When there was a cave city Chufut-Kale, it is not exactly established. In 1299 the Tatars conquered it and named Kyrk-Or (Forty Fortresses). They have long and persistently besieged these fortresses, reclaiming from the local Sarmato-Alans. During the reign of the attacking Khan Jani-bek, the garrison of the Crimean ulus, which split from the Golden Horde, was located here.
The history of Chufut-Kale developed very rapidly since the 15th century - the fortress of Kirk-Or became the first capital of the independent Crimean Khanate. In it, he arranged his residence for Hadji-Giray. He managed to defeat the ruler of the Kirk-Orsk khanate Eminek-bey and founded a dynasty of Crimean rulers. At the time of his reign, the Khan's palace was built here, the mosque was created under the auspices of the Janibek, and the madrasahs were founded. The remains of the Girey mint were preserved in the fortress - there was minted a silver coin with the inscription "Kirk-Or".
Panoramic view from Chufut-kale
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View from the fortress Chufut-kale
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Well of Chufut-kale
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On the mountain Chufut-Kale for many years kept in captivity noble people, demanding huge ransoms. Among the prisoners were Russian ambassadors Vasily Aytemirov and Prince Romodanovsky; In the same captivity was the Polish hetman Pototsky. He fought against the old sworn enemies of the Crimean Khan - Zaporozhye Cossacks, but he was held captive in captivity. It's not just who you are, the enemy or the ally. Pay the ransom!
The fate of the Russian voevoda VB was more difficult than the others. Sheremetev, he did not die on the battlefield, but was captured in 1660 and spent more than twenty years in the prison of the cave town of Chufut-Kale.
The modern reader, only from movies familiar with the bandit practice of kidnapping people for the sake of ransom, naturally raise questions: "Why was not he redeemed from Chufut-Kale? How could relatives wait so many years, and not collect money to free the noble and, of course, not a poor governor? Why, in the end, did the tsar himself not help in this? "And everything is simple. As a ransom, Crimean khans demanded, no less, two cities - Kazan and Astrakhan.
Sheremetev himself wrote that he did not want freedom at such a price and would better remain a prisoner of Chufut-Kale. Only after realizing that the demand was impracticable, the khan took for the governor 60 thousand rubles in gold - and dismissed the noble prisoner. Returning sick. Vasily Borisovich died in his homeland in just six months.
Later Tatars called the town of Chufut-Kale, passing it to the Karaites. The traditional occupation of this people of Crimea was the dressing of the skin, its coloring and processing. Karaite artisans produced morocco, yuft and shagreen; Leather made saddles, bridles, shoes, shoes. Karaite saddles were valued for convenience, beauty, lightness; They were bought even by Circassians, and they knew everything about riding! During the day, the Karaites freely traded in Bakhchisaray, and at night, carrying out the Khan's decree, they had to go home and guard their village on the Chufut-Kale plateau.
Entrance of the Wakara kenasy
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Well at the fortress Chufut-Kale
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Screw descent in the well at the fortress Chufut-Kale
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From the east, a new defensive wall was built, and the area of the city of Chufut-Kale increased approximately twice - at the expense of the trade and craft settlement, where the Karaites settled mainly. The ancient defensive wall, composed of large rectangular blocks on a calcareous mortar, has now turned out to be an average one. She began to divide the plateau into the western and eastern parts, each of which could keep the defense on its own. So there was a new name for the cave city - Dzhuft-Kale (Double Fortress). In the wall were wide gates Chufut-Kale, on the northern and southern flanks were built battle towers. Before the wall, a wide ditch with pedestrian bridges was cut down, insurmountable to the wall-tools.
Under Turkish rule, the cave city of Chufut-Kale served them for patrolling possible enemies, but the main thing was to monitor Bakhchisarai. Turkish soldiers behaved with the inhabitants of the capital of the Khanate as with subordinates - boldly and willfully. In fact, it was not Bakhchisaray, but Kafa was the capital in those hard times for the Crimean people.
Economic cave. Dungeon
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Jewish fortress Chufut-kale
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Chufut-Kale, South Gate Kichik-Kapu
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In the reign of Anna Ioannovna Russian troops under the leadership of Field Marshal Minich captured Bakhchisaray and destroyed the fortress Chufut-Kale in the Crimea. In the city there remained a small Armenian community and a rather large Karaite community.
