Eski kermen caveman. Eski-Kermen cave city

Hello everyone! I want to tell you about the mountain route, which is very popular with tourists when visiting the Bakhchisarai region in Crimea. - an amazing natural and man-made monument, which can be visited with the whole family. The main thing is to observe safety!

From the article you will learn about the route itself, how to get to Eski-Kermen and a little about the history of the settlement. My review will be great, so I bring to your attention the first part.

This article is intended primarily for those holidaymakers who, apart from the South Coast and the Black Sea, have not seen anything in Crimea. Thanks to our directors. After watching the film "9th Company", the settlement of Eski-Kermen became more popular. The shooting took place at 18 sites on the peninsula, one of which we will visit with you.

Our trip took place in mid-November. There were not many tourists, for which I appreciate this time of year. In the season of Eski-Kermen, you definitely cannot be called dead.

Eski-Kermen settlement on the map.

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Near the plateau there is free parking and horse riding. A drop-in tour has been created. groups on jeeps along the routes: Eski-Kermen, Tepe-Kerien, Chufut-Kale. Without leaving the ticket office, you can order a guide. Rise in cave city with an excursion group or on your own.

Here is a shot from a helicopter, I borrowed it from the website sergeydolya.livejournal. This is how Eski-Kermen looks like in the summer. On the one hand, it is certainly more beautiful in summer, but in November, thanks to the bare trees, all the surroundings are clearly visible.

The northern part of the plateau. The length is just over 1 km. Do you see the path that leads deep into the forest? Our ascent began with her.

At self-guided tour study the route carefully! We met a company that got lost and didn't know how to get down the mountain. We had friends who were our guides. As you can see, you can go up or down from the north side and from the south.

Northern patrol complex

There are signs along the entire excursion route, there are short descriptions of objects. Our hike began on a rather steep north slope the mountains. Looking back, I noticed the first casemates of the cave city.

We went up to the plateau where the Northern sentinel complex is located. View of the neighboring mountain and Zangurma-Kobalar grottoes.

A boulder at the foot of the mountain caught my attention.

It was like a giant took a knife and cut off one piece from the common pie. :)

After looking around, we continued our way to the cave city. The trail led through dense thickets.

A little history of the origin of the city of Eski-Kermen

Presumably, the city of Eski-Kermen began its existence as a rock fortress in the sixth century, during the Byzantine Empire. In the southwestern part of the peninsula, nature has created rocks of amazing shape, which served as protection for people from the enemy. The mountain itself, because of the steep slopes and plateaus on the surface, is called a table mountain. There are beams on both sides of Eski-Kermen.

Despite the rather large settlement, very little is known about the history of the rock fortress. In the ancient annals of mentions ancient city no. The local population called the cave city "old fortress" in Crimean Tatar language Eski-Kermen.

As it is written on the sign - the city has about 500 caves and grottoes, some of which are natural, and some are cut out of limestone rocks. The results of physical labor are visible in almost every cave: niches, windows, doorways and entire halls with columns. Thanks to the soft rock, a fortress city was built from the rocky walls, with multi-storey caves, streets, casemates and temples.

Numerous caves were used to store food, weapons, and livestock. The outer caves served as outposts. Combat casemates covered the approaches to the city and the most vulnerable areas of the defense.

The population built their houses on the upper flat part of the rock. Impenetrable steep walls served as a good protection for the population of the cave city.

Most of the cave structures of Eski-Kermen were built already in the XII-XIII centuries.

As for ethnicity, the versions are different. It would be more accurate to say that the population consisted of mixed Crimean peoples: Taurians, Scythians and Goths.

Siege well

The siege well is one of the main attractions of Eski-Kermen, which is overgrown with legends. Many claim that it was because of him that the fortress fell. The building is quite interesting. A well with drinking water helped the inhabitants of the cave city withstand the siege.

My son and a friend tried to go down one flight below. The descent is very steep and difficult. One can only guess how the water was raised along such steps.

According to the information on the signs, there are six such spans, and 84 steps lead down. There is no point in going down the well without a flashlight. At the very bottom there was a cave filled with water from a spring. Little water remains to this day. If you want to go down to the siege well, take a flashlight and rope with you.

The excursion trail runs at the very edge of the mountain, in the depths of the thickets there is another, but the first is much more interesting.

Eski-Kermen caves

The closer we got to the South Gate of Eski-Kermen, the more interesting were the "facades" of the caves.

Here is a two-storey house with stone steps, hand-cut in the rock.

The photographs came out unimportant, but in general the "design" of the cave is understandable.

Transition between the first and second floors.

As I have already mentioned, the main dwellings of the townspeople were destroyed long ago. The caves that you see served as ancillary and guard rooms.

The long and narrow cave city can be compared to a liner and cabins of different classes. But instead of the sea, there are endless expanses and mountains of Crimea.

Each cave has air vents, and upon closer inspection, prehistoric clam shells can be seen in the walls.

View from the window on the Zangurma-Bair plateau, pay attention to the thickness of the walls.

Flintstone neighbors' multi-level dwelling. :)

Jump from cliff to cliff, and now we are in a new cave with a preserved column.

Stone figures of the cave city

It is difficult to say whether a person or natural phenomena left behind intricate figures in stone.

You can dream up and see different images ...

