Panticapaeum. The history of Panticapaeum in Kerch, the ancient city of Pnticapeum, sights, photos, what to see. Panikapei: an ancient city near Kerch
And it was to him that the main temple of the acropolis was dedicated. The construction of the oldest and most grandiose by the standards Northern Black Sea the building of the Temple of Apollo Ietra was completed by the end of the 6th century. BC e .. In addition, later, next to the Spartokid palace, there was a temple in honor of Aphrodite and Dionysus. The whole city was eventually surrounded by a powerful system of stone fortifications, surpassing the Athenian one. In the vicinity of the city there was a necropolis, which differed from the necropolises of other Hellenic cities. In addition to the earth burials common at that time for the Hellenes, the necropolis of Panticapaeum consisted of long chains mounds stretching along the roads from the city to the steppe. On the south side, the city is bordered by the most significant range of mounds, today called Yuz-Oba - one hundred hills. Representatives of the barbarian nobility - Scythian leaders, who exercised a military-political protectorate over the city, were buried under their mounds. The barrows still make up one of the most striking sights of the Kerch environs. The most popular are such as Kul-Oba, Melek-Chesmensky, Golden and especially the famous Tsarsky.
Military confederation in the Bosporus. Panticapaeum
Ruins of Panticapaeum
The territory on which modern Kerch is located was already inhabited in the 17th-15th centuries BC. e. , as evidenced by archaeological excavations conducted in the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Mayak. However, the history of Kerch as a city began about 2600 years ago, when at the end of the 7th century BC. e. on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus (Kerch Strait), ancient Greek colonists founded a number of independent city-states (polises) that amounted to in the 40s. VI century BC e. military confederation. The purpose of the interpolis union was to resist the indigenous population - the Scythians. Panticapaeum was the largest, most powerful and probably the first. This is indicated by the fact that since the end of the 40s. 6th century BC e. Panticapaeum minted its own silver coin, and from the last third of the 70s. 4th century BC e. - and gold.
By the mid 80s. 4th century BC e. cities on both sides of the strait lose their independence and enter the Bosporan state of Spartokids with the capital Panticapaeum.
Due to its geographical location, the city long time was at the crossroads of trade routes between Europe, Central Asia, China and the Mediterranean. The main export products of Panticapaeum were grain and salty fish. Winemaking has become widespread.
The capital of the Bosporan kingdom. Dynasties: Archaeanactides, Spartocids.
Entrance to the Royal Kurgan
A representative of the noble Milesian family Archeanakt, became an archon (elected magistrate) for the democratic union of most Greek cities in the Bosporus from 479 BC. e. with its capital at Panticapaeum. For the next 42 years, the Bosporus Confederation was presided over by the Archaeanactids, whom Diodorus, modernizing the past, mistakenly called "reigning" (for Diodorus, all the Bosporan rulers were kings). Under the Spartokids, who replaced the Archaeanactids in 438 BC. e. and ruling in the Bosporus until 109 BC. e. , without exception, all the cities of the former confederation were already subordinate to Panticapaeum - a political, commercial, craft and cultural center. As a result of active foreign policy Spartokids - whose tyrannical power grew into royal - the Bosporan kingdom in the middle of the 4th century. BC e. included eastern Taurica and the Taman Peninsula.
The heyday of the Bosporan kingdom belongs to the period of the reign of Levkon I from 389 to 349. BC e. , his sons and ends with his grandson Eumela (309-304 BC), whose plans included making Pontus Euxinus (Black Sea) the inland sea of his kingdom.
The last of the Spartokids - Perisad V - could not resist the claims of the barbarians (Sarmatians?) for hegemony over the Bosporus and was forced to abdicate in favor of the Pontic king Mithridates Eupator. However, in 107 BC. e. during negotiations with Diophantus on the transfer of power to the Pontic king in Panticapaeum, an uprising of Savmakos broke out, and Savmakos, the last of the Spartokid family, was killed.
