Cave city Eski Kermen how to get there. Cave city of Eski Kermen. Church of the Assumption – old frescoes

January 22nd, 2015

I’ve been to Crimea several times already, but I still can’t visit this cave city. Now I can at least take a virtual walk through it and find out its history. If anyone is interested, come with me...

The cave city of Eski-Kermen, founded at the beginning of the 6th century, was a first-class fortress for its time. The steep cliffs were practically inaccessible, and in the upper reaches of the crevices along which one could climb to the city, battle walls rose. The defense system included well-defended gates and sally gates, ground towers and cave casemates.

Eski-Kerman was major center crafts and trade, but the basis of its economy was Agriculture– viticulture, gardening, horticulture. In the vicinity of Eski-Kermen, the remains of an irrigation system and traces of terraced areas with wild vines were found. For a number of years, these vines have been studied by employees of the Crimean Agricultural Institute, trying to restore grape varieties that have lived for hundreds of years. Some of them are already used as breeding material for developing new grape varieties.

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Eski-Kermen was also an important political and administrative center of southwestern Taurica. According to archaeological data, the city died at the end of the 13th century. It was destroyed and burned in 1299 by the Golden Horde prisoner Nogai. Time completed the destruction: piles of stones were covered with earth, overgrown with grass and forest. The Polish writer and diplomat Martin Broniewski, who visited here in 1578, found only ruins, which, in his words, “are so ancient that neither the Turks, nor the Tatars, nor the Greeks themselves know their name.” And the name Eski-Kermen – “old fortress” – suits this city perfectly.

A road once led to the southern gate of the city. It passed along the eastern gorge and rose from the south in three marches. Wheel ruts are still visible on them. On the third march, two forward gates were placed in succession. The main gate was located at the beginning of the street, in a carved out rock mass. They were double-leafed and opened inward. A tower rose above them, and battle platforms with parapets protruded forward on either side. Along the edge of the third march and in front of the main gate, going around the ledge of the rock, there was a front wall (proteichism). From the tower, the main fortress wall led to the casemates in both directions along the edge of the plateau. Only by destroying the proteichism and taking possession of the forward gate could the enemy approach the main one. But then he came under crossfire from the gate tower and combat platforms near the main wall.

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Nothing remained of all these fortifications except “beds” carved into the rock for the walls and clearly visible traces in the place of the main gate. Below on the sides you can see recesses for pillars, to which a wooden sheet covered with wrought iron was attached, probably of the same type as at Chufut-Kale. The vaulted ceiling above the gate opening was intact at the beginning of the 19th century. He was seen by the writer and academician P.I. Sumarokov, who visited Eski-Kermen. Small cave churches, tombs, and graves carved into the rock below, along the cliff, arose later. And on the sides of the gate on the battle platforms, two small chapels were built.

At the beginning of the street there are caves for various purposes. One of them, to the left of the gate, is a guardhouse, the other served as a passage to the gate tower. On the right is a complex of adjacent caves; was here big temple. Opposite the entrance is an apse with a bishop's chair, on the right are benches for parishioners, on the left is a font. The ceiling was supported by columns, but they have now collapsed. This is the oldest part of the temple, which arose along with the fortress. Later, the temple was expanded to the north and east; a door was cut into the outer wall, from which a wooden staircase led down. There are tombs carved into the floor.

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After examining the temple, go west from the main street to the first casemate. It is located on a rock outcropping overlooking the road and the fortress. There are six holes in the walls of the casemate, most likely these are embrasures and loopholes. They may have thrown prepared stones through them or fired arrows when the enemy appeared at the turn of the first march of the road. But the main purpose of the casemate was to protect the approach to the crevice through which one could penetrate to the plateau.

Near the toe, from which a bridge and a ladder led to the casemate through a crevice, round holes are visible. These are grain pits characteristic of early Eski-Kermen; they were located near every defensive node. Grain reserves were created in advance, possibly by surrounding residents who also participated in the defense of the city. Later, the grain pits were turned into utility caves, and a church was built above the casemate.
To get to the second casemate, you need to cross the plateau in an easterly direction. This fortification consists of four cave rooms connected in pairs with embrasures and loopholes.

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Further, along the edge of the cliff there is a small cave temple of the Dormition of the Mother of God. On its western wall there are visible fragments of paintings depicting the Dormition of the Mother of God. The fresco dates from the end of the 13th century. It is believed that the church arose at the same time.

From here it is not far to the third casemate, which also protected the approaches to the crevice. Its defensive caves, connected by passages and stairs, were carved into the rock mass and into individual rocks. At a later time, all premises were adapted for household needs. Near the casemate, the remains of a fortress wall made of large blocks of cut limestone have been preserved. Such a wall, two meters wide, surrounded Eski-Kermen from the southwest and east. Where it covered access to the plateau through wide crevices or where the cliffs were insignificant, the wall had a height of 3 m. In the defense system, the wall was integral with casemates, over which parapets ran.

To the north there was a fourth casemate. Its fighting caves, communicating with each other, are located in two tiers. He controlled the crevices from the north and the approach to the eastern passage into the city, where there was a gate. A staircase led to it along the mountainside; its remains are clearly visible. The casemate defense complex included military-economic cave premises, grain pits and tanks. You can view them by going up the path among the bushes.

Based on the remains of the fortifications, the fortress defense system is being fairly fully restored, but little is known about the city itself. Only two sites have been excavated residential buildings and that too late. The first section is located next to the fourth casemate, to the west of it. The excavated remains of two houses are separated by a narrow alley. Archaeologists have determined that the houses were destroyed by fire. In the basement of one of them, the skeletons of men, women and children were found with traces of saber blows on the skulls.

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The second section of residential buildings, located about a hundred meters to the north, consisted of three separate courtyards, separated by a street and a narrow alley. In some places the masonry of the walls has been preserved. The houses were two-story, just like in Chufut-Kale. It was established that these houses were also destroyed by fire. During excavations, three adult and two children’s skeletons were found in one of the basements. People apparently hid in the basement at the moment of danger, and the collapsed building buried them.

On the territory of the courtyards, basements and pits for household needs are carved into the rock.

From here, follow the path through the thickets of the forest to the west up to the ruins of the basilica. It was built in the 6th century, simultaneously with fortifications, but later
was rebuilt. The plan of the temple is rectangular with three apses protruding to the east. They were semicircular on the inside and pentagonal on the outside. The building was divided into three naves by columns. Martin Bronevsky wrote: “The temple, decorated with marble and serpentine columns, testifies to the former significance and glory of Eski-Kermen, although it was thrown to the ground and destroyed.” Archaeologists date the destruction of the basilica to the 8th or 9th century. Later, on the site of the majestic temple, a small chapel appeared in the western part of the southern nave, and the rest of the basilica turned into a cemetery; Tombs were added to the walls from the outside.

