Cave city Tepe Kermen Crimea how to get there. Tepe-Kermen (Bakhchisaray, Crimea): how to get there, what to see

Official information
Medieval walled city in

Bakhchisarai region of Crimea,

7 km southeast of Bakhchisarai. Height 544 m

General information about Tepe-Kerman (according to published sources)

Name Tepe-Kermanis of Turkic origin: translated from Crimean Tatar it means “hill-fortress”, “fortress on the top” (tope- hill, peak, kermen- fortress). The remains of the medieval fortress city (according to other sources - a monastery) of Tepe-Kermen, which covers the upper part of the mountain in several tiers, are also called by the same name. The area of ​​the cave city is about 1 hectare.

In fact, it was not a city, but rather a fortress-castle, on the territory of which the population of the area took refuge from enemy troops, which explains the lack of water sources.

The city existed from the 6th to the 14th centuries. It reached its greatest prosperity in the 12th-13th centuries. There is a high concentration of artificial caves - more than 230. There is a cave church of the 12th-9th centuries with carved crosses, graves, and inscriptions in Greek. Traces of foundations are visible among the bushes and grass. The walls have not survived. According to some versions, the death of the city is tied to the raid of the Golden Horde beklyaribek Nogai in 1299.

It is still not clear from which source the city residents took water. Wells have not been found on the territory of Tepe-Kermen, and all known springs are located at the very foot of the mountain.

Tepe-Kermen is a lonely cone-shaped mountain on which people settled, reminiscent of a volcano in shape. It was part of the Inner Ridge, which is gradually being destroyed, and remains in the form of a lonely “Crimean Vesuvius” 543 meters above sea level. Tepe-Kerman , from Turkic meansSummit-Fortress , visible from afar..

It is believed that the construction of the fortress on this mountain began in the 6th century. On an insignificant area of ​​1.4 hectares, about 250 caves of various purposes were cut down: dwellings, warehouses, basements, defensive, religious (churches) and burial rooms. After a trip to Tepe-Kermen, one is left with the impression that the city is oversaturated with caves, that the rock is thinned and is about to disintegrate from these endless, six-tiered cavities that eat it up. From all sides of the horizon, the mountain looks like a mine waste heap, and from the east it looks like a huge ship cutting through a transparent ocean of air.

Here, only the most critical sections of the plateau were blocked with walls, where there were no cliffs and where the enemy could easily climb up the slope. There, for reliable defense, casemate caves were hollowed out. The guardhouse in the southwest of the plateau could serve as the basis of a special watchtower.

Unlike Chufut-Kale, Tepe-Kermen was too inconvenient for a normal, at least tolerable, life. There are no wells here. Residents had to collect rainwater through a system of gutters into special stone cisterns. The city did not last long, and then only as a military fortress. The remains of some buildings are visible on the plateau. In the central part of the settlement, archaeologists dug up the foundations of a four-room house, near the walls of which there were conical-shaped cuttings from the 9th-10th centuries for the installation of clay barrels (pithos).

It is interesting to see the 8th century cave church carved into the north-eastern cliff. The temple is rectangular, with rounded corners, a flat ceiling and a semicircular altar. There are graves carved into the floor.

The cave church has its own special feature - an irregularly shaped window opening, which can only be explained by those initiated into the secret.cave city Tepe-Kermen. This is the secret accidentally discovered by local historians. On Easter Day, the rising sun shines through the cave window - and the exact shape of a cross appears on the opposite wall.

On the “nose” of the Tepe-Kermen plateau there remains a lonely vertical stone, from which a shadow falls on the site. Previously, it was a large cave with arches...

Tepe-Kerman– the most little-studied cave city. Only sporadic excavations were carried out here. Random finds include a coin from 1305, several bells, a pectoral cross, green and blue fragments of glass bracelets, a cheek plaque from a horse harness, fragments of a glass lamp...