Savmak
The Scythian rebel leader Savmak became the ruler of the Bosporus. The system that was established during the reign of Savmak, which lasted about a year, is unknown. After a long preparation, Mithridates VI sent a large punitive expedition of Diophantus from Sinope. In the Crimea, the Chersonese detachments were included in it. The troops of Diophantus took Theodosia, passed the Kerch Peninsula and captured Panticapaeum. Savmak was captured, and the Bosporus kingdom came under the rule of Mithridates VI.
Mithridates VI Eupator
Having suppressed the uprising, Mithridates began to rule the Bosporan kingdom, which became part of the Pontic.
During the three Mithridatic Wars, Panticapaeum and the entire Bosporus kingdom worked for the Pontic king, who was at war with the Roman Empire.
In 65 BC. e. The defeated Mithridates takes refuge in Panticapaeum and, having learned in 63 BC. e. about the betrayal of his son Pharnaces II, is stabbed at his request by the head of his bodyguard detachment, when he is surrounded in the Panticapaeum citadel by the troops who rebelled against him and incited by his son.
Roman colony. Tiberius Julia. Sarmatian King Aspurg
Finally, Panticapaeum as the capital of the state ceased to exist in the 370s AD. e. during the Hun invasion. Vast sections of the capital were reduced to ruins. However, the city continued to live, and, soon revived, turned into a major trade and craft center of the Northern Black Sea region.
Middle Ages
Byzantine part of the Church of John the Baptist in Kerch (VII-XIX centuries)
new time
The Obelisk of Glory on Mount Mithridates was opened on August 8, 1944. This is the very first monument dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War on the territory of the USSR.
Archeology
Excavations of the ancient policy of Panticapaeum on Mount Mithridates
Systematic excavations in Kerch began in the 30s of the 19th century. During excavations in the area of the Yeni-Kale fortress, a lead seal of Ratibor, the governor of the Grand Duke of Kiev Vsevolod in Tmutarakan, was found, and during the excavations of the year, the seal of Theophania Muzalon, a Byzantine patrician, wife of Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich, was found.
Within the city there are several burial mounds - burial structures under a high artificial embankment. Archaeological work is regularly carried out on Mount Mithridates, on top of which in the 5th century BC. e. -3rd century A.D. e. was the acropolis of Panticapaeum. The ancient settlements of Nymphea, Kitea and Porfmia are also systematically excavated. Several ancient cities from the period of the Bosporan Kingdom were discovered on Azov coast Kerch Peninsula, however, they have not been sufficiently studied so far.
I am often asked: What sights of Kerch worth a look?" To which I basically answer: "Panticapeum"! This is one of the places in Crimea that attracts a huge number of tourists. Today there is every reason to believe that Panticapaeum is the most ancient city on the peninsula.
Where is the attraction
Panticapaeum is located in the city Kerch, in his very heart, on the famous. Another attraction leads to Chekhov Street, on which the ancient settlement is actually located, - the Great Mithridates Stairs. You will have to overcome 431 stone steps before you reach your goal.
But trust me, it's worth it. Personally, when I climbed the stairs, I experienced the most positive emotions. The greatness of the ancient building (1832 - 1840) decorated with griffins simply cannot leave you indifferent. Then, from the stairs, you need to go to the path, which will lead you to the ruins of the ancient state.
History of origin and development
Panticapaeum is considered the most ancient state, since it is rather difficult to call it a city. The territory was about one hundred hectares. AT different times, the boundaries then expanded, then narrowed again. Panticapaeum has experienced many peoples, events, and today every traveler who is interested in history has the opportunity to see the ruins of a once great power with his own eyes. Find out the significant events that influenced the history of the modern city.
Ulyanka and ancient buildings It is believed that the settlement was founded by the ancient Greeks, who arrived in these lands from Miletus, back in the 7th century BC. For comparison - based on a century later. At the same time, archaeologists have found evidence that the first settlers appeared here much earlier. In 480, Taman and Kerch united, forming a great state, the capital of which was Panticapaeum. Already in 438, the city became the most powerful in the entire ancient world.
