
