) we looked at the previous two days. And for today we planned smaller objects (we also need to catch the train in the evening!), but they turned out to be no less spectacular.

Located very close to Bakhchisarai. For example, from Chufut-Kale there is a walking trail connecting these two cave cities. But since we are by car, we are driving along the valley of the Kacha River on the road to Verkhorechye. Here on the left the ship Kachi-Kalyon looms over us. But we will return here on the way back. We pass Mashino and soon turn onto a dirt road that goes between fields to the left. After driving for a few minutes, we already see it - the majestic Tepe-Kermen.

Turn after turn, closer and closer, and now we have already entered the forest at the foot of the mountain. From here, along its northern slope there is the only road leading to the top. Leaving our four-wheeled friend in the shade under a pine tree, along a well-trodden (even rolled) road, inhaling the morning aroma of the forest, we begin the climb to Tepe-Kermen. The colors of autumn landscapes set the mood for contemplative admiration of this world...

But after about fifteen minutes of walking, the tracks from the cars go to the side, and the road turns into a path that rises sharply. And then our legs suddenly became stone - sore throat! They reminded us that yesterday they stormed Mangup in exactly the same way. The next twenty minutes seemed like an eternity: “It’s not far from the house, but you can’t get there!”

But the path ends at the first caves.

In total there are about 250 caves on Tepe-Kermen. There are many large caves, two floors high. They are located in several tiers along the perimeter of the plateau. The purpose of the caves is mainly economic: sheds for livestock, rooms for utensils and food, a few caves of a defensive nature and a few of a religious nature.

Tepe-Kermen, unlike Mangup and Eski-Kermen, has been little studied. It has been determined that people lived here from approximately the 6th to the 13th centuries. But still, much about this place is said with a question mark. Was Tepe-Kermen part of the Byzantine fortification system? Was this a military fortification or just a residential settlement? How did people live here if there is no water on the mountain and a well has not yet been found? Why active life stopped here is also only a matter of speculation...

Well, we begin to go around the plateau, gradually climbing in a spiral to its top. Since the area of ​​Tepe-Kermen is several times smaller than Eski-Kermen, and even more so Mangup-Kale, our exploration of the city took no more than an hour.
Here is a very beautiful cave, multi-room with steps to the second floor.

Having climbed to the top of the plateau, we enjoy the space.

Here is another attraction of Tepe-Kerman - the so-called cave “church with a baptistery”. It has a well-preserved altar part, supported by several columns.

The uniqueness of this church is also in the transverse arrangement of the nave.

There is also a baptismal font and several ossuaries in the room. The sizes of the ossuaries found here in large numbers are very small - a meter and a half. It is impossible to bury a person in them. The guide told us that according to the traditions of that time, the deceased were buried in traditional graves, and after a while their remains were transferred to ossuaries carved into stones.
And not far from the cave church there is a stone with a cross. Perhaps he's from here.

At the top, the foundations of a large estate (possibly a local feudal lord - the medieval owner of Tepe-Kermen) were found. But now the entire plateau is overgrown with thorny thorn bushes. Finally, we found out what kind of thorn bush it is, where Brother Rabbit didn’t want to end up. Sloe berries are edible, slightly sour-tart, with a large seed.

Another boulder hung on one of the ledges, waiting for free flight. It looks like there used to be a church here too.

It's good at the top, but there's still more to come

Tepe-Kermen is one of the most mysterious places in the southwest of the Crimean Peninsula. In ancient times it was known as the Gothia fortress. This is a cave city, least studied by science, which is why it is especially attractive and attractive to tourists.