But the big-nosed guy in profile ... see? :)

Along the labyrinths of passages we get out to the surface and head to the place, thanks to which even more tourists learned about the ancient settlement.

In the footsteps of the film expedition

Before you is the set of the film "9th Company". According to the scenario, the Mujahideen jumped into the wells, but in reality these are granaries with an excellent ventilation system. Under such conditions, grain could be stored for 10-15 years. If necessary, the cut holes were covered with stone covers.

The inhabitants were engaged in winemaking, cattle breeding, and thanks to numerous fields and agriculture.

Excursion groups love to be photographed here.

And here, in fact, and frames from the movie "9th Company"

Be very attentive and watch your children! By the way, my "baby" really made me worried ... .. And at that moment .... “My heart stopped,… then I caught my breath a little… and started again,” the son realized that it was better to go back.

Next time, the most beautiful part of the cave city of Eski-Kermen is waiting for you. ...

- the most interesting phenomenon of the Crimean peninsula. Created by the joint efforts of man and nature, they left many mysteries to the distant descendants of their creators. Tourists often come here who want to try to solve at least some of them. Abandoned ancient fortresses serve as a backdrop for filming films and objects for the painstaking work of archaeologists, who alone can restore soul and life to the stone. One of these fortifications is the cave city of Eski-Kermen in the Crimea.

Where is the settlement in Crimea?

The cave city is located on a plateau 14 km south of. The closest to it is the village of Krasny Mak. Zalesnoye is also located nearby. 4 km from the Eski-Kermen plateau is another famous cave city -.

Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea

History of appearance: Byzantine fortress

All information about its history has been obtained by archaeologists. In the written sources, no mention of it was found, although it was large enough, well fortified and conducted an active trade. Its real name is also unknown. "Eski-Kermen" is a later Tatar name, it means "old fortress".

Tentatively, the cave city arose in the 6th century, during the rule of the Byzantines, existed until the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, when it was destroyed by the Mongol-Tatar conquerors. The inhabitants were engaged in agriculture and trade. In case of danger, he could give shelter to the population of the nearest unfortified settlements, since he was excellently protected - it was not easy to take him by storm. But nevertheless, it was destroyed precisely in the battle, which is proved by the study by archaeologists of the remains of two residential buildings. Both were burned, one contained the skeletons of a family: a man, a woman and a child.
All were hacked to death with sabers, as evidenced by the damage to the bones of the skulls.

Now Eski-Kermen is a protected historical and archaeological monument. You can visit it without restrictions, but overnight stays, making a fire, any excavations (even just breaking the integrity of the soil) and especially tourist art from the series "Vasya was here" are prohibited on the territory of the city. In terms of popularity in Crimea, it is second only to.

Mountain screenings in a cave city

The unusual appearance of the premises of this settlement attracted the attention of filmmakers. Unfortunately, the popularity of cinema did not contribute to the demand for the monument - the area was passed off as any other region. The views from the cave "windows" are often found in Soviet and Russian adventure films, and in F. Bondarchuk's "9th company" the Eski-Kermen plateau played the role of the mountain of Afghanistan.

General description of the fortress

The Eski-Kermen fortress at one time should have been considered a first-class stronghold. The steep cliffs of the plateau already served as excellent protection in themselves. The city also had man-made fortifications - walls with a rock foundation, several gates. At the top of the plateau, the remains of the tower, almost traditionally called the maiden's (Kyz-Kule), have been preserved. Scientists believe there is a distortion here,
and the name should be Kez-Kule, from the word "eye", that is, "watch tower".

Probably, it is precisely such distortions that led to the appearance of "maiden towers" in almost all Crimean medieval fortifications. There was also a siege well - a very deep mine with a stone staircase, at the bottom of which the source formed a small lake. There is still water here.

Today the Eski-Kermen fortification cannot be seen. Presumably, they were demolished back in the 8th century, after an unsuccessful uprising against the Khazars. However, stone stairs, foundations carved into the rocks and, of course, caves have survived. Some of them are of natural origin, in some places they are carved into limestone by human hands. Scientists believe that the townspeople did not live in such grottoes, but used them as outbuildings, fortifications, workshops, churches and tombs. They could also play the role of basements for above-ground dwellings.

What is interesting about Eski-Kermen?

Now you can see the "main street" of the city, from which underground casemates depart in different directions, go down into the siege well, visit the churches of the Assumption of Mary and the Three Horsemen (probably dedicated to George the Victorious, and got its name thanks to the surviving frescoes depicting horsemen).

You can also see numerous pits for storing grain (they were provided with ventilation; reserves in case of a siege could be stored here for several years), and on the slopes there are wild thickets of grapes that were once cultivated by the townspeople. Now Crimean breeders are trying to restore the varieties.

For the convenience of tourists, posters with descriptions of the main objects are hung in different places. There is also General Map settlement. Access to Eski-Kermen is allowed with or without a guide, but "independent" tourists should be especially careful, as you can get lost in the caves.

Photos of Eski-Kermen are quite famous, but tourists prefer to make their own, which is allowed without restrictions, as well as to shoot a video. The beauty of the view and the mysteriousness of the ancient city are conducive to this, which is used by all visiting travelers who decided to conquer the ancient beauty of Crimea.

How to get to the cave city?

