Modern panticapaeum. Panticapaeum city in Crimea

It rises above the modern center. Here you can see the ruins of the ancient Greek settlement of Panticapaeum, the capital of the Bosporus, the largest craft and shopping center Northern Black Sea region.

Height above sea level is 91.4 meters. Here, on the top of the mountain, was the acropolis of the Bosporan nobility.

Climbing this mountain is a good tradition, both for every tourist and for local residents who have returned home.

From the observation deck of Mount Mithridates, a magnificent panorama of Kerch opens up; you can take in the entire Kerch Bay.

There were magnificent palaces of the nobility, majestic temples in honor greek gods. History buffs will be interested in the monuments to the heroic defenders of the city.

The city of Panticapaeum was founded by colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC.

The word “panticapaeum” in the northern Iranian dialect means “fish path”; it is not Greek, but Scythian.

The Greeks called their city "Bosporos", after the strait. The city is mentioned in many ancient sources.

From the 5th century BC the city became the capital of the Bosporan state, which united all the cities on both sides Kerch Strait. The state is also known for its for a long time successfully resisted Rome.

The excavations of the city of Panticapaeum are located on the northwestern and western slopes of the mountain.

Every tourist will be interested in walking along the ancient sidewalks, entering the temple rooms and taking pictures near the famous Greek columns.

These columns were preserved miraculously, since it was in this place that fierce battles took place during the Great Patriotic War.

Mount Mithridates is shrouded in many secrets. A wide staircase with more than four hundred steps leads to its top.

It is decorated with sculptures of griffins - mythical creatures with the body of a lion, the head of a bird and wings.

The griffin is a symbol of Kerch; its image is on the city’s coat of arms.

The mountain bears the name of the Pontic king Mithridates, who ruled the Bosporan kingdom.

A descendant of Alexander the Great, he was an outstanding person, had enormous physical strength, indomitable energy, deep intelligence and a tough disposition.

For many years he stubbornly fought the Roman Empire, trying to crush it.

But in the end it was defeated. Having learned that his son Pharnaces was at the head of the conspiracy, Mithridates took poison. But the potion did not work, and the defeated king ordered the head of the guard to stab himself.

Upon learning of the death of Mithridates, Cicero called him “the greatest ruler with whom Rome has ever waged war.”

This was in 63 BC. e. Myths say that on Mount Mithridates there is a stall for the golden horse of the Pontic king...

In the 90s, an artificial grotto was discovered on it.

Various assumptions have been put forward: this is a quarry, or there used to be a prison or premises for holding slaves.

Now the Obelisk of Glory, erected in 1944, rises above Mount Mithridates.

Next to him, on the so-called “first chair of Mithridates”, from where, according to legend, the Pontic king admired the sea, is burning Eternal Flame in honor of the soldiers who defended the city and liberated Kerch from the enemy. This is how events from the history of Kerch, the heir of the ancient Panticapaeum, echo in time.

2016-11-06

The ancient settlement of Panticapaeum in Kerch is one of the most famous archaeological monuments of the Crimean Peninsula, arousing keen interest among both scientists and tourists, who often come just to see it with their own eyes. Although the preservation of the ancient capital of the Bosporan kingdom disappoints many visitors - only very little can be seen here, but this is enough to understand and imagine its former power and greatness. For lovers of antiquity, the ruins of numerous temples, fortress walls, residential areas, tombs and palaces of the kings of the Bosporus are presented, where, it seems, the spirit of those distant and romantic times still hovers.

Where is the ancient city in Crimea?

The ancient settlement is located in Eastern Crimea, in the east of the Kerch Peninsula. It is located mostly on the site of the modern one and partly in its environs.

Panticapaeum on the map of Crimea

History of the founding of Panticapaeum

The history of the city begins long before its foundation, when the first settlements appeared here. They date back to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, however, there is no consensus about the tribal affiliation of the first settlers. But there are many archaeological finds that confirm the correctness of the dating.

The founding 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, inhabited mainly by Ionians, immigrants from Miletus, unremarkable and just one of many on.

Rise of the polis

It began in the second half of the 6th century, when all the Greek colonies, often at odds, united in the fight against the Scythians, founding a military confederation. But Panticapaeum at that time remained only the first among equals; militarily, it was superior to many, but the rest of the city-states of the confederation did not recognize its unconditional hegemony. Although one fact draws attention - Panticapaeum was the first polis in Crimea and one of the first in the world to begin 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 subjugated the rest of the Greek cities of the state. Around 388 BC. Leukon I from the Spartokid dynasty founded the city, which included the lands of not only the Kerch, but also the Taman Peninsula, and Panticapaeum became its capital. During this period, the city experienced unprecedented prosperity, 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 present-day Kerch, Panticapaeum was a huge, beautiful city, occupying an area of more than 100 hectares, and surpassed many policies of Greece in beauty and power. This prosperity was due to its extremely favorable geographical position, 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 lay claim to wider dominance,
intending to turn the Black Sea into an internal lake of their state.