For any fortress, the most important problem is the water supply in case of a long siege. At Eski-Kermen, this issue was resolved by the construction of a “siege well”. To examine it, go down again to the path leading along the cliff to the north. After walking a hundred meters, at the edge of the cliff in the thickets of trees you will see a quadrangular hole - this is the entrance to the well. A steep staircase, carved into the thickness of the rock, goes down six flights. It ends with a captage gallery up to 10 m long, into which water leaked from the ceiling. Apparently, here a spring flowed from under the rock, the water of which the builders intercepted in the thickness of the mountain, creating a capture gallery. According to estimates, the well almost constantly held up to 75 cubic meters of water. This was enough for the defenders of the city and the population during the long siege. When the defensive structures of Eski-Kermen were destroyed, a hole was punched at the bottom flight of the stairs and the well became accessible from below.

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There are no crevices to the north of the well, and the height of the cliffs is 25 m or more, so there was no defensive wall here, and the plateau was crossed from east to west by a non-defensive wall. This wall separated the city blocks from a vast undeveloped area. After passing through it along the path, you will reach northern border plateau, where there is a defense area called the “sentinel complex”. Dominant over the chasm, he protected the northern entrance to the fortress.

To explore the northern “watch complex,” go down the stairs and walk along the rock along the western side of the crevice. In the thickets of trees there is an entrance from which the stairs begin. On the right along it are two caves. The first may have been a guardhouse, the second, with an embrasure and loophole, had a military purpose. The staircase leads to the platform, along its edge there are deep recesses, apparently made for fastening the risers of wooden parapets. The northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau ends with small rocks isolated from each other. Judging by the cuttings on them, one can judge that they were once connected to each other by swing bridges. Here the tour of Eski-Kermen ends.

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The buildings of Eski-Kermen date back to two periods: the 6th–8th centuries, when the city’s defensive structures functioned, and the 9th–13th centuries, when Eski-Kermen, after its capture by the Khazars, was a large, almost unprotected settlement.

The Eski-Kermen fortress had four entrances. The main entrance was on the south side through the main gate of the city; a winding road carved into the rock led to it. Three footpaths led into the city from the east and north.
A distinctive feature of large “cave cities” is their relatively large area (10–5 hectares) and characteristic layout: city blocks were allocated only part of the territory, approximately 2/3, near the main gates of the city. The second part was devoid of buildings and was separated from the first by a non-defensive wall. During the period of invasion of nomadic tribes, not only the population of the city, but also residents of adjacent villages found refuge in such cities. In peacetime, this interior space could serve as a market square, pasture, and stopping place for trade caravans.

Eski-Kermen was a first-class fortress of its time. It fully met the requirements for military structures of this type. Eski-Kermen combines exceptional terrain with man-made fortifications. Vertical cliffs precluded the attackers from using battering guns. The steep cliffs of the mountains made it impossible to attack with mobile towers. The dominant height at which the fortress was located made it possible even to shoot through all the approaches to it with an ordinary bow. In addition, the defenders had at their disposal more powerful weapons of that time, such as stone throwers, which were installed on the platforms of rock ledges. Projectiles for them in the form of round cannonballs were found during archaeological excavations.

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And yet, the main weapons of the fortress defenders were a bow, arrows, a sling and large round stones. The basis of the fortress’s defense were its battle walls, ground towers and “cave casemates” characteristic only of Eski-Kermen. The fortress could withstand long-term defense, since the very important problem of water supply was solved on its territory, thanks to the construction of a siege well and tanks for collecting water.

In addition, the inhabitants of Eski-Kermen could prepare thousands of centners of grain in case of a long siege. To store it, grain pits were dug into the rocks in many defense areas, which have survived to this day.

All this taken together allows us to speak of Eski-Kermen as a powerful defensive fortress of the 6th–7th centuries, which was able to withstand even a strong enemy who had all the power military equipment that time.

But Eski-Kermen was not only a military fortress. At the same time, it was a major center of crafts and trade. The basis of the city's economy was agriculture. In the fertile valleys they were engaged in viticulture, gardening, and gardening. This is evidenced by grape presses discovered by archaeologists, as well as traces of terracing of areas for vineyards and wild grape bushes in the vicinity of Eski-Kermen.

A powerful defensive system, a developed economy for that time, an advantageous location - all this made Eski-Kermen an important political and administrative center of southwestern Crimea. And this role remained until the end of the 8th century, when an event occurred that dramatically changed the fate of the city.

Such an event was the uprising of the local population in the mountainous Crimea against the rule of the Khazars. The revolt took place in 787 over a large area. It was headed by Bishop John of Gotha. The Zakhars suppressed the uprising and subjugated the entire southwestern Crimea. Not needing fortresses, they destroyed the defensive structures of Eski-Kermen. But life in Eski-Kermen did not stop. The city continued to exist for another 500 years as an open city. locality. Defensive caves were adapted for household needs: as storerooms, cattle stalls, as well as churches, chapels, and tombs.
Eski-Kermen was finally destroyed in 1288 by the hordes of Emir Nogai. Almost its entire population was destroyed. After this, the city was never revived. Time has turned it into piles of stones, covered with earth, overgrown with grass and bushes. The name of the city was forgotten. When Martin Bronevsky visited here, he found only ruins, which, in his words, “are so ancient that neither the Turks, nor the Tatars, nor the Greeks themselves know their name.” And the name Eski-Kermen, which translated from Turkic means “ Old Fortress».

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The ruins of the basilica, a siege well, the remains of residential areas, and numerous cave structures remind us of the city’s former greatness; about 400 of them have been preserved in Eski-Kermen.

The Temple of the Three Horsemen is of great interest. It is carved into a large piece of rock at the foot of Eski-Kermen. The temple has two entrances. Between the entrances along
walls - high benches. The temple was illuminated by two small windows.

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The fresco is considered by researchers as a monument in honor of the battle, apparently so serious that some of its participants were equated with St. George - the common patron of all defenders of the Fatherland.

The horsemen to his right and left could be images of local heroes who were considered saints and buried here. Perhaps the heroic warriors became famous in battle, and then were canonized as saints, and the Temple of the Three Horsemen was built in their honor. The temple dates back to the 12th - early 13th centuries, when the threat of Tatar invasion loomed over Crimea and, in connection with this, religious propaganda of the idea of ​​defending the Fatherland intensified. It was then that the painting was done.

South-west of the Temple of the Three Horsemen, on the southern outskirts of Eski-Kermen, was the main gate of the city. But before approaching them, it was necessary to overcome the complex system of their defense.