Having gathered for an excursion, you should decide in advance how to get there. The cave city of Eski-Kermen is inaccessible for transport - it is forbidden to find anything there on wheels. We'll have to take a bus from Bakhchisarai to the village of Krasny Mak, and from there go on foot. Public transport to this village also runs from Sevastopol and Yalta.

Some excursion bureaus organize transportation of tourists to the very foot of the plateau, but further you still have to climb on foot. By car from Bakhchisarai, you will have to overcome such a path.

Last year I visited the cave city of Chufut-Kale. This year, in the very heat, 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 North side and from Nakhimov Square take a bus to the village of Krasny Mak, from where it is already on foot to get to the cave town of Eski-Kermen.

As a result of the trip, I got quite a lot of photographs, and I brought some of them into separate narratives:

Eski-Kermen was founded on a hard-to-reach plateau at the beginning of the 6th century; according to the assumption, the Scythian-Sarmatians and existed until the end of the XIV century. Its name in translation 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 table mountain plateau, elongated along the axis.

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

Eski-Kermen was a large center of crafts and trade, but the basis of its economy was agriculture - viticulture, horticulture, horticulture. In the vicinity of Eski-Kermen, the remains of an irrigation system, traces of terraced areas with feral 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 the development of new grape varieties.

We leave the bus, our journey begins in the village of Krasny Mak. The village is surrounded by a picturesque area: on the left is a valley with outlier mountains. For example, Uzun-Tarla - rises far to the left of the road to Eski-Kermen.

On the right is a rocky wall with outliers of Bash-Kai.

Then the road goes across the field. Although it has rained recently, the grass on the field is beginning to dry up; there is a huge number of large grasshoppers and other living creatures jumping from under their feet.

The sun bakes mercilessly, and I want to find some kind of shadow, lie down and rest until the evening in the cool under a light breeze. But this is only the beginning of the journey, there is a whole day ahead, filled with interesting adventures.

Interactive panorama of the field and the road.

But now the long road through the heat is drawing to a close, and we come to the goal of our journey. You can already see the slopes of Zangurma-Kobalar - a ridge adjacent to the cave city.

With characteristic grottoes on the slopes.

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

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

The Northern Sentinel Complex is located here. Hence the most good view into the distance, as can be seen in the following photos.

Northern sentinel complex, 6th - 13th centuries

In the northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau, there is a gate, fortified with battle platforms and casemates. Opposite it there is a small outlier rock, in which the Northern sentinel complex is located. At the foot of the outlier begins a staircase carved into the rock (2 flights, 33 steps), leading to the surface of the rock, surrounded by a wooden fence. Along the course of the stairs, there are two rooms carved into the rock: the lower one was used as a burial vault, the upper one as a sentry.

From the upper platform of the complex, the northern approaches to the city and the entire area of ​​the foothills were visible. During the Middle Ages, the Northern sentinel complex was connected to the main massif of Eski-Kermen by wooden bridges.

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 Patrol Complex. South facing towards the city.

A piece of guard caves and Mount Kaya-Bash.

Our "sentinels" wave their hands from the gatehouse.

Again the view to the south - a pine tree huddled on one of the rocks on the side. And it grows hanging on a vertical rock.

Remains of a medieval tower with a gate - Kyz-Kule castle (Maiden's Tower)

It seems that the tower is nearby and can be easily and quickly reached. In fact, on Kyz-Kul, you can only climb an ancient hiking trail 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 going down a ledge, in places with traces of artificial cuts, a slope. Then, on the way, go to the former village of Krepkoy (now there are koshars here). From here, from the gorge, you can climb to the castle.

A panorama of how the north side was seen from the top of the sentinel complex. You can zoom in and out of the image.

More view of the nearby mountain

And to the valley. We came along this road.

There is a deep crevice between the Northern Sentinel Complex and the main part. And while I was photographing her, a strong wind took away and dragged down my cap, I did not even have time to pick it up. It was also useless to run after her - there was a many-meter cliff ahead. Fortunately, Valerka also noticed how she fell, he was closer to the place of the fall, on the path under the patrol complex and found her. Otherwise, I could easily have caught sunstroke.

But stop walking around the Northern Sentinel Complex, the main part is still further away. Let's walk along the path along the rocky slope

And here is one of the first cave structures. A cave made in a rock looks like this from the inside. there was a door in the place of the opening, and, probably, the window was closed by something. And a round hole in the ceiling - probably to draw out the smoke from the hearth.

The next object is what allowed the city to remain impregnable. for a long time- 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 capturing gallery, which 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 delivery to the surface was carried out 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. The researchers associate the termination of the functioning of the structure 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 that entered the city through a ceramic water supply from the Bilderan gully.

I did not dare to go down below the guardroom (this is just one flight of stairs), further the steps were worn out, broke and more and more resembled a children's slide, along which you can easily slide down on the priest, but it is difficult to climb back. 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

South-east again

A few more views of the city

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

And again stones dug up by man-made caves.

Here I decided to light up

An interesting cave resembling a hole - a hobbit's dwelling. With a round window and a round entrance. It is a pity, the entrance was blocked by a tree that grew here.

This stone was once led by a wooden bridge over an abyss. Here in that hole on the right.

Large caves were reinforced from the inside by stone columns.