History of origin

Scientists attribute the emergence of Tepe-Kermen to approximately the end of the 6th - the very beginning of the 7th century. Most likely, its appearance was directly related to the rapid advance of the Byzantines in the territory of Northern Taurida. For the first few centuries, the settlement served as a fortress in which a large army of Goth-Alans was stationed. Later, residential buildings began to be built here, and the structure itself was tightly surrounded by a strong red wall - this happened already in the 10th century, immediately after the overwhelming majority of Crimean villages fell under the military attacks of the Khazars, as a result of which Tepe-Kermen was included in the structure Khaganate

It is believed that it was as part of the Khazar Khaganate that Tepe-Kermen was able to achieve its greatest prosperity, despite the fact that the majority of the population were Christians. In the 11th century, after the fall of the power of the Khazars in the Crimea and the transfer of lands under the rule of Byzantium, the flourishing of the cave city continued. By the end of the 12th century, it was already one of the most densely populated on the entire peninsula.

However, this prosperity was relatively short - in the 12th century. Tepe-Kermen was captured and completely destroyed by the Mongol troops of the powerful Khan Nogai. During the yoke, the territory fell into decay, the inhabitants left these places, by the end of the 14th century. the town was completely abandoned and was never restored.

For some time, in Tepe-Kermen, which had become deserted, Christian churches were still operating, where residents of all the surrounding villages came to services. In 1475, when Crimea came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish troops finally destroyed all Christian shrines, from that moment a period of total oblivion began, which lasted 500 years. Only in the middle of the last century, the archaeologist Talis again began to conduct excavations here and thereby attracted the attention of tourists and outdoor enthusiasts to this place.

Why are you interested?

Today, Tepe-Kermen, like many other places of interest on the Crimean peninsula, is considered a historical and natural attraction and a popular destination for tourism.

The ancient settlement now consists of more than 200 caves and grottoes, built in 3 tiers. The largest grottoes and caves make up approximately half of their total number; historians attribute them to the earliest. In such caves there is something like a rubble with a depression - presumably they were used as a manger. Here there are ledges with holes, which were most likely used to tie up cattle.

In caves you can often see so-called “stone rings” - circular projections in the ceiling with holes that resemble fragments of rings inserted into a large boulder. Some caves have a hatch-shaped entrance; the spacious cellars with doors make an indelible impression; their total number is just over 50; they are tiny rooms without windows.

There are also a number of rather small caves, the height of which is below human height - their purpose is unknown. Once at the top of the plateau, do not forget to pay special attention to the unusual sights of this amazing place.

• Residential caves– they are a tunnel-labyrinth of utility blocks and rooms in the lower part.

• Gate temple with its surviving sacristy premises and an abundance of inscriptions on the walls, made, as surprising as it may seem, in Hebrew. By the way, it is precisely this fact that gives historians grounds to claim that Tepe-Kermen in the past represented one of the Karaite settlements.

• Cave temple with a small baptistery, massive columns, bas-reliefs, an altar, a font and an altar. It is noteworthy that the font here is quite large in size and is more likely designed for a teenager or an adult; this indirectly confirms the theory that Tepe-Kermen was erected at the moment when the entire population of Crimea began to convert to the Christian faith - around the 16th century. The height of the room is a little more than 2.5 m.

According to tourists, this is one of the most majestic temples of this cave settlement, which is located at the very top of a high cliff. Nearby you can see many tombstones - most likely, they are the burial area of ​​local residents.

• Crypt- a place associated with a rather unusual rite of burial of the dead that existed at that time. The fact is that initially the body of a deceased person was placed in a tomb, and when his flesh had completely decayed, the clergy washed the skeleton and then moved it to the crypt; this room has been preserved until our time.

• Casemates– most likely, it was from this place that the archers repelled attacks on the fortress.

• Sun stone- This is a lonely boulder standing on the edge of a cliff, dotted with runic symbols. There are many legends about its purpose, but none of them have been confirmed, so one can only guess what role this stone played in ancient times.

Each Tepe-Kermen cave is beautiful and connected to others through tunnels, passages and steps, and due to the so-called “light windows” it is always light inside, it is simply impossible to get lost. During archaeological excavations, traces of ancient above-ground buildings were discovered, in particular, a large house of 4 rooms, a small room with a staircase was erected on the plateau - the period of their construction dates back to approximately the 12th century, the upper masonry was made of ordinary stone later - in the 14th century.