A road approached the main gate of the city along the mountainside. It was used by the residents of this city for several centuries. Its antiquity is evidenced by the deep ruts that have survived to this day, carved into the rock monolith by the transport of that time: the middle one was carved out by the hooves of horses, the two side ones were carved out by wheels. The gate was the most vulnerable place in the fortress, so the ancient builders always paid great attention to this object. A powerful, well-thought-out defensive system was created not only directly at the gates, but also on the approaches to them, which was very difficult for the enemy to overcome.
The road makes several turns before reaching the gate. First she approaches the foot of the western cave casemate. From the embrasures of this casemate an avalanche of stones was dropped onto the enemy’s heads.

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It is difficult to judge the gate buildings, since almost nothing remains of them, but from the preserved cuttings in the rock, the so-called. “beds”, and from the stones that survived at the time of excavation one can get an idea of ​​the entire structure.

Traveler P. Sumarokov, a lover of antiquities, having visited Eski-Kermen at the beginning of the last century, wrote: “At the entrance to it, a hole cut in the mountain makes a gate, above which a vault made of stones is visible...” Now there is no vault, but it can be assumed that it formed integral with the gate tower. The main fortress walls, the thickness of which was about 2 meters, extended from the tower to the east and west. In front of the walls, on the top of the rocky promontories protruding on both sides of the entrance to the city, there were battle platforms with parapets from which the approaches to the main gate were defended.

At the main gate there is a large cave temple with a baptismal sanctuary. It was carved into the rock simultaneously with the construction of defensive structures in the 6th–7th centuries. The temple had two entrances from the corridor of the main gate and a window between them. Opposite the entrance is the altar. Along the semicircle of the altar niche there is a stepped bench, the so-called. sintron, with a bishop's chair in the middle. The altar was separated from the temple by the base of the altar barrier. In its middle part there is the threshold of the “royal gates”, and on the sides there are grooves for installing parts of the wooden iconostasis. The altar part was painted with frescoes; unfortunately, they have not survived. A ring for a lamp was carved into the ceiling above. Next to the altar is a niche, most likely for prayer books. To the right of the entrance is a bench for parishioners. To the left of the altar there was a font or baptismal chamber. The altar, font and benches are the oldest part of the temple; later the temple was expanded to the north and east.

On the western edge of the plateau there was a cave casemate that covered the approaches to the main gate. From the main gate, along the bend of the rock, a fortress wall approached it. The casemate was located in a rock ledge overhanging the beginning of the first section of the road. Its device is as follows. A large cave has been carved into the rock. Its ceiling is supported by a massive support pillar. A ladder led to this cave from the platform of a neighboring rock, from the lower platform of which wooden bridges were thrown across the crevice in ancient times.

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The cave had two side compartments. There are six holes in the walls of the casemate. Three large window-shaped embrasures, now badly weathered, once looked like rectangular windows located at floor level. Some of these embrasures still have traces of shoulder pads, indicating that they were covered with plank barriers. These embrasures are wide and set low. One could shoot a bow from them while kneeling. But their main purpose was different: through them they rolled stones onto the enemy who was trying to penetrate the plateau.

The side auxiliary rooms of the casemate consisted of: the right one - a storage room, in the floor of which, along the walls, up to one and a half dozen recesses were stored for installing pithoi with supplies of food and water: the left one - a small barracks, where the defenders of the fortress could rest on benches carved into the rock along the walls.

On the upper platform of the neighboring toe, from which a ladder led to the cave casemate, 10 grain pits were carved into the rock. This is typical for early Eski-Kermen. Near each defensive unit there were grain pits. Reserves were created in advance, apparently by surrounding residents, since they also took part in the defense of the city. After the destruction of the fortifications, the grain pits were expanded and turned into caves for household needs. At the same time, an above-ground church was built above the casemate; the altar stone from it was preserved. There were several cave temples in the city. Some of them have preserved fresco paintings.

The Church of the Assumption is interesting in this regard. It has some features in its design: the unusual location and size of the altar part is not straight, but to the right of the entrance. The altar is located in the corner, it is very small and cramped, has the shape of an apse niche, and a miniature altar in the form of a cabinet stands close to the wall. There is a small recess in the throne for relics. In front of the niche in the wall and floor, grooves and sockets were cut for a wooden fence, possibly an iconostasis.

Upon careful examination of the details of the structure of the temple, it becomes obvious that a room previously intended for a different purpose has been adapted for the temple. At first there was a grain pit (a hole covered with a stone slab can be seen in the ceiling), then a water tank. When the battle walls lost their significance and were dismantled, the cistern was expanded and a winery was made here. In the western corner, a tarapan was carved for pressing grapes, the juice of which flowed into containers installed in a large rectangular cutting. Then a temple appears here. Tarapan was carelessly cut down and disguised as a bench for parishioners. The hole in the floor was filled in, and an altar niche was cut out in the right corner.

The dating aspect of the temple is its painting. It has been partially preserved. In the altar niche there is an image of Christ in a purple cloak, sitting on a golden-yellow throne, and two full-length figures: on the left is the Virgin Mary, on the right is the apostle. The painting in the north-eastern part of the temple (the wall next to the altar) has hardly survived. On the ceiling there is a scene of Epiphany and Nativity.

On the northwestern side of the wall (opposite the entrance) a large fresco of the Assumption has been preserved, which gives the name to the temple today. It was made on damp limestone soil. The compositional center is the figure of the Mother of God stretched out on a bed with her hands folded on her chest. She is surrounded by weeping figures. An angel with a sword pursues the wicked. The painting dates back to the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th century. The emergence of the temple also dates back to this time.

Along the eastern cliff of the plateau there are a number of defensive casemates, which, together with the fortress wall, formed a single whole in the city’s defense system.
To the west of the casemates were the residential areas of the city. As archaeological excavations have shown, the cultural layer on Eski-Kermen falls within the framework of the 6th–13th centuries. The residential areas of the city were closely built up with houses. The houses opened onto narrow alleys with dead ends, inevitable in crowded buildings. Sites of houses from the last period of the city's existence have been excavated here. Four separate courtyards can be traced, separated by a street running parallel to the cliff and a narrow pedestrian alley. The houses were built in the 12th–12th centuries. on the site of more ancient ones. However, the previous layout was not followed.

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The estates are small: 150–200 sq. m. m. each. The houses were two-story. The lower floor was stone, the upper floor was wooden. Small rooms below
the floors were used for household and craft needs. There were storerooms with rectangular cellars carved into the rock for supplies. There were pithos in the basements; to install them, nests were cut out at the bottom of the basements. The basements had wooden ceilings. The premises on the upper floor were residential.

Houses were built of stone. The flat roofs were covered with massive tiles. The top floor had overhanging balconies. Due to lack of space, the patios were small and cramped. Adjacent to the houses was a shed that had economic significance. Light canopies were installed over the tarapans. Archaeological finds during excavations shed light on daily life townspeople, from class. The most common find is ceramics, simple and glazed, local and imported. Many fragments of tiles were found. Among women's jewelry, the most common are the simplest glass bracelets.