Along the walls, special niches were equipped for arranging beds in them. In the rooms of the guards, the window was usually arranged at the head of such a bed.

Not all caves survived the struggle with time. This one, for example, had its roof collapsed.

North view from the southern part of Eski-Kermen. Somewhere there, at the end of the ridge, the Northern Sentinel Complex.

Here we find ourselves in an interesting structure - a cave temple. The frescoes in it were chipped off by vandals, but some of their traces 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). The altar part is located to the right of the entrance. A niche has been carved into the north-western wall, in which a wine press (rattle) is installed. There is a small water tank in the center. Remains of fresco paintings have been preserved on the walls of the temple. In the altar part there are images of the scene of the Annunciation, the baby Jesus with the angels, the Mother of God - Hodegetria. On the northeastern wall there was a stage of the Presentation, a 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 building was apparently adapted for economic needs.

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

Round hole-chimney.

The next part is the main protective and main inhabited building of the city - the complex of the Main City Gates

Complex of the Main City Gates, VI - XIII centuries

WITH south side On the Eski-Kermen plateau, a wheel road, carved into the rock, leads to the Main City Gates, winding in three marches. The upper march of the road was fortified by proteikhism (an advanced defensive wall), from which the rocky foundation was preserved. The opening of the main gate was carved into the rock, above the gate there was a rectangular tower, from which the rock cuttings were preserved. The main street of the city began outside the gates. In the area of ​​the wheel road and the Main City Gate, there are a number of cave structures for various purposes: battle casemates, churches, tombs.

Behind the gates, in the eastern part of the passage, there is a cave temple "Judgment". The complex has an asymmetric layout (15 × 17.5 × 2 m). Three doorways lead to the temple, provided with grooves for wooden door frames. The ceiling rests on 4 columns carved into the rock. The altar part, apparently, was painted with frescoes. The construction of the temple dates back to the XI-XII centuries, to the XIII century. the complex was connected to the chapel in the southeastern cliff of the Eski-Kermen plateau and acquired a modern look.

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

Temple "Judgment". Vitya imagined himself to be either a supreme leader or a priest and is trying to sort out the situation - who to execute and whom to pardon.

The time is already approaching evening, the last bus from the Red Poppy is leaving soon, it's time to go down. On the way, one comes across a temple of the Three Horsemen, hollowed out in a freestanding stone.

Temple of the Three Horsemen, XIII century.

The Three Horsemen Temple is located on the southeastern slope of the Eski-Kermen plateau. The church, carved into a freestanding boulder, has the shape of a trefoil (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 north wall there is a fresco depicting three horsemen with halos, in cuirass and with fluttering cloaks. The middle one hits the serpent with a spear. The one closest to the altar holds the figure of a boy on the horse's rump. Above the image there is an inscription in Greek: "The holy martyrs of Christ were cut and painted for the salvation of the soul and forgiveness of sins ...".

Several interpretations of the saints depicted on the fresco are known: Theodore Stratilat, Theodore Tiron and George the Victorious; George in different scenes; George and local soldiers; George, Theodore Stratilat and Dmitry Solunsky. The construction of the temple of the "three horsemen" dates back to the 13th century.

The last glance into the opposite part of the valley and move to the place where the inspection starts.

We see off a group of cyclists who arrived in the cave city almost simultaneously with us, listened to a guided tour and is now leaving.

We have to move quickly, quickly, sometimes even running, to move towards the bus. Time is close, we may not be in time. And the sun beats down only slightly weaker than at noon.

But now the familiar Red Poppy Mountains. We made it in time. The bus did not show us its tail, there was even a couple of minutes to sit and finish the supply of liquid. By the way, each of us drank about 3 liters of water during this trip.

January 22nd, 2015

I have already been to Crimea several times, and I still cannot visit this cave city. Now I will at least virtually walk through it and learn its history. Who cares, 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 are practically inaccessible, and in the upper reaches of the crevices, along which one could climb into the city, battle walls towered. The defense system included well-defended gates and exit gates, ground towers and cave casemates.

Eski-Kermen was a large center of crafts and trade, but the basis of its economy was agriculture - viticulture, horticulture, horticulture. In the vicinity of Eski-Kermen, the remains of an irrigation system, traces of terraced areas with feral 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 the development of new grape varieties.

Photo 2.

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 defeated and burned in 1299 by the Golden Horde temnik Nogai. Time completed the destruction: the piles of stones were covered with earth, overgrown with grass and forest. The Polish writer and diplomat Martin Bronevsky, 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 - “the old fortress” - suits this city as well as possible.

TO south gate the city was once led by a road. It passed along the eastern gorge and rose in three marches from the south. On them, you can still see the ruts from the wheels. On the third march, two forward gates were sequentially located. The main gate was at the beginning of the street, in a hewn rock mass. They were bivalve and opened inward. A tower towered above them, and on the sides, fighting platforms with parapets protruded forward. On the edge of the third march and in front of the main gate, bending around the ledge of the rock, there was a front wall (proteikhism). From the tower in both directions along the edge of the plateau there was a main fortress wall to the casemates. Only by destroying Proteikhism and taking possession of the front gates, the enemy could approach the main one. But then he came under cross fire from the gate tower, combat sites near the main wall.

Photo 3.