A unique plate with the faces of Christian saints was discovered near the cave. Near the southern part of the plateau, the foundation of a small chapel made of rough-hewn logs was found.

Since ancient times, two main roads have led to the settlement - in ancient times, the northern one was the most popular. It has been well preserved to this day; here you can even see wheel imprints from ancient carts and carts, the ruins of individual fortifications and ancient gates.

These ruins make the most ambiguous impression on tourists - on the one hand, they are almost the only buildings of Tepe-Kermen on earth, on the other, they are in extremely poor condition, but even despite this they amaze with their epicness and monumentality.

Where is?

Tepe Kerman is a pyramid-shaped outlier, which, if you look at the map, is located in the Bakhchisarai region of the Crimean Republic. The natural-historical monument is located 7 km in the south-east direction from Bakhchisarai and about 2 km separates the settlement from Kyz-Kermen, if you move to the north-east.

In the past, the outlier was part of the Crimean ridge, but due to tectonic processes and geological transformations, the peak split, now it rises alone 540 km above sea level, the difference with the adjacent valleys is about 250 m. Tepe-Kermen is located 2 km from the village Mashino and rises above the valley of the small mountain river Kacha. The size of steep cliffs on the southern and western sides reaches 12 m.

How to get there?

Tepe Kermen is located at the very top of a mountain in a valley that has been inhabited by people since ancient times. This is a picturesque and very fertile place, whose residents were actively engaged in agriculture. It is better to get there from Bakhchisarai or Simferopol; you need to make a stop near the village of Preduschelnoye. This is an amazingly beautiful village. Tourists are especially attracted by the steep mountain Tash-Air, which seems to float in the air.

Near this place, archaeologists discovered the site of a primitive man; here you can see rock paintings made with ocher; they are preserved quite well.

After Predelnoye, you can drive further and stop near the village of Bashtanovka - in this place it is worth admiring the remains of the ancient Christian monastery Kachi-Kalyon. During the Middle Ages, there was a monastery here, whose novices were actively involved in winemaking. Nearby is the cave city of Kyz-Kermen, popularly called the Maiden Fortress.

The final stop should be the village of Mashino, from which a flat dirt road leads to Tepe-Kermen.

You can get to this archaeological monument in another way, starting from Chufut-Kale, a small cave town. In this case you need to go past the Karaite cemetery Balta-Tiymez. Travelers note that this road is much more picturesque. It is advisable to go to Tepe-Kermen in April-May, when the valley near the cave is literally filled with the spicy smell of lush herbs and flowers; this place is especially beautiful in dry, clear weather.

Tepe-Kermen is the most mysterious place in the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula, known in ancient times by another name - Gothia. Tepe-Kermen translated from Turkic means “peak fortress,” but so far the type of this settlement has not been determined. This is the least studied cave city of Crimea and it is precisely because of this that it is so attractive to tourists.
Some scientists believed that this cave city was a large necropolis of the ancient inhabitants of Crimea. And indeed a lot of crypts were found here. Other scientists are more inclined to a different point of view, considering Tepe-Kermen to be a Byzantine city, the true name of which has been lost. Confirmation of the correctness of their conclusions is the huge number of Christian churches that are located in the once residential part of the city.
One way or another, Tepe-Kermen was built in the 6th century and was intensively built up until the 12th century. These data are confirmed by archaeological finds. It was destroyed in the 13th century, possibly by the Ottoman Turks or Tatars. All attempts to revive it came to nothing.
Tepe-Kermen keeps many mysteries and secrets. A journey here is a journey back into the depths of centuries. In addition, the landscape that opens from the top of the mountain fascinates all tourists who come here.