All the dwellings were destroyed in a fire at the end of the 13th century. During excavations, burnt human skeletons were found under their ruins, which indicates a sudden attack: people did not even have time to jump out of some houses.

In the middle of the residential areas, on the highest point of the plateau, there was a basilica. This was one of the main types of Christian churches. There are suggestions that the Eski-Kermen Basilica was built in the 6th century, probably simultaneously with the emergence of the city. However, archaeological excavations recent years allow us to date its appearance no earlier than the 8th century. The basilica is located in the middle of the plateau. The plan of the temple is rectangular with three multifaceted apses. In the central apse there is an altar. The basilica was divided into three naves by two rows of marble columns. The floor of the central nave was paved with red slate tiles. The walls are made of well-hewn stone with rubble filling. The ceiling was wooden, the roof was tiled. The wooden ceiling burned and collapsed inside the building. The walls collapsed later. The basilica was probably destroyed by the Khazars at the end of the 8th century. The ambassador of the Polish king, Martin Bronevsky, wrote: “The temple, decorated with marble and serpentine columns, testifies to the former significance and glory of Eski-Kermen, although it was thrown to the ground and destroyed.”

For any fortress, the most important issue was the supply of water to its defenders in case of a long siege. On Eski-Kermen it was resolved thanks to the construction of the so-called “siege well”. The well was located not far from the residential areas of the city, at the very edge of the cliff. An entrance hatch leads into it from the rock platform. A steep staircase of 84 steps goes down in six flights, cut into the thickness of the rock. There are platforms between the flights; on the middle one there is a window cut down to illuminate the stairs towards the cliff. The staircase ends with a captage gallery about 10 meters long. Water seeps through the ceiling of the gallery. Perhaps here a small spring flowed from a natural cave, the water of which the builders of the fortress intercepted before entering it from the cave. Enough water accumulated so that the city’s defenders could withstand a long siege.

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The well was apparently built simultaneously with the fortress in the 6th century. Water was drawn from the well to the surface manually. The well was destroyed at the same time as the fortress, but it was used until the end of the 18th century.
The Eski-Kermen plateau has natural access from the north, so a northern sentinel complex was built here. Its functions included not only monitoring the approaches to the fortress, but also protecting the northern entrance to the fortress.

The entrance to the sentinel complex began with a doorway carved into the rock. The door was single-leaf, opened inward and was locked with a bar. Behind the door is a staircase, carved into the rock in two flights, which led to the top of a small isolated plateau. Along the stairs, on the right, two small caves have been carved out. The first cave apparently served as a resting place for the defenders of the complex. It had a door and was illuminated by a window. A little higher is the second cave - a casemate with two openings. One is an embrasure in the form of a window at floor level. The other is a small loophole. The embrasure was intended for rolling stones; it was equipped with a small hole. Nearby there are recesses for water. The embrasure and loophole served for shelling the approaches to the plateau. However, this was not enough to delay the enemy's advance. In all likelihood, the main blow when defending the approaches to the plateau and the northern gate was delivered from the cliff above.

From the site of the northern watch complex there is a majestic view of the entire area of ​​the foothills, the approaches to the city and the northern parts of the ravines that encircle it from the east and west.
Along the edge of the promontory protruding to the south, quite deep nests have been preserved, probably for attaching a wooden parapet, behind which the defenders of the fortress were located. At the northern end of the site, above the cliff, there is an oblong rectangular cutting, and symmetrically to it, on the opposite edge of a separate rock, several meters away from the site, there is another similar one. Undoubtedly, in ancient times wooden bridges were built here to communicate with the now inaccessible northern end of the mountain.

From here you can clearly see the northern section of the Tapshan plateau, on which in the 10th–11th centuries. A small fortress was erected - the Kyz-Kule castle. From the south, along the mountainside, a road approached the castle tower. A shallow ditch was cut out in front of the tower, across which they crossed on a swing bridge. Archaeological excavations near the tower revealed the remains of a miniature single-apse chapel of the 11th–13th centuries, inside of which tombs were carved.
Like many medieval monuments Crimea, this fortification has its own mysteries. Its name translates as “Maiden Tower”. However, the wide view of the area opening from the tower evokes another explanation for the toponym Kyz-Kule - Kez-Kule, where “Kez” means “eye” - watchtower.
These ancient, legendary ruins, caves, and picturesque rocks remind us of the events that took place here many centuries ago. They reek of ancient history, long-vanished peoples, long-quiet interests, long-absent life.

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Remember also about . But did you know, for example, that The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Last year I visited the cave city of Chufut-Kale. This year, in the heat of the day, we went to conquer the cave city of Eski-Kermen. If a visit to the first one last year was combined with an excursion to the Khan’s Palace in Bakhchisarai, this time the day was dedicated only to Eski-Kermen. Moreover, we traveled part of the way, about 6 km, on foot.

The route was standard - take a minibus to Artbukhta, take a sea ferry to the Northern side and from Nakhimov Square take a bus to the village of Krasny Poppy, from where you can walk to the cave city of Eski-Kermen.

As a result of the trip, I got quite a lot of photographs, and I included some of them in separate stories:

Eski-Kermen was founded on a remote plateau at the beginning of the 6th century; according to assumption, the Scythian-Sarmatians and existed until the end of the 14th century. Its name translated from Tatar means “Old Fortress” - it is one of the most picturesque cave cities. It is located in the southwestern part mountain Crimea, 6 km south of the village of Krasny Mak, on the plateau of a table mountain, elongated along the axis.

The cave city of Eski-Kermen was a first-class fortress for its time. The steep cliffs were practically inaccessible, and in the upper reaches of the crevices along which one could climb to the city, battle walls rose. The defense system included well-defended gates and sally gates, ground towers and cave casemates.

Eski-Kermen was a major center of crafts and trade, but the basis of its economy was agriculture - viticulture, gardening, and horticulture. In the vicinity of Eski-Kermen, the remains of an irrigation system and traces of terraced areas with wild vines were found. For a number of years, these vines have been studied by employees of the Crimean Agricultural Institute, trying to restore grape varieties that have lived for hundreds of years. Some of them are already used as breeding material for developing new grape varieties.

We get off the bus, our journey begins in the village of Krasny Mak. The village is surrounded by picturesque terrain: on the left is a valley with mountain outcrops. For example, Uzun-Tarla rises in the distance to the left of the road to Eski-Kermen.

On the right is a rock wall with the remains of Bash-Kai.

Then the road goes through the field. Although it has recently rained, the grass on the field begins to dry out, great amount large grasshoppers and other living creatures jumping from under their feet.

