Mangup-Kale in Crimea: how to get to the city and what to see?

The natural, cultural and historical monument - the settlement of Mangup-Kale in Crimea is of interest not only to specialists in the field of archeology, but also to ordinary tourists. Even the description of the cave city looks very impressive. But it would be much better to appreciate all the advantages of this place with your own eyes, because some sources date its ancient ruins to the 4th century BC, in addition, the history of Mangup-Kale deserves to be heard.

Mangup-Kale is a natural monument located on the mountain plateau of the Baba-Dag massif. The total area of ​​the object is more than 90 hectares, part of which is represented by multi-tiered underground catacombs, cut right into the rock. The cave city is a unique phenomenon, and in its history there were times of the Ottoman siege and periods of peaceful coexistence of dozens of nationalities.

This is confirmed by Mangup-Kale itself, whose height above sea level reaches 600 m. Here are the burial places of representatives of various confessions - the ancient Karaite necropolis and the tombs of Catholic monks. The wall with the Citadel and the main entrance leads to the monastery cellars and the monastery itself, carved into the rock like an anthill. The majestic fortress Mangup managed to survive more than one attack of warlike invaders. Bloody battles unfolded here, and today this place on the map serves as a reference point for all lovers of the history of Crimea and just tourists who want to learn a little more about the archaeological artifacts located on the territory of the peninsula.

It is not for nothing that Mangup Kale is considered one of the most mysterious architectural and cultural monuments of its era. The history and legends of this place differ even in the dates of its foundation. There are opinions that the first settlements were here already in the 4th century BC. But many historians propose to revise these dates eight centuries ahead.

Only one thing is known for certain - already in the 5th century AD, the first fortifications were erected here, located in the possessions of the Goths. For almost a century and a half, the fortress passed into the hands of the Khazars, then again returned to the Crimean Gothia. It was then that it got its name - Mangup.

The heyday of these places fell on the Middle Ages, when the princes Theodoro ruled here. The area on the plateau has developed into a thriving city with a lively trade, wine and leather industry. Until 1475, Mangup belonged to the Theodoro dynasty, and then, as a result of the bloody invasion of the Ottomans, for three centuries passed into the power of the Turkish troops. Since 1790, Mangup-Kale has been deprived of the status of an inhabited land - there are no active settlements here, only in the restored monastery monastery life is in full swing.

Today Mangup-Kale is part of the protected areas of Crimea. There are magnificent views from here, including the man-made Maiden Lake. And excursions to the places of former greatness on the plateau are conducted by the museum staff, who are always ready to tell many secrets and legends.

Among them are stories that Mangup could be the place where the Holy Grail was hidden. This shrine to this day is the object of a relentless search for mystics of all stripes. Legend has it that the vessel, created from the crown of the fallen ruler of the underworld - Lucifer, is hidden in its native from the walls of the fortress. Needless to say, the best forces of many states of the world were thrown in search of the bowl taken out of Constantinople in different years. The Nazis also tried to find the Holy Grail on the peninsula, and for this purpose they undertook entire archaeological expeditions. Modern enthusiasts, supporters of this theory, also from year to year go to the underground cities of Taurida to try to take possession of the legendary cup, from which, according to legend, the communion of the apostles was carried out on the night of the Last Supper. It should be noted that the symbolism of the golden cradle bowl is not at all uncommon for the Crimean Christian structures of that era.

The Mangup-Kale settlement is located in the Republic of Crimea on the territory of the Bakhchisarai region. The nearest village is Khoja-Sala. It is he who is most often used as a guide when building a route.

You can get to the natural monument Mangup-Kale using a personal car on the road from Simferopol or from Balaklava and Sevastopol. In the first case, having passed Bakhchisarai, you will have to move to the village of Zalesnoye, towards Ternovka. This is where Khoja-Sala will be. If you go from Sevastopol, you will have to look for the necessary signs in the reverse order - first go through Ternovka and move towards Zalesny.

Having found the desired toponym - the village of Khodzha-Sala, you need to drive past the lake, turning off the main road connecting Simferopol and Sevastopol. You should move without turning off the main street, it is called Chelebi and comes to the ticket office of the Mangup-Kale nature reserve. Here you can park your car, walk forward along the same street for about 40 m and turn right.

The peculiarities of transport communication in Crimea are such that there are no direct flights to the small village of Khoja-Sala. But from the "Western" bus station in Simferopol, you can go to the stopping point between Zalesnoye and Ternovka on one of the passing buses. It should be borne in mind that transport stops here at the request of passengers, you need to notify the driver in advance.