The Acropolis was the center, all the nobility lived in it, it was just on Mount Mithridates, from where, however, as now, a stunning view opened up. A hundred years after its founding, a temple of Apollo was erected in the city, who became the patron of the settlement. To the east, in the harbor of the most important outlet of those times, there were about thirty ships.
It was in Panticapaeum that gold, silver and copper coins were minted, which were the main unit of the Bosporus kingdom. The state was quite powerful, mainly its favorable location influenced its strength. After the rapid flourishing of Panticapaeum, a protracted decline awaited, which arose as a result of internal disagreements between the authorities. The decline continued for almost two centuries, until 107 BC, when the city fell into the power of the Pontic rulers.
Then there was another take-off, the state flourished again, though not for long. And already in the year 14 Panticapaeum became an ordinary puppet. The rulers changed one after another, and this lasted for almost four hundred years. At the beginning of the fourth century, the Ostrogoths attacked the Bosporus, but it existed for another fifty years. Panticapaeum was completely destroyed in 371. For several centuries it was, in fact, a wasteland. And only in 600 the city of Kerch was founded in its place.
In 1970, the architects reconstructed some of the columns, but there are places here that were practically not affected by wars and vandals. This is a necropolis with royal tombs. This is a whole series of burial mounds where the Scythian nobility and military leaders rest. Excursions in Crimea will help you see as many of these places as possible in a shorter period of time. But if you decide to visit Panticapaeum on your own, in particular the tombs. First of all, I recommend visiting Melek-Chesmensky, as well as the Golden and Tsarsky mounds. They are almost untouched by centuries and people. Unforgettable impressions are guaranteed.
All the ruins of the former great state, even now, despite the fact that the remains of some buildings, even the very temple of Apollo, are barely visible, cause indescribable impressions. The place is amazing, it causes not only delight, but also some kind of incomprehensible feeling. As if you find yourself in an ancient kingdom, where everything is about to come to life. Majestic defensive walls and ten-meter buildings will rise. Perhaps this ancient city will not cause such feelings for you, but in any case, you will definitely not experience disappointment.
How to get there (get there)
It all depends on what kind of transport you are traveling. If this is a personal or rented car, be guided by the map. Map and coordinates at the bottom of the page! Citizens traveling on public transport, sit down on fixed-route taxi No. 5 or 28, departing from the Kerch bus station. Get off at the stop "Pl. Lenin" and move to the west. You need to walk about one kilometer.
Buses number 23, 5 and 3 run from the Kerch stop. You also get to Lenin Square. Go along Admiralteisky Proyezd to Teatralnaya Street and turn onto the street. Them. 51st army. And already from it go to the stairs, which I already wrote about above.
A photo
The ancient settlement of Panticapaeum in Kerch is one of the most famous archaeological sites. Crimean peninsula, which is of great interest to both scientists and tourists, who often come just to see it with their own eyes. Although the preservation of the ancient capital of the Bosporus kingdom disappoints many visitors - only very little can be seen here, but this is enough to understand and imagine its former power and greatness. The ruins of numerous temples, fortress walls, residential areas, tombs and palaces of the kings of the Bosporus are presented to the attention of lovers of antiquity, where the spirit of those distant and romantic times still seems to hover.
Where is the ancient city in the Crimea?
The ancient settlement is located in the Eastern Crimea, in the east of the Kerch Peninsula. It is located for the most part on the site of the modern one and partly in its vicinity.
Panticapaeum on the map of Crimea
The history of the founding of Panticapaeum
The history of the city begins long before its foundation, when the first settlements appeared here. They belong to the middle of the II millennium BC, however, there is no consensus about the tribal affiliation of the first settlers. But there are many archaeological finds confirming the correctness of dating.