The sun is mercilessly baking, and you want to find some shade, lie down and relax until the evening in the coolness under a light breeze. But this is only the beginning of the journey; a whole day ahead, filled with interesting adventures, awaits.

Interactive panorama of the field and road.

But here long road The heat is nearing its end, and we are approaching the goal of our journey. The slopes of Zangurma-Kobalar, the ridge adjacent to the cave city, are already visible.

With characteristic recesses-grottoes on the slopes.

And here Eski-Kermen appeared, or rather its northern tip. The main life on it still took place in the southern part.

I found such a diagram on the Internet. We approached the city from the north (above)

The Northern Watch Complex is located here. From here you have the best view into the distance, as can be seen in the following photos.

Northern watch complex, VI - XIII centuries.

In the northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau there is a gate fortified with combat platforms and casemates. Opposite it there is a small rock outcrop in which the Northern Watch Complex is located. At the foot of the outcrop, a staircase carved into the rock begins (2 flights, 33 steps), leading to the surface of the rock, surrounded by a wooden fence. Along the stairs there are two rooms carved into the rock: the lower one was used as a tomb, the upper one as a guard room.

From the upper platform of the complex one could see the northern approaches to the city and the entire area of ​​​​the foothills. In the Middle Ages, the Northern Watch Complex was connected to the main massif of Eski-Kermen by wooden walkways.

In this “stone with holes” there was always a guard who guarded the approaches from the north and, in case of danger, had to give a signal.

At the top of the Northern Watch Complex. View south, towards the city.

A piece of guard caves and Mount Kaya-Bash.

Our “lookouts” are waving their hands from the guardhouse.

Again, the view is to the south - a pine tree is perched on one of the rocks on the side. And it grows in a hanging position on a vertical rock.

Leftovers medieval tower with a gate - Kyz-Kule Castle (Maiden Tower)

It seems that the tower is nearby and can be easily and quickly reached. In fact, the only way to get to Kyz-Kul is by an ancient footpath with steps carved into the rock from another gorge located to the west of the tower. To do this, you need to go down from the northern sentinel complex to the saddle and turn left, carefully descending along a stepped slope, in places with traces of artificial undercuts. Then go along the road to the former village of Krepkoye (now there are sheds here). From here you can climb from the gorge to the castle.

Panorama of how the northern side was seen from the top of the patrol complex. You can zoom in and move the image.

More view of the nearby mountain

And to the valley. We came along this road.

There is a deep chasm between the Northern Watch complex and the main part. And while I was photographing it, a strong wind took my cap and dragged it down, I didn’t even have time to pick it up. It was also useless to run after her - there was a multi-meter cliff ahead. Fortunately, Valerka also noticed how she fell; he was closer to the place of the fall, on the path under the sentinel complex and found her. Otherwise, I could easily get sunstroke.

But stop hanging around at the Northern Watch complex, the main part is still further away. Let's walk along the path near the rocky slope

And here is one of the first cave structures. This is what a cave made in a rock looks like from the inside. in place of the opening there was a door, and, probably, the window was covered with something. And the round hole in the ceiling is probably for the smoke from the fireplace to be drawn out.

The next object is what allowed the city to remain impregnable for a long time - the siege well.

Siege well, VI - IX centuries.

The siege well is located in the northern part of the eastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The structure is a staircase descent (6 flights, 84 steps), ending with a captage gallery that leads to a cave where there was a natural source of water. The total water supply of the well was about 75 cubic meters. Water was delivered to the surface manually. Each descent march ended with a platform where the water-carriers could disperse.

Apparently, the siege well was built simultaneously with the fortress in the 6th century. Researchers associate the cessation of the structure’s functioning with the deliberate destruction of the well by the Khazars. The siege well was used as a source of water for the population of Eski-Kermen in the event of a long siege. In peacetime, rainwater was used, as well as water supplied to the city through a ceramic water pipe from the Bilderan ravine.

I didn’t dare go down below the guard cell (it’s just one flight of stairs), after that the steps were worn out, broken and more and more resembled a children’s slide, which you can easily slide down on your butt, but it’s difficult to climb back up. The next photo is a view from one of the caves with steps.

Part of the city with multi-level caves and stairs between them

A few more photos of the city outside

And from within

Looking southeast again

A few more views of the city

View of the neighboring Chupak-Syrt rock through a telephoto lens.

And again stones dug by man-made caves.

This is where I decided to shine

An interesting cave, reminiscent of a hole - the home of a hobbit. With a round window and a round entrance. It’s a pity that the entrance was blocked by a tree that grew here.

A wooden bridge over the abyss once led to this stone. That hole on the right.

Large caves were reinforced from the inside with stone columns.

Along the walls there were special niches for arranging beds. In guard rooms, the window was usually located at the head of such a bed.

Not all caves have withstood the struggle of time. This one, for example, had a roof collapse.

View to the north from the southern part of Eski-Kermen. Somewhere there at the end of the ridge is the Northern Watch Complex.

Here we find ourselves in an interesting structure - a cave temple. Its frescoes have been chipped away by vandals, but some traces of them are still visible.

Temple of the Assumption, XIII century.

The Temple of the Assumption is located in the eastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The complex has a rectangular shape (5.7×3.25 m). To the right of the entrance is the altar part. A niche was carved into the northwestern wall in which a wine press (tarapan) was installed. There is a small water tank in the center. The remains of fresco paintings are preserved on the walls of the temple. In the altar there are images of the Annunciation scene, the baby Jesus with angels, and the Mother of God - Hodegetria. On the north-eastern wall there was a scene of the Presentation; the section of the wall opposite the altar was occupied by a large composition of the Assumption.

The construction of the church dates back to the 13th century; after the death of the city, the premises were apparently adapted for economic needs.

On the left side of the frame is the entrance to the temple, on the right is the mountain range.

Round hole-chimney.

The next part is the main protective and main inhabited structure of the city - the Main City Gate complex

Complex of the Main City Gate, VI - XIII centuries.

On the southern side, on the Eski-Kermen plateau, a wheeled road carved into the rock, winding in three marches, leads to the Main City Gate. The upper march of the road was fortified with a proteichism (advanced defensive wall), from which the rocky foundation has been preserved. The opening of the main gate was carved into the rock; above the gate there was a rectangular tower, from which rock cuttings have been preserved. Behind the gates the main street of the city began. In the area of ​​the wheel road and the Main City Gate there are a number of cave structures for various purposes: combat casemates, churches, tombs.

Behind the gate, in the eastern part of the passage, there is a cave temple “Judgement”. The complex has an asymmetrical layout (15x17.5x2 m). Three doorways lead into the temple, equipped with grooves for wooden door frames. The ceiling rests on 4 columns carved into the rock. The altar part was apparently painted with frescoes. The construction of the temple dates back to the 11th - 12th centuries, to the 13th century. the complex was connected to the chapel in the southeastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau and acquired a modern appearance.