Nothing remained of all these fortifications, except for the "beds" cut into the rock for the walls and well-visible traces at the site of the main gate. Below, on the sides, there are recesses for the pillars, to which a wooden canvas upholstered with wrought iron was attached, probably of the same type as on Chufut-Kale. The vaulted ceiling above the gate 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, graves carved into the rock below, along the cliff, arose later. And on the sides of the gates, two small chapels were built on the battle grounds.

At the beginning of the street there are caves for various purposes. One of them, on the left at the gate, is a gatehouse, 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 - an apse with a bishop's chair, on the right - benches for parishioners, on the left - a baptismal font. The ceiling was supported by columns, now they have collapsed. This is the oldest part of the temple, which arose together with the fortress. Later, the temple was expanded to the north and east, a door was cut through the outer wall, from which a wooden staircase led down. Tombs are carved into the floor.

Photo 4.

After examining the temple, go from the main street to the west to the first casemate. It is located in a ledge of rock overhanging the road and the fortress. There are six holes in the walls of the casemate, most likely these are embrasures and loopholes. Through them, perhaps, prepared stones were thrown or shot from a bow when the enemy appeared at the turn of the first march of the road. But the main purpose of the casemate is to protect the approach to the crevice through which it was possible to penetrate the plateau.

Nearby, on the promontory, from which a walkway and a staircase led to the casemate through a crevice, round holes are visible. These are grain pits characteristic of the early Eski-Kermen, they were near each defensive node. Grain stocks were created in advance, possibly by the 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 over the casemate.
To get to the second casemate, you need to cross the plateau at eastward... This fortification consists of four cave rooms connected in pairs with embrasures and loopholes.

Photo 5.

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

It is not far from here to the third casemate, which also protected the approaches to the crevice. Its defensive caves, connected by passages and staircases, are carved into the rock massif and in separate rocks. At a later time, all the premises were adapted for household needs. Near the casemate, the remains of the fortress wall, built of large blocks of hewn limestone, have been preserved. Such a wall, two meters wide, encircled Eski-Kermen from the south-west and east. Where it covered the access to the plateau along wide crevices or where the cliffs were insignificant, the wall had a height of 3 m. In the defense system, the wall was a single whole with casemates, over which parapets passed.

To the north was the fourth casemate. Its battle caves, communicating with each other, are located in two tiers. He controlled the crevices from the north and the approach to the east passage to the city, where there was a gate. A staircase led to it along the side of the mountain, its remains are clearly visible. The casemate defense complex included military-economic cave premises, grain pits and cisterns. You can inspect them by climbing the path among the thickets of bushes.

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

Photo 6.

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

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

From here, along the path through the thickets of the forest, go up to the west to the ruins of the basilica. It was built in the 6th century, simultaneously with the fortifications, but later
rebuilt. In plan, the temple is rectangular with three apses projecting to the east. Inside they were semicircular, outside - pentahedral. The building was divided by columns into three naves. Martin Bronevsky wrote: "The temple decorated with marble and serpentine columns testifies to the past meaning 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 in the western part of the south nave, a small chapel appeared, and the rest of the basilica turned into a cemetery; tombs were attached to the walls from the outside.

For any fortress, the most important is the problem of water supply in case of a long siege. On Eski-Kermen, this issue was resolved by the construction of a "siege well". To inspect it, go down again to the path leading along the cliff to the north. After passing about 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 in six flights. It ends with a capturing gallery up to 10 m long, into which water seeped from the ceiling. Apparently, here a spring flowed out from under the rock, the water of which was intercepted by the builders in the thickness of the mountain, creating a capturing gallery. According to estimates, up to 75 cubic meters of water was kept in the well almost constantly. This was enough for the defenders of the city and the population for a period of a long siege. When the fortifications of Eski-Kermen were destroyed, a hole was punched at the lower 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 the vast undeveloped area. After passing through it along the path, you will reach northern border the plateau where the area of ​​defense is located, called the "sentinel complex". Dominating the cleft, he defended the northern entrance to the fortress.

To explore the northern "sentinel complex" go down the stairs and walk along the cliff on the western side of the cleft. There is an entrance in the thicket of trees, from which the stairs begin. On the right along it there are two caves. The first, perhaps, was a gatehouse, the second with an embrasure and a loophole, had a military purpose. The staircase leads to the landing, along the edge of its deep recesses, made, apparently, for fastening the risers of wooden parapets. The northern part of the Eski-Kermen plateau ends in small, isolated rocks. From the clearings on them, one can judge that they were once connected by walkways. Here the inspection of Eski-Kermen ends.

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The buildings of Eski-Kermen belong 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 southern side through the main gates of the city; a winding road carved into the rock led to them. Three hiking trails led to the city from the east and north.
A distinctive feature of large "cave cities" is their relatively large area (10–5 hectares) and a characteristic layout: only part of the territory, approximately 2/3, near the main gates of the city was allocated to city blocks. The second part was devoid of buildings and was separated from the first by a non-defensive wall. During the invasion of nomadic tribes in such cities, not only the population of the city found refuge, but also the inhabitants of the adjacent villages. In peacetime, this inner space could serve market square, a pasture and a parking lot for trade caravans.