The foundation of Panticapaeum itself took place almost a thousand years later, in the second half of the 7th century BC, when, having crossed the Cimmerian Bosporus, these lands became the new homeland of numerous Greek settlers. It was a small colony, settled mainly by Ionians, immigrants from Miletus, unremarkable and just one of many on.
The rise of the polis
It began in the second half of the 6th century, when all the Greek colonies, often at war, united in the fight against the Scythians, establishing a military confederation. But Panticapaeum at that time remained only the first among equals, militarily he was superior to many, but the rest of the city-states of the confederation did not recognize his unconditional hegemony. Although one fact draws attention - Panticapaeum was the first policy in the Crimea and one of the first in the world to start minting its own silver coins. This can only speak of growing power, a claim to primacy among the rest.
This process lasted for 150 years. During this time, in view of the danger posed by the warlike Scythians, Panticapaeum gradually subdues the rest of the Greek cities of the state. Around 388 BC. Levkon I from the Spartokid dynasty founded, which includes the lands of not only the Kerch, but also the Taman Peninsula, and Panticapaeum becomes its capital. During this period, the city experienced an unprecedented flourishing, it was surrounded by a powerful fortress wall, beautiful religious objects were built here, such as the temple of Apollo on the Acropolis, majestic palaces and numerous public buildings.
The further fate of Panticapaeum
Like the current Kerch, Panticapaeum was a huge, beautiful city, covering an area of more than 100 hectares, and surpassed many policies in Greece in beauty and power. This prosperity was due to the extremely beneficial geographic location, thanks to which for some time it became the center of world trade and made the most of this advantage. Soon the Bosporan kings began to claim wider dominance, 
intending to turn the Black Sea into an internal lake of his state.
Following this, internal turmoil began, caused by a struggle for power between representatives of the royal house, followed by a period of gradual decline that lasted from the end of the 4th to the end of the 2nd centuries. BC. After the uprising of Savmakos and the murder of the last representative of the Spartokid dynasty in 107 BC. The Bosporan kingdom fell under the rule of the Pontic rulers.
For a short time, Panticapaeum experienced a second heyday, but already in 14, it turned into a puppet kingdom and a vassal of the Roman Empire. The kings randomly succeeded each other for almost 400 years, were appointed governors of Rome and did not have any real power. At the beginning of the 4th century, the Bosporus suffered a crushing blow from the Ostrogoths, but continued to exist for another half a century. The kingdom was finally destroyed by the Huns, who captured and destroyed it to the ground in 371. After that locality remained abandoned for several centuries, until another appeared on its ruins, which eventually became the current Kerch.
What attracts tourists to Panticapaeum?
Excavations of the ancient city, or rather what was left of it, began in the middle of the 19th century - these were unauthorized searches for the mythical treasures of the Bosporan kings. Behind a short time what the Huns, nature and inhabitants of Kerch did not destroy, 
used the remains of Panticapaeum as construction material, liquidated treasure hunters. Now the best preserved part of the policy is located on the Agora, or.
But the most interesting for scientists and tourists is the necropolis of this sight of Kerch. It suffered least of all from the hands of conquerors and vandals. There are several completely untouched, even by time, royal tombs.
The necropolis is located on the southern outskirts of Kerch, represented by a whole ridge of Yuz-Oba burial mounds, consists of hundreds of hills, where the remains of representatives of the Scythian nobility and military leaders are buried. Many of them are open to the public, which attracts travelers the most. Particularly interesting for inspection are the Golden and burial mounds, which have been preserved intact.
How to get to the attraction?
It is easy to get to the settlement of Panticapaeum by public transport. Taking minibus No. 5 or No. 28 near the city bus station, you will need to get off at the stop "Lenin Square" and go westward for about 1 km.
By car, you can get to the memo of Kerch in this way:
Note to the tourist
- Address: Mount Mithridates, Kerch, Crimea, Russia.
- Coordinates: 45.350886, 36.469573.