For many centuries, loaded carts walked along these ruts, delivering food up and the results of the labor of artisans down.

Temple "Judgement". Vitya imagines himself as either a supreme leader or a priest and is trying to resolve the situation - who to execute and who to pardon.

The time is already approaching evening, the last bus from Red Poppy is leaving soon, it’s time to go down. On the way you come across the Temple of the Three Horsemen, carved into a separate stone.

Temple of the Three Horsemen, XIII century.

The Temple of the Three Horsemen is located on the southeastern slope of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The church, carved into a free-standing rock block, has a trefoil shape (5.5 x 3.5 x 2.7 m). The altar part is separated from the rest of the room by the rocky base of the altar barrier, on which the wooden parts of the iconostasis were placed. A bench has been carved along the walls of the temple. There are 2 graves in the floor, an adult and a child. on the northern wall there is a fresco depicting three horsemen with halos, cuirasses and flowing cloaks. The middle one strikes the serpent with a spear. The one closest to the altar holds the figure of a boy on the horse’s croup. Above the image there is an inscription on Greek: “the holy martyrs of Christ were cut out and written for the salvation of the soul and the remission of sins...”.

Several interpretations of the saints depicted on the fresco are known: Theodore Stratelates, Theodore Tyrone and St. George the Victorious; George in different scenes; George and local warriors; George, Theodore Stratelates and Dmitry of Thessalonica. The construction of the temple of the “three horsemen” dates back to the 13th century.

One last look at the opposite part of the valley and we move to the starting point of the inspection.

We are seeing off a group of cyclists who arrived in the cave city almost simultaneously with us, took a guided tour and are now heading back.

We have to quickly, quickly, in some places even run, move towards the bus. Time is running out, we may not make it in time. And the sun burns only a little weaker than at noon.

But here are the already familiar Red Poppy Mountains. We made it. The bus didn’t show us its tail; we even had a couple of more minutes to sit and drink up our liquid reserves. By the way, each of us drank about 3 liters of water during this trip.

Reading time: 7 minutes

There are regions that are rich in historical, architectural and cultural values. And there is a region that is valuable in itself - this is Crimea. In fact, the Crimean peninsula is a continuous reserve. It's hard to take a dozen steps here without bumping into historical monument. One of these is Eski-Kermen, a bastion city hewn out of the rocks.

Eski-Kermen Citadel: birth, greatness and death

Actually, rock cities are not uncommon in Crimea. Shrouded in secrets, permeated with mysticism, they, it seems, still keep the shadows of their inhabitants - Taurians, Alans, Goths and Hellenes, Scythians and Sarmatians. This is especially acutely felt in Eski-Kermen, one of the largest cave cities.

The fortress structure on a flat, high plateau well protected by rocks was apparently built by the Byzantines at the beginning of the 6th century to protect Chersonese-Korsun. However, this fortification hardly played a major strategic role, and some time later, historians say, it was captured by the Khazars.

However, the citadel on the plateau gradually expanded, and with it the city grew. At the beginning of the 12th century, according to archaeologists, the Old Fortress (this is what the Crimean Tatar word “eski-kermen” means) extended over an area of ​​8.5 hectares and over two thousand people lived in it. The wide stone “tabletop” was built up with residential areas parallel to each other, between which carts scurried along fairly spacious streets. The remains of temple pulpits convince us that in Eski-Kermen there was not just a priest, but a hierarch, a bishop. During these same years, the basilica was expanded and significantly expanded. Everything suggests that the city in the mountains was an important administrative center.

The settlement was surrounded by powerful natural walls, reliable gates, “sally” gates, towers, battle platforms and casemates. Remains of an irrigation system unearthed in the surrounding area and terraces of wild grapes prove that the local economy was based on agriculture. By the way, the ancient vines, having fallen into the hands of Crimean breeders, became a valuable source for new grape varieties.

cave city Eski-Kermen - Temple of Donators

Several times life in the walled city was reduced to a tiny, smoldering spark. This happened in 1299, when the troops of the ferocious Nogai, avenging his son killed in Kafa, destroyed Eski-Kermen to the ground. Not immediately, but the city was still reborn after the bloody revenge. However, not for long: in 1399, after the assault of the Horde by Khan Edigei, life in the cave settlement completely petrified, merging with the silent rocks.

"Eski-Kermen" - grottoes and tombs

Today the Old Fortress is a museum under the skies. Firstly, here you can see the caves, which in the early Middle Ages were filled with donkeys and goats, pithos and amphorae with wine, slings and bows, sheep skins and tiles. There are almost 350 such grottoes in the ghost town.

Residential buildings on the sites excavated by archaeologists date back to a later time. They were two-story, durable, and their inhabitants, as has now been established, died from fire. In some basements, researchers found skeletons, including children's skeletons - apparently, this is where the townspeople were hiding, hoping to survive the scorching elements.

Secondly, you can wander around the ruins of the basilica, built at the same time as the first fortification. It was of a rectangular, strict shape, with three faceted, semicircular apses (protrusions below the main building) and was divided into three parts - naves. The Polish envoy and cartographer Martin Broniewski, who visited this place in 1578, wrote that the basilica was decorated with marble and serpentine columns. It must be said that the basilica “died” before the fort – its main part was turned into a cemetery, and a chapel was built in one of the naves.

The siege well with its attributes - a steep and deep staircase of 84 steps, a 20-meter tunnel and a shaft where water was stored in case of a long blockade - is of great interest to tourists. Water was supplied by a source “intercepted” by the builders of fortifications. This well is a real artifact: similar ones have not been found in any Byzantine fortress built in Crimea for protection against nomads.

"Eski-Kermen" - altars and frescoes

Finally, the ruins of sanctuaries attract visitors to Crimea. For example, the Church of the Three Horsemen, carved into a stone ridge at the base of the fortress. This sacred structure has two entrances, the space between which was illuminated from two windows. There are two graves in the temple - a small one, probably for a child, and a larger one. Near them there is a recess for candlesticks and a recess with a cross.

Everything suggests that these burials were the object of worship. At the “adult” grave one can see the fresco that gave the temple its name: St. George the Victorious, killing the serpent, and two horsemen on the left and right, one of them with a child behind. Historians believe that the fresco was created in honor of some kind of battle - so important for the townspeople that some of its participants, who probably died, were counted among the saints. In any case, both the temple and the fresco were created during the period - the end of the 12th century - when the Tatars pierced the Crimea like hungry wolves into a deer that had strayed from the herd.