How to get to Tepe Kermen

Tepe-Kermen is located on the top of a mountain remnant in the valley of the Kacha River. Man settled the Kachin Valley a very long time ago. It is picturesque and fertile. It is best to travel by regular bus from Simferopol or Bakhchisarai. It is better to make the first stop at the village of Preduschelnoye. There is stunning mountain scenery here. It is worth paying attention to Tash-Air - a sheer rock that seems to be floating in the air. Not far from here, in ancient times, during the Neolithic era, there was a site of ancient people who left behind many rock paintings made in red ocher (preserved quite well).
Then it’s worth driving to the village of Bashtanovka and looking at the remains of the Kachi-Kalyon cave monastery. In the Middle Ages it was a large monastery; the monks were actively involved in viticulture. It is also worth looking at Kyz-Kermen - the Maiden Fortress (also a small cave city, which was most likely destroyed during the era of the Khazar-Byzantine warriors). The final stop is the village of Mashino. A smooth dirt road leads from it to Tepe-Kermen.

Of course, this archaeological site can be reached another way - from the cave city of Chufut-Kale, past the old Karaite cemetery Balta-Tiymez. This road will be even more picturesque than the previous one.

What to see in the cave city

Having climbed to the top of the pyramid mountain, you should immediately pay attention to the following objects:
— Labyrinths of residential caves - rooms and utility structures (lower tiers).
— A converted temple with a well-preserved sacristy and wall inscriptions, oddly enough, in Hebrew (this gives reason to some scientists to believe that Tepe-Kermen is one of the Karaite cave cities).
— A cave temple with a baptistery (baptistery), with two entrances, columns, relief images of cress, an altar illuminated by a skylight, an altar, a font (the font is very large, clearly designed for an adult, which confirms the point of view of scientists that Tepe is Kermen was built at a time when the local population actively adopted Christianity, that is, approximately the 6th century), more than two and a half meters high (this is probably the most beautiful and majestic temple of the cave city, which is located on the very edge of a steep cliff, next to There are many tombstones on the terraces, probably at the burial sites of local residents).
— The crypt is an ossuary (the fact is that in Tepe-Kermen they were very interested in the burial rite, first the human body was transferred to the tomb, then, when the flesh decayed, the bones were washed with wine and placed in the crypt, which has survived to this day).
— Combat casemates (most likely, it was from here that the archers fired at the attackers on the city).
— Sun stone (a mysterious, lonely stone standing on the very edge of a steep cliff, covered with runic signs, its purpose is still unknown, although there are a lot of legends).

All Tepe-Kermen caves are very picturesque, connected by stairs and passages. Light is provided by so-called light windows. It is impossible to get lost here, but it is very possible to get an unforgettable experience from traveling through the stone labyrinth.

The best time to travel to Tepe-Kermen is in the spring, when the Kachin Valley is filled with the aroma of herbs and flowers. Definitely in warm, sunny weather.
Tepe-Kerman is an archaeological site of federal significance. Paid entrance. It is quite possible to book an excursion, during which knowledgeable guides will show you everything and tell you in detail.

The cave city of Tepe-Kermen is an ancient fortress located on the mountain of the same name, rising above the Kacha River. The name Tepe-Kermen can be translated as “fortress on the mountain.”

In the 4th-5th centuries AD, defensive fortress cities began to appear on the territory of modern Crimea: Chufut-Kale, Eski-Kermen, as well as Tepe-Kermen. Historians suggest that the history of the cave city of Tepe-Kermen begins around the end of the 6th century, when, as a result of the split of the Roman Empire and the formation of Byzantium, the very first Byzantine fortress and upper defensive wall here were built on the mountain. It is believed that this fortress was once part of a large defensive system - the so-called “land of Dori” (this is the medieval name of the mountain system located in Crimea, in its southwestern side) - erected during the reign of Emperor Justinian. The period of construction of the lower defensive wall could not be determined.