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

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Nevertheless, the main weapons of the defenders of the fortress were a bow, arrows, a sling and large rounded stones. The basis of the defense of the fortress was its battle walls, ground towers and "cave casemates" characteristic only for Eski-Kermen. The fortress could withstand a long defense, since a very important problem of water supply was solved on its territory, thanks to the construction of a siege well and cisterns for collecting water.

In addition, the inhabitants of Eski-Kermen in the event of a long siege could procure thousands of centners of grain. For its storage, in many areas of the defense, grain pits were carved into the rocks, 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 might military equipment that time.

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

A powerful defensive system, a developed economy at that time, an advantageous location - all this made Eski-Kermen an important political and administrative center of the southwestern Crimea. And this role was preserved 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 local population in the mountainous Crimea against the domination of the Khazars. The uprising 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 defenses of Eski-Kermen. But life in Eski-Kermen did not stop. The city continued to exist for another 500 years already as open locality... Defensive caves were adapted for household needs: as storage rooms, cattle stalls, as well as churches, chapels, tombs.
Eski-Kermen was finally destroyed in 1288 by the hordes of Emir Nogai. Almost all of its population was destroyed. After that, the city was no longer revived. Time turned it into heaps 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 suits this city as well as possible, which in translation from the Turkic means "Old Fortress".

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The ruins of a basilica, a siege well, the remains of residential quarters, numerous cave structures remind of the former greatness of the city; about 400 of them have survived in Eski-Kermen.

The temple of the Three Horsemen is of great interest. It was cut out in a large piece of rock at the foot of Eski-Kermen. The temple has two entrances. Between 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 saint of all defenders of the Fatherland.

The horsemen to the right and to the left of him could be images of local heroes who were considered saints and were buried here. Perhaps the heroic warriors became famous in the battle, and then were canonized, and in their honor the temple of the Three Horsemen was built. The temple dates back to the XII - beginning of the XIII century, when the threat of an invasion of the Tatars hung over the Crimea and in this regard, the religious propaganda of the idea of ​​defending the Fatherland intensified. At the same time, the painting was applied.

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

A road approached the main gate of the city along the slope of the mountain. The inhabitants of this city have used it for several centuries. Its antiquity is evidenced by the deep ruts that have survived to this day, knocked out in the monolith of the rock by the transport of that time: the middle one was knocked out by the hooves of horses, the two side ones - by wheels. The gate was the most vulnerable place in the fortress, therefore 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 presented great difficulties for the enemy to overcome.
Before leading to the gate, the road makes several turns. First, she comes to the foot of the western cave casemate. An avalanche of stones was thrown from the embrasures of this casemate on the enemy's heads.

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It is difficult to judge about the gate structures, since almost nothing is left of them, but by the preserved cuttings in the rock, the so-called. "Beds", and by the stones that survived by the time of excavation, one can get an idea of ​​the whole structure.

The 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 them a vault made of stones is visible ..." Now there is no vault, but it can be assumed that it was integral whole with the gate tower. To the east and west of the tower were the main fortress walls, the thickness of which was about 2 meters. In front of the walls, on top of rocky promontories protruding on both sides of the entrance to the city, there were battle platforms with parapets, from which they defended the approaches to the main gate.

At the main gate there is a large cave temple with a baptismal chamber. It was carved into the rock at the same time as the construction of defensive structures in the 6th-7th centuries. The temple had two entrances from the side of the corridor of the main gate and a window between them. There is an altar opposite the entrance. A stepped bench runs along the semicircle of the altar niche, the so-called. syntron, with an episcopal chair in the middle. The altar was separated from the temple by the foundation of the altar barrier. In its middle part there is a 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 upstairs. Next to the altar there 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 was a baptismal font or baptismal. The altar, baptismal 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, which 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 the ledge of a rock overhanging the beginning of the first section of the road. Its device is as follows. A large cave has been cut into the thickness of the rock. Its ceiling is supported by a massive support pillar. From the site of the neighboring rock, a ladder led into this cave, from the lower site of which wooden bridges were thrown over the crevasse 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-like embrasures, now badly eroded by weathering, once looked like rectangular windows located at floor level. Some of these embrasures still have traces of shoulders, indicating that they were covered with board barriers. These embrasures are wide and set low. From them it was possible to shoot from a bow, kneeling. But their main purpose was different: stones were rolled through them at the enemy, who was trying to penetrate the plateau.

The side auxiliary rooms of the casemate were: the right one was a pantry, in the floor of which along the walls were kept up to one and a half dozen depressions for installing pithoses with supplies of food and water: the left one was 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 promontory, from which a ladder led into the cave casemate, 10 grain pits were carved into the rock. This is typical for the early Eski-Kermen. Grain pits were located near each defensive unit. The reserves were created in advance, apparently, by the neighboring 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, a ground church was built above the casemate, from which the throne stone was preserved. There were several cave temples in the city. Some of them have preserved fresco paintings.

The temple of the Assumption is interesting in this respect. It has some peculiarities in its structure: the unusual location and dimensions of the altar part are not directly, but to the right of the entrance. The altar is arranged in a corner, it is very small and cramped, it has the shape of a niche-apse, a miniature altar in the form of a pedestal stands right next to the wall. There is a small depression in the throne for relics. In front of the niche in the wall and in the floor, grooves and slots were cut for a wooden fence, possibly an iconostasis.