Another temple, more ancient, was carved at the same time as the first fortification at the main gate. It had three entrances, an honorary chair for the bishop and a baptismal font. There are tombs carved into the floor. The shape of the building is so unusual, asymmetrical, that it has baffled more than one generation of Crimean residents: the Tatars, for example, called this place “The Judgment Seat,” apparently believing that the building served not only for prayers, but also for other purposes. The frescoes that decorated the walls of this temple, unfortunately, have not survived. But the painting of another church, the Assumption, although partially, is still visible. Residents of Eski-Kermen built this chapel... in a former winery. More precisely: at first it was a pit for grain, then grapes were pressed here... And then the room was adapted into a church.

This, of course, is not all that reveals ancient city curious tourists. Towers, watch platforms, staircases carved into limestone, loopholes and embrasures... Here, every stone, every fragment of ancient ceramics fascinates and whispers its own story - about former times and former people.

Valley of the Givers

Very close to dead city stretched across the Cherkez-Kermen valley, where there was another temple - Donatorov. Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, it captivates the minds with its preserved fresco depicting the liturgy of the Holy Grail. The “name” of the church is obviously connected with its patrons, because “donator” in Latin means “giver”. The famous Soviet historian Nikolai Repnikov, who carried out excavations in Crimea, believed that the Donator Church, along with the valley and the fortress, were once a single complex. The same scientist described the numerous frescoes for which the temple was famous - all of them, according to him, were distinguished by the highest craftsmanship, in which the old Constantinople school was evident. Alas, almost nothing remains of the drawings, but today liturgies are sometimes held on the site where the shrine once stood.

Cave with Internet

At the “bottom” of Eski-Kermen there is a camp site of the same name. This is a whole ensemble of comfortable and, at the same time, exotic holiday: the hotel offers rooms of varying comfort, and for lovers of exclusivity - a cave room in medieval style. Inside the estate there is also a parking lot, a café with home-cooked food, a zoo corner where children enjoy playing, a bathhouse, a tent camp, horses for walking and ponds for fishing. To fish on the territory of the base “from dawn to dusk,” that is, all day, you need to pay 1,000 rubles. The catch, and the ponds are abundant with carp, silver carp and crucian carp, can be grilled in person and eaten in the gazebo in the fresh air. Just above the fortress, in the mountains, a small, clean lake sparkles, where you can also try your luck with a fishing rod in your hands (200 rubles per day of fishing).

Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea

Road to Ghost Town

From Simferopol to tourist base, and also get to Eski-Kermen itself as follows:

• by regular bus Simferopol-Zalesnoye to the village of Krasny Mak;
• by regular bus Simferopol-Kholmovka to the final stop or to Krasny Mak;
• by train Simferopol-Sevastopol to the village of Frontovoy (station “1509km”), and from there by bus 45 to Krasny Mak or Kholmovka.
• From the named villages, following the signs, you need to walk approximately 6 kilometers.

From Sevastopol you can get there:
- by train Sevastopol-Simferopol to Frontovoy, and then by the above-mentioned bus route 45.

How to get from Yalta:

to Red Poppy - by regular bus Yalta-Bakhchisarai, and then on foot, according to road signs.

Departure from Bakhchisarai:

• by bus Bakhchisaray-Zalesnoye to Krasny Mak;
• by bus Bakhchisaray-Kholmovka to the final destination or to Krasny Mak.

The easiest way, of course, is to go to these protected places by car: from Bakhchisarai you need to get to the village of Tankovovoye (this is about 14 kilometers), and then drive to Krasny Mak (another 4 kilometers).
Before Red Poppy you need to turn right and drive up to the village of Kholmovka. In front of it, turn left, approach the quarry, turn right and proceed to the farm fence. At this point you should turn left again, into the valley, from which the legendary and majestic Eski-Kermen will rise towards you.

However, people who choose public transport and walk several kilometers will not regret it for a minute: the landscapes around are so enchanting that the road will seem like a journey into a fairy tale.

Eski-Kermen, one of the largest cave cities Crimea.

Love this one so much cave city. He is very close to me holidays of new wine Dionysia, exactly on Eski-Kermen we crush grapes with our feet, dance Bacchic dances and perform rituals dedicated to the ancient cult guilt. This city evokes in me a voluptuous feeling of nostalgia for something gone forever, because here we walked during the “Brotherhood of the Black Arrow” tour, or stayed here during the ten-day trans-mega tour, when we were staying in the neighboring Cherkess-Kermen. Therefore, as for many other reasons, I have a special, reverent attitude towards this city. Fate, rock, has tied us tightly... I especially love Eski-Kermen, when there is no one here, no loud-mouthed guides, no annoying tourists who don’t understand why they were brought here, who are alien to the energy of this place, just as the people who have inhabited this city for a thousand years are alien. When there are no tourists, cyclists and local residents here... There is such a time, it’s winter... But only at this time, when there is no one here and I am alone within the walls of a cave house, where from the “balcony” you can see mountains, a dark forest and the constellation Orion , I understand how happy I am with such experiences... But the most incredible sensation is given by a winter walk on a moonlit night among the ancient walls and caves of what was once one of the greatest cities of the past...

At the top of the plateau are a huge number of caves, there are more than 400 of them, more than in other cave cities Crimea, so the city holds a kind of primacy in this matter.

Although very few reliable facts have been preserved about the city, many secrets can be revealed to an attentive traveler walking along the ancient streets among the remains of houses and looking into the most diverse caves.

Nobody remembers the true name of this amazing, most “cave” city of all. Crimean fortresses.

The Tatars simply called him Eski-Kermen, it is assumed that the Khazar name Kut, and the Goths who settled here called this city Shivarin, perhaps the Greek name in different eras of the city’s life could be Fulla, And Climates. Such a variety of names is not surprising - the city existed for a thousand years, and it was inhabited or tried to be conquered by different ethnic groups.

The main entrance gate of Eski-Kermen, once on the left and right of the gate, powerful gate fortress towers rose on hewn platforms.

The city itself, with an area of ​​8.5 hectares, is located on a flat plateau of a steep table mountain.

Its length along the north-south axis is 1000 m, its greatest width is 170 m, the height of the steep cliffs reaches 30 m.

The slopes of the mountain are made of huge blocks, sharpened by wind and rain.

In all these blocks, along the entire perimeter of the plateau, there are carved hundreds of caves for a variety of purposes, from temples, residential buildings, combat casemates to barns and granaries.

In the central part of the plateau there is a huge Basilica, nearby blocks of residential buildings and narrow medieval streets have been excavated.

The huge estate of the winemaker, with tarapans for wine pressing and deep cellars where the wine was stored, has been well studied.

On the outskirts of the city there are monasteries. One of them, in the form of a trefoil on the way into the city, at one time served as a refuge for travelers who were late for the city by the time the gates closed.

The gates are cut down funerary arcosolia And ossuary, rock tombs and small chapels.