- Phone: +7-36561-2-50-61.
- Official site: http://www.kerch-museum.com/
- Opening hours: by appointment.
- Prices for visiting: for adults - 50, for children - 20 rubles.
Visiting the ancient settlement of Panticapaeum in the city of Kerch, as if touching it ancient history that doesn't seem so far away. Most of its beautiful buildings are irretrievably lost, others are under modern neighborhoods, but still there is a lot to see here. It can surprise even the most picky tourists!
You can admire the construction of the new Kerch bridge from the top of Mount Mithridates, which is located in the center of Kerch. It was here that the ancient Panticapaeum once stood, here you feel your involvement in history, you feel the strong connection of eras and events. Now an eternal flame burns on the top of the mountain in memory of the heroic defenders of the city. More than two thousand years ago, the ruler of the Bosporus kingdom Mithridates VI Eupator admired Panticapaeum and the Black Sea coast from this place.
Artifacts of Panticapaeum
Excavations on the territory of Panticapaeum have not stopped since the middle of the 19th century. During this time, many valuable objects of the ancient era were found. Rich collections of Cimmerian antiquities are kept in museums around the world.
- Hermitage, Department of Antiquities of the Cimmerian Bosporus, more than 10,000 gold exhibits.
- Munich, Antique Collection, James Lebe Collection. One of the famous masterpieces, a golden diadem in the form of a “Hercules knot”.
- Cologne, Archaeological Institute, collection of simple and black-glazed ceramics.
Dive into history
According to archaeologists, the history of the settlement of Panticapaeum begins around 460 BC. For what it was major city on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, indicates the fact: Panticapaeum minted its own silver coins, in a later era also gold. The Greeks chose a good place to settle: trade routes from Europe, the Mediterranean, China and Central Asia. Around a lot of limestone for construction, iron ore for tools, favorable climate.
The main export items were fish, grain and wine. On the top of Mount Mithridates, an acropolis was built in honor of the god Apollo, he was considered the patron saint of Panticapaeum. Nearby stood two more temples dedicated to Dionysus and the goddess Aphrodite. In the lower part of the city there were residential quarters, an agora, a seaport. Deep in the depths of Mount Mithradates was the Necropolis, the city of the dead. Now it's a complex system crypts, connected by manholes.
Griffins were the militant symbol of the powerful Bosporus state. Their winged figures with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion to this day adorn the platform of the lower tier of the Great Mithridates Stairs. There are many contradictions in mythical animals: sharp claws and snow-white wings, an evil beast and a guardian angel, Earth and Sky, Good and Evil. Also, the figures of griffins are depicted on the emblems of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Kerch.
Staircase to eternity
Russified Italian Alexander Digby at the beginning of the 19th century implemented a project to build a staircase to the top of Mount Mithridates. Unfortunately, during the years Crimean War(1854-1856) it was partially destroyed. But even in this state, it remained a favorite place for walking.
The next difficult times for the Great Mithridates Stairs began during the Great Patriotic War. In the spring of 1944, there were heavy battles for the city of Kerch, the building was again damaged. And only in the 70s it was decided to restore the staircase according to the designs of Alexander Digby. According to the architect's drawings and fragments of stone statues, the building was given its original appearance. Climbing 432 steps, tourists enjoy the picturesque seascapes and immerse themselves in history.
Video review:
Excursions in Panticapaeum
Of course, today you will not be able to see the stone square of the Agora, temples and palaces. Only the remains of columns, stone ruins, and fragments of walls overgrown with grass. It is worth applying a little imagination, and the imagination will complete the picture: defensive structures, powerful walls, residential buildings, shopping arcades.