Upon closer examination of the details of the structure of the temple, it becomes obvious that a room that was previously intended for a different purpose has been adapted for the temple. At first there was a grain pit (in the ceiling you can see a hole covered by a stone slab), then a water cistern. When the battle walls lost their meaning and were dismantled, the cistern was expanded and made here a winery. In the western corner, a grape press was carved, the juice of which flowed into containers set in a large rectangular clearing. Then a temple appears here. The rattle was carelessly trimmed and disguised as a parishioner bench. The hollow in the floor was covered, and the altar niche was cut down in the right corner.

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

On the northwestern side of the wall (opposite the entrance), a large fresco of the Assumption has been preserved, which has given its name to the temple today. It was carried out on damp lime soil. The compositional center is the figure of the Mother of God spread out on the bed with her hands folded on her chest. Weeping figures surround her. An angel with a sword pursues the wicked. The painting dates from the end of the XII - the beginning of the XIII century. The emergence of the temple dates back to the same time.

A number of defensive casemates are located along the eastern cliff of the plateau, which, together with the fortress wall, constituted a single whole in the city's defense system.
The residential quarters of the city were located to the west of the casemates. As shown by archaeological excavations, the cultural layer on Eski-Kermen fits into the framework of the 6th – 13th centuries. Residential quarters of the city were closely built up with houses. The houses faced narrow alleys with dead ends inevitable in overcrowded buildings. Here are excavated sections of houses from the last period of the city's existence. Four separate courtyards are traced, separated by a street running parallel to the cliff and a narrow pedestrian lane. The houses were built in the 12th – 12th centuries. in place of more ancient ones. At the same time, the previous layout was not respected.

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The estates are small: 150-200 sq. m each. The houses were two-story. The lower floor was stone, the upper one was wooden. Small rooms of the lower
floors were used for household and craft needs. There were pantries with rectangular storage cellars carved into the rock. In the basements there were pithos; for their installation, nests were cut down at the bottom of the basements. The cellars were covered with timber. The premises on the upper floor were residential.

The houses were built of stone. The sloping roofs were covered with massive tiles. The upper floor had overhanging balconies. Due to the lack of space, the patios were small and cramped. The houses were adjoined by a canopy, which was of economic importance. Light canopies were installed over the ramps. The finds of archaeologists during excavations shed light on the daily life of the townspeople, from the lesson. The most common find is pottery, simple and glazed, local and imported. Many pieces of shingles have been found. Of the women's jewelry, the most common are the simplest glass bracelets.

All dwellings died 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 quarters, at the highest point of the plateau, was the basilica. It was one of the main types 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 in recent years make it possible to date its appearance no earlier than the 8th century. The basilica is located in the middle of the plateau. In plan, the temple is rectangular with three multifaceted apses. In the central apse there is an altar. The basilica was divided by two rows of marble columns into three naves. The floor of the central nave was paved with red slate tiles. The walls are lined with well-hewn stone with rubble fill. The ceiling was wooden, the roof was tiled. The wooden floor burned down and collapsed into 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 past significance and glory of Eski-Kermen, although it was thrown to the ground and destroyed."

For any fortress, the most important was the issue of supplying 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 from the cliff platform. A steep staircase of 84 steps, cut into the thickness of the rock, goes down in six flights. There are platforms between the marches; on the middle one, a window has been cut down to illuminate the stairs towards the cliff. The staircase ends with a capping gallery about 10 meters long. Water seeps through the gallery ceiling. Perhaps here a small spring flowed from a natural cave, the water of which was intercepted by the builders of the fortress before entering it from the cave. Water was accumulating quite enough for the defenders of the city to withstand a long siege.

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The well was apparently built at the same time as the fortress in the 6th century. Water was taken from the well to the surface by hand. 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 a natural access from the north, so the northern sentinel complex was built here. His 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 locked with a bar. Behind the door is a staircase, carved into the thickness of the rock with two flights, which led to the top of a small isolated plateau. Along the course of the stairs, on the right, two small caves have been cut. 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 - the second cave - a casemate with two holes. One is an embrasure in the form of a window at floor level. The other is a small loophole. The embrasure was designed 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 in the defense of the approaches to the plateau and the northern gate was delivered from the cliff from above.

A majestic view of the entire foothill area, the approaches to the city and the northern parts of the beams enveloping it from the east and west opens from the site of the northern patrol complex.
Along the edge of the promontory, projecting to the south, there are rather deep nests, probably for anchoring a wooden parapet, behind which were the defenders of the fortress. At the northern end of the site, above the cliff, there is an oblong rectangular clearing, and symmetrically to it, on the opposite edge of a separate rock, several meters away from the site, is still the same. Undoubtedly, in ancient times, wooden bridges were thrown 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 X-XI centuries. a small fortress was erected - the Kyz-Kule castle. From the south, along the slope of the mountain, a road approached the castle tower. A shallow ditch was cut in front of the tower, through which they crossed on a walkway. Archaeological excavations near the tower have uncovered the remains of a miniature one-absed chapel of the 11th – 13th centuries, inside of which tombs were cut down.
Like many medieval monuments of Crimea, this fortification has its own mysteries. Its name translates as "Maiden's Tower". However, the wide view of the area opening from the tower evokes another explanation of the Kyz-Kule toponym - Kez-Kule, where “Kez” means “eye” - a watch tower.
These ancient, legendary ruins, caves, picturesque rocks remind us of the events that took place here many centuries ago. It blows from them ancient history, long-disappeared peoples, long-quieted interests, long-rumored life.

