Legendary beauty of the Bakhchisarai Palace and the unique city in Crimea

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Who hasn't heard about the beauty of the Bakhchisaray Palace, the luxurious abode of ancient rulers? But it is better to see it once than to hear about it a hundred times! But besides this attraction, there are many more interesting things in the city.

Beautiful legend

It's hard to imagine a modern city without the Bakhchisaray Palace. And there is a beautiful legend about its origin. Legends say that once during a hunt, the son of Mengli-Girey saw a fight of snakes. Watching them, he noticed that the defeated half-dead reptile barely crawled to the river, and when it got out of it, it was healed. At that time, the young khan was thinking about the hard battle of his people with the Golden Horde. He thought that his family was doomed, like this snake, but when he saw a miracle, he hurried to his father to tell him about a good sign.

And so it happened: the news of a heavy victory over the enemy came to their castle. The happy khan ordered to build a luxurious palace on the site of the snake fight, and the reptiles themselves were depicted on the coat of arms of the new city.

A bit of history

Beautiful Crimea! Bakhchisaray is its pearl, its pride. Namecity is translated into Russian as "a palace in the gardens." According to researchers, it originated at the end of the sixteenth century. At that time, the Crimean Khanate fought for independence from the Horde and finally received it. The new city on the banks of the Churuk-Su River became the capital. And on the gates of the palace you can still see the image of the battle of snakes.

The city itself is located on the slopes of the Crimean Mountains in the valley of the Churuk-Su River, surrounded by forest-steppe. Only thirty kilometers separate it from Simferopol. This is an area of amazing beauty and landscape, with a rich historical past and unique recreational opportunities.

Khan Palace

Let's start our virtual journey with the city's most famous landmark. That is, from the Bakhchisarai Palace. After passing the gate, on which the Girey family coat of arms is depicted, you will find yourself in a large courtyard. Here, on the territory surrounded by walls, an army once gathered before a campaign. To the left, near the mosque, there is the Khan's cemetery and the mausoleum, where many rulers of Crimea found their last shelter.

The modern palace is the result of careful reconstruction and reconstruction, since the building itself was completely burned by Russian soldiers in 1736. Before the visit of Catherine II, the building was again repaired by order of the Governor-General de Ribas, one of the founders of Odessa. And at the end of the eighteenth century, the palace was declared a monument of oriental architecture.

A feature of the Bakhchisaray Palace is a very modest (compared to the residences of other eastern rulers) externalview. But all his we alth is inside. Here you should definitely pay attention to:

• The Hall of Council and Judgment, where the destinies of the region were decided for many centuries in a row.
• A pool garden of rare beauty.
• Small mosque where she prayed to know.
• Divan, that is, the council of elders.
• A harem with four corps of legal wives and numerous small rooms.
• Summer gazebo and fountains.
• Selsebil, or the Fountain of Tears, dedicated to Dilyara Bikech, the lawful wife of the Khan, who died very early;
• Catherine's mile framed by columns.

Museum Complex

The city that the Crimean peninsula is rightfully proud of is Bakhchisaray. And the settlement itself carefully guards the palace in the Gardens of Eden as a memory of the turbulent past. During the Second World War, many relics were saved - they were hidden in the caves of Chufut-Kale, but some of them were taken away by the Nazis and lost.

Today the palace is included in the complex of the Bakhchisaray State Historical and Cultural Reserve and its fund includes more than one hundred thousand archaeological finds and other valuable exhibits. Among them are clothes, household items, dishes, coins, carpets, books. The address of the Khan's palace is as follows: the city of Bakhchisaray, st. River, 133.

Other attractions and activities

If you go on vacation to the Crimea, be sure to visit Bakhchisaray. Excursions around the city include not only visiting the famous Khansaray with the Fountain of Tears, described by Pushkin in verse. There's a lot heremosques, among which the largest is Tahtali-Jami, there are also Christian shrines, the Holy Dormition Monastery. Of interest is Chufut-Kale - a medieval fortress, which is often called a cave city.

Besides sightseeing, other entertainments are available in Bakhchisaray. Jeep, mountain bike, motocross bike, quad bike, horse and donkey rides on a network of dirt roads will give you an adrenaline rush and an unforgettable experience. In addition, green tourism, fishing and hunting are offered. From the city through Mount Ai-Petri you can go to the southern coast of Crimea. In a word, the guests of Bakhchisaray will not be bored.

How to get there?

So, it's decided, we're going to Bakhchisarai. How to get to this glorious city full of secrets and beauty, we will tell further.

It is closest to the city of Simferopol, which is 30 km away. Sevastopol is about 60 km. Electric trains and trains (40-60 minutes), buses (about 30 minutes) go from the capital of the peninsula to Bakhchisarai. From the main port of Crimea, you can also get to Bakhchisaray by rail (an hour and a half) or by bus.

The city is easy to navigate by buses and taxis. Most of them go to Old Bakhchisaray, where the main attractions are concentrated. You can also take a regular taxi and explore both Khansaray and the picturesque surroundings.

Have a nice trip and unforgettable impressions!