Following this, internal turmoil began, caused by the struggle for power between representatives of the royal house, giving way to 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 Savmak and the murder of the last representative of the Spartokid dynasty in 107 BC. The Bosporan kingdom came 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 chaotically replaced 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 century. The kingdom was finally destroyed by the Huns, who captured and destroyed it to the ground in 371. After this locality remained abandoned for several centuries, until another one arose on its ruins, which eventually became the present 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 - it was an unauthorized search for the mythical treasures of the Bosporan kings. For short time what the Huns, nature and the inhabitants of Kerch did not destroy,
who used the remains of Panticapaeum as building material, were liquidated by treasure hunters. Now the best preserved part of the polis is located on the Agora, or.

But the necropolis of this Kerch landmark remains the most interesting for scientists and tourists. It suffered least of all at the hands of conquerors and vandals. There are several royal tombs completely untouched, even by time.

The necropolis is located on the southern outskirts of Kerch, represented by a whole ridge of burial mounds Yuz-Oba, consists of hundreds of hills where the remains of representatives of the Scythian nobility and military leaders rest. Many of them are open to the public, which is what attracts travelers the most. Particularly interesting for inspection are Zolotoy and the burial mounds, which have been preserved intact.

How to get to the attraction?

Getting to the ancient settlement of Panticapaeum is easy by public transport. Having taken minibus No. 5 or No. 28 near the city bus station, you will need to get off at the “Lenin Square” stop and walk in a westerly direction for about 1 km.

By car you can get to the Kerch monument in the following way:

Note to tourists

Address: Mount Mithridates, Kerch, Crimea, Russia.
Coordinates: 45.350886, 36.469573.
Phone: +7-36561-2-50-61.
Official website: http://www.kerch-museum.com/
Opening hours: by prior arrangement.
Prices for visiting: for adults – 50, for children – 20 rubles.

Visiting the ancient settlement of Panticapaeum in Kerch, it’s as if you’re touching it. ancient history that doesn't seem so far away. Most of its beautiful buildings are irretrievably lost, others are located under modern neighborhoods, but there is still a lot to see here. It can surprise even very picky tourists!

Kerch is an eternal city with life that has continued uninterrupted since ancient times. Back at the end of the 7th century BC. e. Milesian colonists settled in the east of the Crimean peninsula and founded the ancient Panticapaeum. Kerch traces its history back to that day.

Not every settlement can boast access to the sea, but in Kerch there are two - to Sea of Azov(Motids) and Black (Pont Euxine). Unique in its own way geographical location the place attracted me here different peoples. Panticapaeum remembers raids, wars, changes of rulers, the rise and fall of empires.

History of Panticapaeum - Kerch

Historians find the first memories of him in ancient Greek myths about the legendary Argonauts: the son of the king of Colchis, Aieta, was the first settler of these places and the founder of the settlement of the same name local river Pantikapa. The name of the king’s son remains a mystery, but the oikist, the founder of the settlement, who arrived from Miletus, was probably called Archeanakt.

The wise Greeks did not choose this place by chance. Trade routes crossed here, the land was rich in clay and iron ore, natural building stone was used for homes, sea fish for food, the climate was suitable for growing grains, vegetables and fruits. All this was the key to successful living in this part of the Black Sea region.

The relationships of the colonists with the neighboring tribes developed differently. It is better with the agricultural Meotians and Sindians than with the warlike nomadic Taurians and Scythians. In fact, being invaders and enslavers of the local population, in order to resist the raids of warring tribes, the Greeks located villages close to each other, gradually uniting and strengthening them, and this is how the city of Panticapaeum arose in the Crimea. Subsequently, it became the capital of the Bosporus Kingdom, uniting such Crimean Greek settlements as:

Nymphaeum;
Tiritaka;
Mirmekiy;
Cimmerick;
Porfmy;
Kitey et al.

The location of most of them has been established, excavations are being carried out, and now these ancient settlements are quite popular tourist sites.

But let's continue to remember history. As in their historical homeland, the Greeks built top part cities - acropolis. Its stone fortification system was superior in power to that of Athens. The temple of Apollo occupied a place of honor in the acropolis; nearby were the temples of Aphrodite and Dionysus.

In the lower part of Panticapaeum there were residential areas, an agora, and a city port. The necropolis, the city of the dead, was located in the vicinity of the city. Earthen mounds on the burial pits of the Panticapaean burials - mounds - have survived to this day in a plundered state; unique finds that shed light on the life of ancient peoples are kept in museums around the world and in private collections.