From Bakhchisarai you can go by the same buses. Once at the lake, you need to turn off the road towards the village of Khodzha-Sala and go to the main street. From Sevastopol, bus # 40, departing from the 5th kilometer station, goes only to the village of Ternovka. Then you have to walk about 6 km, on average the road takes no more than 60 minutes. You can also get from Balaklava - you can only get to Ternovka by bus # 129 (departs from a / c "Ploschad 1 -go Maya").

The bus schedule can hardly be called convenient. They run quite rarely, and flights do not start early in the morning. In addition, you should definitely take into account that sightseeing in this case will take much more time. You can take a taxi. If you do not plan to live near Mangup-Kale, such a solution will be the best option.

Hiking tourism is well developed in Crimea. Not far from Mangup Kale, you can find a suitable option. Route 18 runs from the southern wall. Options combined with WR1-№14,15, 16, laid through the Jan-Dere beam, are also suitable. But going there with a tent, it is worth considering that it will not work to camp on the Mangup-Kale plateau itself - this is prohibited.

A trip to Mangup-Kale will be more successful if you find housing in advance during your stay in the Bakhchisarai region. Having solved this issue, it will be possible to easily master the most interesting and popular excursion routes. It is worth highlighting several options among the most popular and affordable.

• Hotels. There are hotels and boarding houses both in the village of Khoja-Sala and beyond. The budget option is considered to be the hostel "Mangup-Kale" or "Kayarka" in Orlin.

• Private accommodation. You can rent private cottages, family houses or choose a studio in Bakhchisarai, Sevastopol. But the level of residential properties can vary greatly.

• Recreation center. In the Bakhchisarai region there is a sports and tourist complex "Inkomsport", where all the conditions for a comfortable stay are created.

• Guest houses. There are in Zalesnoye, Sokolin, for example, "At Uncle Vasya's", Eagle, Balaklava.

• Camping. Traveling by car, you can solve your housing problem by staying at the Mangup parking lot in the territory of the Khoja-Sala village. This is the cheapest accommodation option - for only 300 rubles a day you can stay in the immediate vicinity of the settlement.

Each traveler decides for himself which variant of living conditions to choose. The tourist infrastructure of the Bakhchisarai region is quite well developed, which makes it possible to find affordable accommodation for vacationers with a minimum budget, and for those who are used to comfort.

There are many unique historical and architectural monuments on the Mangup-Kale plateau. It is better to plan for sightseeing all the sights for two days. It will definitely not be possible to examine them in one day off.

The first thing that Mangup-Kale greets its guests with is a path going steeply upward through the Tabana-Dere ravine. Vertically, you will have to climb 300 to the beginning of the plateau within 1.5 kilometers of the path. It will not be easy to go this way without comfortable hiking shoes. On the Baba-Dag mountain plateau, travelers will find a steep cliff on the southern side and four protruding promontories from the North at once.

Moving along the trail, travelers can see the first attraction - fortifications dating back to 1503. Scientists-archaeologists assigned it the letter A and number XI. There is a plaque on the wall, thanks to which it was possible to establish the exact date of the construction of the structure. The text mentions the time of the reign of the governor of Tzula. It is worth noting that this fortification wall was built from the material of another fortification, which until 1475 was located down the path. But after the Turkish conquest of the plateau, this border was destroyed and was no longer restored within its former borders.

The next attraction of Mangup-Kale is widely known to most tourists. The Karaite necropolis - the resting place of the dead, dates back to the 15th – 18th centuries. It looks quite typical for burial. There are memorial tombstones, cut out of rock, and displaced from their former places by landslides typical of mountainous areas.

It is interesting that the records of the Karaites are made in Hebrew, and the plates themselves have such a form as:

• with one or two "horns";
• in the form of a flat parallelepiped;
• prismatic.

At the time when Mangup was located here, multinationality was the norm - representatives of many nationalities lived on the territory of the city. The Jews who followed the corresponding branch of Judaism, which denied the traditional sacred books, but accepted the Bible, were called Karaites. It was their descendants who were the last to leave Mangup-Kale after the events that took place here during the capture of the plateau by the Ottomans.

The remains of the walls of the fortress tower are one of the few real evidence of the location of the borders in Mangup-Kale. This second line of defensive fortifications defended the settlement itself.

Among the Crimean religious buildings located in the mountainous area, the basilica on Mangup-Kale is the largest. Initially, it arose in the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Justinian and presumably existed until the 15th century. Today, among the ruins, it is rather difficult to recognize the former splendor of the Catholic church. It is known that the basilica had three naves and a two-row colonnade. Outside, you can see the remains of a necropolis with 400 graves.