The road and Chufut-Kale (or still in Djuft-Kale) leads along the Maryam-Dere gully past the Uspensky Monastery, or as it is often called by tourists - the monastery of Chufut-Kale, with a source of drinking water, past the military cemetery, then along a steep trail Up to the small (southern) gate. This gate was built as a trap: they are not visible from the outside until you come close to them. Judging by the remaining oak leaves, before there was a gate. Enemies marched along the path along the steep slope of Chufut-Kale, forced to the wall with their right side, which was protected more loosely (in the right hand they wore weapons, but in the left shield). At this time, defenders of the fortress sprinkled them with arrows from the wall, built with special loopholes. The ram can not be knocked out because there is an awkward steep descent in front of them, and the sloping path near the entrance sharply turns off. But even breaking into the territory of Chufut-Kale, the storming immediately fell into a narrow corridor, specially cut in the rock. From the wooden floor, the defenders dropped stones on their enemies, poured boiling water, and archers, hiding in defensive caves, shot without a miss.
On the same southern side, the complex of the first, oldest caves has been preserved. On the east side, the entrance to the city was closed by a mighty, well-preserved fortification wall. From the plateau of Chufut-Kale mountain, you can see the valley of Ashlama-Dere and further, to the Chatyr-Dag mountain; This is one of the very few places from where you can see the highest peak of the Crimea Roman-Kosh.
On the southern, western and northern sides, no walls are needed: the plateau here breaks off precipitously, and only climbers with rope and steel hooks can storm the cave city of Chufut-Kale.
Chufut-Calais. Mausoleum of Janike-khanym
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Economic cave
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The Old Town of Chufut-Kale
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Passing from the floor to the floor along the caves of Chufut-Kale, watching the children rush through them, hearing their footsteps from above and below, it's hard to believe that these caves were not inhabited. They were struck in a steep sunny slope; There was nowhere to build a house above the dungeons. However, these premises, some of which collapsed over time, could also serve to defend the fortress city.
In the cave town of Chufut-Kale, there were few plots of land suitable for cultivation, and there was always a shortage of drinking water. In the mint area there was a stone trough with ceramic pipes of the ancient aqueduct, it filled the well with technical water. When this water supply ceased to function, the inhabitants had to take a pill from only sources outside the city.
In the center of the Chufut-Kale plateau was the first printing house in Crimea opened in 1731. It printed books in Hebrew and Karaite. Not bad were two other buildings - Karaite kenases, large and small. These rectangular buildings with gable roofs are surrounded by an open terrace with stone squat columns, between which are spanned arches. Near the walls are benches with niches at the bottom. On this terrace, believers gathered in anticipation of service; Elective petty officers tried here to judge the violators of the moral precepts of the Chufut-Kale community.
Colon of Karaite kenas
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Chufut-Calais. The middle gate - Orta-Capua
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The cave city of Chufut-Calais
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The large cathedral kenasa was built in the XIV century. In it solemn celebratory services were arranged. Now, after a long stay in a dilapidated state, it reopened as one of the main attractions of the history of Chufut-Kale.
The age of a small kenasa is difficult to determine because of major repairs in the late 18th century. It was intended for ordinary services and meetings, later they placed a school in the building.
Each of the Chufut-Kale temples is divided into three parts. The first, small, closer to the exit, is separated from the rest of the room by a partition. Here, on the leather-covered benches, those who could not stand for old age sat and prayed. People who mourned came here for prayer.
Chufut Calais. Karaite kenasy
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Cave city of Chufut-Kale, Karaite kenasy
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View of the Karaite kenases
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To the east of the middle wall, on narrow streets with deep ruts from the wheels, the townspeople from the Christian and Karaite communities settled. The last of the Karaites left their plateau later than residents of other cave cities - only in the middle of the XIX century.
This part of Chufut-Kale is well preserved thanks to the last citizen of the cave city-long-liver, the Karaite collector, traveler, scientist, writer AS Firkovich.
Leaving the mountain plateau, inhale the air of Chufut-Kale once more. Height, distance from the city, trees and grass, solar heating and a constant mountain breeze - all the local nature makes the air pleasant for breathing and truly curative.
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