For quite a long time until the X-XI centuries, the cave city of Tepe-Kermen served as a haven for local residents living in the surrounding valleys. In the 11th century, people began to settle in the fortress, but extensive development of its territory began only in the 12th-13th centuries. At this time, residential buildings, Christian churches, and even monasteries were built on the territory of Tepe-Kermen. Thus, in the 13th century, the cave city turned into the most ordinary small Byzantine city.

The provincial settlement existed here for some time, and then became empty. Historians have not been able to establish the exact date of his death, but suggest that it happened during the late XIII-XIV centuries. The reason for the destruction of the city was, perhaps, either the conquest of the territories by Nogai, or the invasion of Tamerlane and his army into the territory of Crimea.

However, even after the settlement of the cave city of Tepe-Kermen, local residents continued to use its territory. Until the 16th century, there was even a monastery here. Various evidence has been found that Jews lived in the settlement at this time. In the 17th century, the lands of Tepe-Kermen were used as a territory for grazing cattle; the Karaite people lived here, mostly engaged in collecting various plants and selling various small goods.

The height of Mount Tepe-Kermen is 544 meters. The internal area, surrounded by walls, is about 1.4 hectares. The cave city is protected on all sides by cliffs 10 to 12 meters high. You can get to Tepe-Kermen exclusively from the north-eastern side, where there is an equipped tourist climb up the mountain along its slope among majestic trees, as well as a narrow road passing through a carved hole in the rock. Previously, defensive lines were located in this place: the lower one was on the slope of the mountain below, and the upper one was on the very edge of the cliff above. The cave city has several tiers: the lower part of the mountain with small caves was connected to its middle part by wooden platforms; in the middle part there were various defensive devices, and there were also archers. At the bottom of the cave city of Tepe-Kermen, the premises were used mostly for livestock and fodder, and at the top lived local residents and monks. To this day, on the territory of Tepe-Kermen you can see the ruins of not only the city walls, but even the remains of three temples. Also, one of the symbols of the cave city of Tepe-Kermen is a lonely stone located at the very top of the former settlement.

Routes and excursions

Nowadays, the cave city of Tepe-Kermen is a real open-air museum. There are two options for visiting this attraction.

You can visit Tepe-Kermen on your own if you are not interested in historical facts, but just want to walk along the trail and take a lot of beautiful photographs. It is almost impossible to leave the trail, since all the memorable places and attractions are labeled here, and in addition to the names, you can also read brief information about them. There is no time limit for visiting the mountain on your own.

A visit to Tepe-Kermen with a guide guarantees a fascinating immersion in the history of these places, which dates back to the Byzantine era and ends with the times of the Golden Horde. The duration of such an excursion is approximately 1 to 2 hours, during which tourists receive a lot of interesting information, supported by visual examples of attractions.

How to get to the cave city of Tepe-Kermen

The Tepe-Kermen landmark is located on the top of the mountain of the same name, 10 kilometers from the city of Bakhchisaray. When traveling by car from the city, you need to go along Stroitelnaya Street towards the exit from the city, passing the settlements of Predushchelnoye, Bashtanovka and Mashino, you will get to the village of Kudrino. There is a specialized tourist parking lot on the territory of the village. You can also get to Kudrino by suburban minibus, or use taxi services: Yandex. Taxi, taxi Solnyshko, Udacha, Arsen and many others.

How to get to Tepe-Kermen by car from Bakhchisaray: route on google maps

From the parking lot you will need to climb to the top of the mountain on foot along a special path. The ascent will take approximately half an hour. It is possible to travel this route in an SUV for an additional fee. For lovers of long hiking trips, we can advise you to go to Tepe-Kermen on foot from Bakhchisarai. A short path starts from the Assumption Monastery, then you need to go towards Chufut-Kale, exiting through its Eastern gate, you need to move straight along the path for about 4.5 kilometers, after which you will see a parking lot and a forester’s booth allowing tourists into the territory of Tepe-Kermen.

Cave city Tepe-Kermen on Google panoramas

Video of the cave city of Tepe-Kermen