This central city building, together with the basilica, once formed the most important and prestigious development area. The princes Theodoro, the ruling dynasty, lived in the palace. One of its representatives, Aleksey, erected the family residence in 1425. The principality on Mangup-Kala was considered one of the key figures in the political arena of that time, and the building was fully consistent with the status of its owners. Today, among the ruins, it is difficult to imagine how magnificent the building was. The Turks, who seized these territories, had a hand in its destruction.

To the right of the Feodoro Palace, following the excursion trail, you can see the Mouse-trap gorge located along the cliff of the southern wall. For centuries, wise rulers used its natural relief to their advantage, without fear of attack from the south. But under the wall is one of the main attractions of Mangup-Kale - the male Holy Annunciation Monastery, located in the caves. The monastery, carved into the rock, was created here in the 15th century, and after many years of oblivion it was restored. Now there is an active monastery courtyard, for a visit to which it is better to allocate most of the day - the descent and ascent back up the mountain are quite steep and take time.

Moving further along the trail, you can see the remains of the walls.These ruins are of great historical value, as they are the only remaining evidence that once there was a small church with one nave, erected and consecrated in honor of St. Constantine. Archaeologists and historians date it to the 15th – 17th centuries.

The most majestic views of Mangup Kale open from the top of Baba Dag, which is the highest point of the plateau. Here you can see a clearer version of the scratch carved into the stone. In addition, in the rock, you can explore an underground room carved out underground - it is impossible to accurately date its origin, but winemaking flourished here both in the time of Theodoro and under the Turks. A small basilica, erected in the 9th-10th centuries, was once located on the southern cliff. Today, only the foundation has remained from the three-century building, which makes it possible to estimate the size and outline the boundaries of the structure.

On one of the best-preserved sites of medieval architecture, Mangup-Kale, near the South Cliff, you can see rocky monastery caves. They were cut by hand, and inside the rock real labyrinths were formed, created by the hands of monks. Further, you can see the site with crypts, where the burials of the deceased inhabitants of the monastery were located.

The main medieval border of the principality of Theodoro is the citadel, which until recently was a bastion that held back the invasion of the Ottomans. This fortress was erected in the XIV-XV centuries AD and is represented by two extended sections of the wall with a tower in the middle. The total length of the fortification is more than 83 m. Inside the three-storey tower-donjon there was a temporary residence of the prince.

The ruins of the fortress walls are quite well preserved. On the surface around the window and door openings, we can still clearly distinguish the original ornament facing the cape. To the left of the fortress, you can see the arched main entrance. The architecture of the Citadel was partially changed by Turkish troops during the capture of the plateau. In addition, for a long time the fort simply crumbled, only at the end of the 20th century it was decided that it was necessary to restore and reconstruct it.

The cape from which the history of Mangup-Kale began is Teshkli-Burun. It is located just outside the main gate of the Citadel. After passing the arch, travelers find themselves in the places where the first artificial caves were formed on this territory. Here you can also see an ancient underground well, taken away for safety by a modern lattice. You can go down into some caves, but you need to do it very carefully - the slope is very steep.

One of the objects is of particular interest to tourists. Inside the Acoustic Cave located to the left of the gate of the Citadel, one can see Hindu and esoteric symbolism. Pilgrims - followers of Hinduism often come here. A chain of caves leads to the monastery located on the Teshkli-Burun ravine. The underground structures have also been fairly well preserved here.

Rest in the fortress city of Mangup-Kale is represented mainly by sightseeing tours and hiking trips, allowing you to fully appreciate the beauty of the local nature. The opportunity to climb the majestic slopes of the mountain on foot and see with your own eyes the settlement, which has survived the change of eras and peoples, is worth a lot. But when planning a trip, it is worth considering some aspects of the local infrastructure, as well as the rules of conduct on the territory of the natural monument.

Important! The entrance to the territory of the historical monument is paid. You can get to Mangup-Kale every day by buying a full ticket for 100 rubles or a reduced ticket for 50 rubles. Tickets are sold daily, except Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9 am to 5 pm. Ticket office closing time - 16 hours.

When visiting the objects of the cave city of Mangup-Kale, you should be guided by the weather conditions. If they deteriorate significantly, the territory of the facility may be closed. It is forbidden for people to stay on the territory of the ancient settlement without the presence of the following points:

• a supply of water of at least 1.5 liters per person;
• comfortable sports shoes without slippery soles;
• hats.

It should be borne in mind that the benefits operating on the territory of the entire Bakhchisarai Museum-Reserve, to which Mangup-Kale belongs, are relevant both for persons entitled to them in full, and for certain categories of citizens of the Russian Federation and other states. It is worth clarifying the possibility of obtaining a ticket at a reduced price when contacting the ticket office.

How to get to the cave city of Mangup-Kale in Crimea, see the video below.