The deep rut, just like in Chufut-Kale, cuts through main street city ​​and serpentine descends into the valley, reminding us that for a thousand years a turbulent life was in full swing here, leaving us with rare artifacts.

The types of temples are also amazing in their own way: "Judgment" with bishop's chair, small and unique Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with a tarapan knocked out in the corner and a cellar for storing wine. When ascending to the city from the eastern side, the traveler is greeted by a stunning temple carved into a separate stone - this is the so-called Temple of the Three Horsemen.

One of the horsemen is St. George the Victorious, revered in the cave cities of Crimea, and two other unknown warriors of locally revered saints. One of them has a boy sitting behind his shoulders. Tomb graves unknown heroes of the past were carved right into the floor of the temple...

The cyclopean structure of the siege well is truly amazing.

In the well it is quite possible to go down the ancient steps carved into the rock. The steps go in five flights 30 meters deep into the rock.

It was through this well that the city was captured Khazars during the uprising of John of Goth.

It is interesting to walk along a narrow corridor through a crevice and climb to the northern sentinel complex. Stunning views of the tower Kyz-Kule neighboring city Cherkess-Kerman.

Visit the western and eastern granaries, see the place where the city gates once were, touch with your hands the grooves where the beam locking the gates was once placed, climb the rounded ledges that keep traces of the “bed” of the place where huge stone squares once rested , representing fortress curtains and powerful towers.

Truly multifaceted and unique Eski-Kermen!

Like all cave cities of Crimea, Eski-Kermen did not appear out of nowhere. It is believed that since ancient times, people have adapted grottoes in the mountains for their needs and created new ones with the help of pickle.

But at the same time, Eski-Kermen also has the completed forms of a fortress and was clearly created according to some ingenious plan of an ancient architect.

According to archaeological research, the fortress was built on the initiative of the Byzantine authorities at the end of the 6th century. to protect the approaches to the outpost of the empire in the South-Western Crimea - Chersonese.

The garrison of the fortress consisted of local residents - ready and alan- federates

(allies) of the empire.

The granaries on the eastern part of the city were later used as combat casemates.

Presumably at the end of the 8th century. Eski-Kermen falls under the rule of the Khazars.

It is possible that the inhabitants of the fortress took part in anti-Khazar uprising, known in literature as the revolt John of Goth.

Some researchers also associated the destruction of the fortress walls with this event.

By the middle of the 9th century. the influence of the Khazars in the South-Western Crimea weakens and then completely ceases.

fortress walls made of huge blocks blocked off the most inaccessible areas of the fortress.

About life Eski-Kerman in the IX-X centuries. we know little.

Most likely, at this time the settlement was a sparsely populated fortress on the Byzantine-Khazar borderland.

From the second half - end of the 10th century. life on Eski-Kermen, begins to be reborn.

This revival is associated with the help of Byzantium, which is clearly seen from the primary source, the so-called “notes of the Gothic toparch.”

Historians and archaeologists have identified the destroyed city described in the “Note” in the area called "Climates", with the Crimean “cave city” Eski-Kerman.

Archaeological research carried out in 1928-1930 showed that the fortress walls in the southern part Eski-Kerman, were demolished to the ground.

According to excavations, the destruction of the fortress walls in the southern part of the city occurred no earlier than the end of the 8th century. and no later than the 10th century. The results of excavations indicate that after the destruction of the battle walls, the life of the city continued.

According to one assumption, defensive structures Eski-Kerman could have been dismantled at the end of the 8th century by the Khazars, as a consequence of what was described in "The Lives of John of Goths" unsuccessful uprising of the Goths under the command of Bishop John against Khazar rule.

Along with the identification described by the toparch, the destroyed city Climates with Eski-Kermen, it has been suggested that the remains of the fortification Kyz-Kule which is located on a hill Tapshan, near Mount Eski-Kermen, northwest of the northern end of its plateau, are located on the site of the “fortress” whose construction is described "Note of the Gothic Toparch".

Thus, the topographical features of the mountain Eski-Kerman and its immediate surroundings, along with archaeological data, as well as general geographical information contained in "Note of the Gothic Toparch", can serve as a reliable basis for linking the “Note of the Gothic Toparch” with the Crimean “cave city” Eski-Kerman.

Later, on the site of the former Eski-Kermen fortress, a medieval city gradually formed. By the XII-XIII centuries. the settlement was already built up with rectangular blocks, separated by streets up to 2 m wide. This is the highest flowering of the city, at this time temples were built and painted here, the city reached its greatest size.

At the end of the XIII-XIV centuries. the settlement was destroyed.

He is associated with the campaign of the Golden Horde temnik Nogai to the Crimea in 1299.

After this life is Eski-Kermen gradually fades away.

The city was probably finally destroyed at the end of the 15th century. during the Turkish invasion of Crimea and the fall of the principality of Theodoro, centered on Mangup.

In the 16th century Among the local population, only vague legends have been preserved about him.

Yes, the Polish envoy Martin Bronevsky, who visited Crimea in 1578, wrote: “Not far from Mancopia... there is a certain very ancient fortress and a city, but it, neither among the Turks and Tatars, nor even among the Greeks themselves, due to its extreme antiquity, bears any name. It fell into ruin during the time of the Greek princes, about whom numerous atrocities are reported in these places that they committed against God and people.”

From this passage it is clear that people are driven by an idea - a spirit. There was a people, and not one at all, but the remnants of many peoples who once ruled Taurica and lost their former power. In the Middle Ages, united Goths, professing the Greek Orthodox religion, spoke among themselves in Greek - the only language of that time for interethnic communication. This conglomerate of various ethnic groups - the remnants of the Tauri, Greeks, Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Goths, Polovtsians and other peoples - represented a community of highlanders. And this community had an idea - to live in the cave city of the fortress. Build stone houses and fortress walls, cut down dwellings and outbuildings in the rocks, build ossuaries and crypts in the rocks, right on the territory of the city, for their loved ones... for there was no fear of death, there was no disgust for their dead fellow tribesmen. This society had a different culture, a different idea of ​​the meaning of life and death. And so they lived for a thousand years, from generation to generation, adhering to their idea of ​​state independence and pride. They knew how to stand up for their home, children, wife and parents with a sword in their hand. A proud and brave people who revered the ashes of their ancestors and supported the traditions of their grandfathers... But they died under the blows of an evil fate... And the surrounding peasants living in the mountains and forests did not have this spirit and idea of ​​​​living in a fortress city; when attacked by the enemy, they abandoned their home , animals, arable land and ran away to the mountains...

So over time, the cave cities and those who lived in them were forgotten. And already 200 years after the death of the city, to the questions of inquisitive visitors, local residents- the descendants of the ancient and glorious, but who had forgotten their grandfathers and customs, spoke Tatar: "Eski-kermen", which translated means Old Fortress…

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