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

There are places in Crimea that amaze and impress the imagination. Undoubtedly, such places include the cave city of Eski-Kermen. It is located in the Bakhchisarai region, on a flat mountain peak, near the old town of the Middle Ages period Mangup-Kale.

Geographic coordinates of Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea GPS N 44.608782 E 33.740054

Eski-Kermen today works as a museum under open air and is open to tourists and guests of Crimea. The ticket price for visiting Eski-Kermen is 100 rubles. children 50 rub. A walk along Eski-Kermen takes on average 2-3 hours. Tourist route marked and almost all attractions have an information board.

The history of Eski-Kermen

Eski-Kermen from the Turkic language translated as - Old Fortress. But this name appeared much later after the emergence of the city itself. In the 16th century, these caves were called Cherkes-Kermen, and only in the 18th century their modern name appeared. Historians do not know how Eski-Kermen was called until the 16th century; the name was lost over the centuries. The Old Fortress was built in the 6th century, presumably by the Byzantines. Initially, its purpose was to discourage raids on Chersonesos.

Eski-Kermen was unique for its time a fortification. On both sides, it is protected by thirty-meter high rocky cliffs, and all internal buildings are made exclusively in the mountain depths. The cave city was very well equipped: the houses were lined up in two floors (unfortunately, none of these houses has survived to this day), the streets reached a width of about two meters, which formed quarters of regular shapes. The length of Eski-Kermen was more than one kilometer, and its width was about two hundred meters. Inside the city there were more than 500 grottoes, in which its inhabitants lived. And the total area of ​​Eski-Kermen exceeded - 8 hectares. In general, the Old Fortress was a powerful building, quite suitable for life.

But at the end of the 8th century Eski-Kermen has undergone tremendous destruction. The Khazars attacked the city and destroyed everything they could. Nevertheless, the people did not leave their city, but began the process of its restoration. By the 13th century, Eski-Kermen was even better than it was before. The heyday of the Old Fortress did not last long. Around 1300, the city was attacked by the Tatar horde of Emir Nogai. He wanted to kill all the inhabitants of Eski-Kermen, only a few managed to escape from his wrath. They say that this was a way to avenge the Emir's grandson who was killed in the Crimea, who was sent here to collect tribute. After this attack, life in Eski-Kermen significantly died out, and until the 15th century, the streets of the city were practically empty. At present, only ruins remain from the Old Fortress. The best preserved temple, in which you can see the image of three horsemen, whose names are reliably unknown.

Another attraction of Eski-Kermen Is a siege well with a depth of about 50 meters. A staircase with 84 steps leads down. At the bottom of the well there is Big hall, in which the water was stored. Excursion around Eski-Kermen is very interesting and entertaining. All its rooms are saturated with a kind of mystery. Getting here is also not easy, since the final part of the path must be overcome only on foot. But the impressions of what he saw will certainly cover all the inconveniences associated with the difficulties of the path.

How to get to Eski-Kermen

Get to Eski-Kermen the easiest way is from Bakhchisarai or Sevastopol, with central station... You should take a bus that follows to the village of Zalesnoe (village Zalesnoe, Bakhchisarai district). From the village of Zalesnoye, following the signs, you can go to the tourist route. The tourist route is fully marked with colored markers and signposts. It is very difficult to get off the route, especially in the summer. You will meet many tourists along the route. The hiking trail is relatively flat; you can walk along it even with children over 5 years old. The distance from the beginning of the trail to the cave city is 3.8 km. The most difficult section of 700 meters is located at the very beginning of the ascent to Eski-Kermen. Walking time is on average 2-3 hours.

Useful information before going to Eski-Kermen

To climb Eski-Kermen you should choose comfortable and non-slip shoes. The climb will alternate between several surfaces: earth, stones and small gravel. Also, with you, especially in summer, you should take a hat and a backpack with water and sandwiches. At the top of the mountain, almost always a small wind blows, and the temperature is on average 5-10 C lower than South Bank Crimea.

At the very rise of Eski-Kermen, there is an open-air cafe, here you can rent a gazebo and roast meat over a fire. You can also order ethnic cuisine, a variety of oriental sweets, or visit local fishing trips. It is also possible to climb the mountain by off-road vehicle or horseback. The cost of a jeep is from 2000 thousand rubles, horseback riding by agreement. On the rise, guides often offer their excursions, most of them are amateurs or locals, so the history of the city will sometimes differ quite strongly.

If you decide to visit the Crimean peninsula in the summer, then be sure to plan walks in the mountainous Crimea. Firstly, the nature of the mountainous Crimea is strikingly different from its coastal part, and secondly, almost the entire mountainous Crimea is covered with: juniper and coniferous forests, which has a beneficial effect on the human immune system. It should also be noted that they are very diverse, but the mountainous Crimea, they always stand separately, because of their antiquity, little study and mystery. Eski-Kermen is one of those places that if you have ever got to, you want to come back again and again. Eski-Kermen on the map of Crimea