Think about it, the height of other buildings was more than 10 meters. Real giants! But don't forget to look down. Shards, coins, fragments of kitchen utensils are still found by the lucky ones. An obligatory ritual in Panticapaeum is sitting on the Mithridatic chair, a large marble stone found by archaeologists recently.
glorious tradition
In the 60s of the last century, the tradition of torchlight processions spontaneously arose. The townspeople gathered in groups and on May 8 climbed the Great Mithridates Stairs with torches to honor the memory of the soldiers. Year after year, more and more people became, in 2014 the event received official status. On the top of Mithridates, theatrical performances are held, and the celebration ends with fireworks from ships docked in the waters of the port of Kerch.
How to get to Panticapaeum
From the Kerch bus station to the central square, you can get by buses No. 3, 5, 23. You should go to the Lenin stop. It is much more pleasant to walk to Panticapaeum on foot, they will tell you the way locals, go no more than a kilometer.
Panticapaeum on the map of Crimea
GPS Coordinates: 45°21’3″N 36°28’8″E Latitude/Longitude
Here is the oldest building on the territory modern Russia which has just come under its jurisdiction. Kerch is a small city (150 thousand inhabitants), on the eastern tip of the Crimean peninsula. Despite its location around a small bay in the Kerch Strait between the Black and Seas of Azov, the city has never been a resort. There are very few beaches and resorts, but there are several ports, fishing piers, piers, shipyards and purely "land" enterprises. Therefore, the city center is not at all like other Crimean cities.
1. Almost all the few entertainment infrastructure of the city is located in one place. 
2. Something resembling a pedestrian boulevard - a very short Dimitrov lane between an unequipped embankment and Lenin Square. Yes, and entertaining establishments occupy only the right side of the lane. 
3. And along its left side there is a square with an amazing historical monument Byzantine culture with over a thousand years of history. 
4. This is the Church of John the Baptist, dating back to the Byzantine period in the history of Crimea. 
5. The current appearance of the temple was largely formed in the 19th century, when aisles and a bell tower were added to a small cruciform temple. 
6. The most ancient part of the temple is viewed from the apse. Now the temple stands in the middle of a noticeable basin in the middle of a centuries-old cultural layer. 
7. Behind the temple lies the main square of the city, traditionally named after Lenin. 
8. From it begins the shady pedestrian street of the same name. 
9. But our path lies in the other direction, to the monuments of ancient Greek culture. On the way we will see the building of the gymnasium late XIX century, still working for its intended purpose. 
10. At the foot of the mountain there is a column with a portrait of Mithridates VI Evpator (Evpatoria went from him), who was in 121-63 BC. e. the king of the Bosporan state, the capital of which was Kerch, then bearing the name of Panticapaeum. 
11. On the mountain where he stood ancient city, now you can climb the Great Mithridates Stairs, decorated with figures of griffins. 
12. From the top there is a panoramic view of central part of the city, Lenin Square and the Church of John the Baptist are visible. 
14. Here they are, the ruins of Panticapaeum, founded by ancient Greek colonists from Miletus at the end of the 7th century BC. e. The name Παντικάπαιον meant "fish way". 
15. The excavated foundations date back to the 5th-3rd century BC. e. 
16. Panticapaeum existed until the 5th century AD. e., after which it was under the rule of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. 
17. In the center of the settlement, archaeologists restored the arch. 
18. In late antique times, the northern slope of Mount Mithridates was turned into a cemetery. Here, in the 19th century, many sarcophagi were discovered, some of them were wooden. 
19. Now the sarcophagi of Mount Mithridates can be seen in the exposition of the State Hermitage. 
20. In addition to sarcophagi, the Hermitage exhibits many other ancient monuments from Kerch. 
21. It is hard to believe that for many centuries this vessel has been preserved in its original form. 
22. Now several hundred crypts of the 3rd-5th centuries have been described, but according to assumptions, under Mount Mithridates there may be more than three thousand burials. 
13. And on the very top of the mountain there is an eternal fire, which is currently not active. 
23. A little lower, at the end of the Mithridates Stairs, a memorial was built to the liberators of Crimea during the Great Patriotic War. 
24. Today, Mount Mithridates is the main point for viewing the surroundings. From here, the whole Kerch is at a glance. 
25. At the foot of the mountain, the Genoese pier and nightclub walkways protrude into the bay, where you can, if you wish, plunge into sea water and lie down on the sand, but no one wants to be seen. 
26. But people swim at the municipal water station, where there is also a jumping tower. 
27. If you look into the waters of the strait, you can see Krasnodar region. Tuzla Island is in the foreground, and the tanks of the bunkering complex near Taman are visible in the distance. 
28. And much closer - a city park with a Ferris wheel, the top of which is below the observation deck. 
29. Panorama of the shipyard and commercial port. 
31.
32. On the other hand, tanks are visible in the 2nd transshipment area of the commercial port. 
33. Shafts and bastions of the Kerch fortress are visible in the distance. It's 4 kilometers away. 
34. Let's go down the mountain and go to see other sights of the city. In the middle of the bus station there is a burial crypt of the times of Plato and Aristotle - Melek-Chismensky barrow. 
35. The burial consists of two parts - the dromos, the entrance to which is decorated with a pediment, and the burial chamber itself. 
36. Inside the structure is assembled from stone slabs shifted relative to each other, forming a stepped vault. 
37. The crypt, measuring 4 by 4 meters, has a pyramidal vault. It was plundered in ancient time, and is now completely empty. 
38. In 1474, Kerch passed from the Republic of Genoa to Ottoman Empire. On the shore of the Kerch Strait, on the far outskirts of the city, there is a monument of a completely different period in the life of Kerch - the Turkish fortress Yeni-Kale. 
39. The fortress occupies a vast area of 6 hectares. 
40. Sea waves are splashing near its walls. 
41. The fortress was built in the narrowest part of the Kerch Strait in 1706 to prevent the Russians led by Peter I from entering the Black Sea, who took the fortress of Azov in 1696. 
42. Several gates lead inside. 
43. The garrison of the fortress was more than a thousand people. 
44. Inside the fortress there were powder stores, an arsenal, a water tank, residential buildings, a bathhouse, a mosque and the residence of a Turkish pasha. 
45. The most remarkable part of the fortress is a small semi-bastion, on which turrets were restored by archaeologists for shelling the enemy. 
46. The walls of the semi-bastion form a closed courtyard with a well in the middle. 
47. During Russian-Turkish war In 1768-1774 the fortress was taken without a fight. Under the Kyuchuk-Kainarji Treaty, Kerch and Yeni-Kale were transferred to Russia. 
48. K XIX century fortress completely lost military value, and in 1835 a military hospital was placed on its territory, which lasted until 1880. After Yeni-Kale was finally abandoned. 
49. In the 20th century, the fortress was restored, but most of it is still in ruins. A railway line to the port of Crimea passes right through it. 
50. Halfway from the center of Kerch to Yeni-Kale is the oldest building in the Crimea - the burial place of one of the rulers of the Bosporus kingdom from the Spartokid dynasty - the Royal Mound. The crypt is hidden in a hill 17 meters high. 
51. The dromos of the mound, 36 meters long, is made of blocks and in shape resembles a cypress, which the ancient Greeks considered the tree of the dead. 
52. The width of the corridor is not constant: it widens closer to the entrance to the burial chamber. 
53. The walls of the dromos are covered with cracks from numerous earthquakes that occurred in the Crimea from the 4th century BC. e., as well as crosses carved by early Christians. 
54. The arch of the burial chamber strikes the imagination: a tall dome, assembled from 12 concentric rings, rests on a plinth made of monolithic rock. Like Melek-Chismensky, the Tsarsky mound was plundered in antiquity, archaeologists got only fragments of a wooden sarcophagus. 
55. Adzhimushkay quarries are located a stone's throw from the Tsar's mound, but shooting inside is strictly prohibited, as they are considered a war memorial. Although the museum there is impressive, you will have to limit yourself to a single shot. 