Under the residential buildings of modern Kerch in the depths of Mount Mithradates there are the remains of a necropolis - this complex system crypts, united by the holes of “black” archaeologists. Excavations began in early XIX century, as a result of research it turned out that the area of the necropolis is over 15 hectares, hundreds of crypts date back to the 3rd-5th centuries AD. e. It is assumed that there are more than 3.5 thousand cameras in the necropolis. You can get an idea of such a burial chamber by visiting a small museum at the foot of the Mithridates Stairs. It's called the Crypt of Demeter.

When connoisseurs of the history of Crimea mention Panticapaeum, a picture appears of a part of the colonnade. These are the remains of the prytaneum, the Greek advisory body, reconstructed in the 70s. Once upon a time, honorary citizens gathered here, and foreign guests of the city were invited here. From the “house of authorities” from which the powerful kingdom in the Bosporus was governed, fragments remain that keep centuries-old palace secrets.

Panticapaeum and Mount Mithridates are inextricably linked in the history of the city. From the top of Mithridates, on the left you can see a path going down leading to the remains of the ancient city. A little imagination and you can imagine at the site of ongoing excavations the outlines of the defensive structures of the acropolis, residential buildings, buildings, city buildings located on the terraces of the steep slopes of Mithridates. The height of public buildings reached 10 m, which proves high level urban planning during the heyday of Panticapaeum. The photo shows that mostly only the foundations remain.

Walking through the ancient city, you can discover clay shards of kitchen utensils from different eras. The temple, dedicated to the mighty Apollo, is barely visible from the preserved foundation. Finds from the ancient city: coins, ceramics, weapons, precious jewelry are in the Kerch Museum. The ancient Panticapaeum ceased to exist in the 5th century, leaving many mysteries and amazing works of art.

How to get to Panticapaeum

In Kerch there are monuments from different eras. Panticapaeum is located right in the cultural center of the city. The top of the legendary Mount Mithridates is connected to the center by the Mithridates Staircase - a work in the classicist style of the Italian architect A. Digby. You will overcome 436 steps, and you will have an extraordinary view of modern Kerch, Kerch Bay, the new Kerch Bridge and the ancient Panticapaeum. At the top of Mount Mithridates, an eternal flame burns in memory of the heroic defenders of the city during the Great Patriotic War. According to legend, the Pontic king Mithridates admired Panticapaeum and the Black Sea from here. Standing in this place, you feel the change of eras and different generations.

Instructions

Returning after a vacation in Crimea, you can bring back not only photographs of the Black Sea, palaces, caves and waterfalls, but also images of real ancient ruins, which are not inferior in color to Greek ones. It's about about the ruins of the ancient city of Panticapaeum, located on the territory of the modern city of Kerch, in the eastern part of the peninsula. For many centuries Panticapaeum was the capital of the Bosporan kingdom.

Panticapaeum was founded by people from Miletus at the end of the 7th century BC and existed in ancient times on the shores of what is now the Kerch and Taman peninsulas. The name Panticapaeum may have Iranian or Thracian roots and means “fish path”. There is another version regarding the name. It is believed that the city was named after the Pantikapi river, now Melek-Chesme. By ancient standards, Panticapaeum was a large city and in its heyday occupied up to 100 hectares. Those sailing by sea admired the hill of the acropolis with white stone temples on top. Rich palaces adorned the wide terraces on the slopes of the mountain. Excavations of ancient Panticapaeum in the area of Mount Mithridates show that in Hellenic times the city was surrounded by powerful walls. The harbor with docks could simultaneously accommodate up to thirty ships. In the center of the polis in the 2nd century BC, a theater and a building for the city authorities - the “prytanium” with an area of about 450 square meters were built. m. In the prytaneum there was a courtyard surrounded by a colonnade and statues with an altar for sacrifices. Of the numerous temples, the temple of Apollo with a six-column portico and the temple of Aspurgus were particularly luxurious. In the lower part of the city there was a port, agora, and residential areas. On the slopes there are remains of half-dugouts from the end of the 6th century BC, above-ground dwellings and a rich residential building with a courtyard from the Hellenic era.

During the period of archaeological excavations at the site where Panticapaeum stood, many historically valuable things were found: amphorae, painted ceramic products, coins, epigraphic documents, ancient dishes, gold items and jewelry. Unfortunately, unlike many ancient cities, the majestic remains of which still amaze the imagination today, Panticapaeum and its buildings were almost completely destroyed; a few ruins and burials of the ancient capital of the Bosporan Kingdom remained. Now the Obelisk of Glory, erected in 1944, rises above Mount Mithridates. Next to it, on the so-called “first chair of Mithridates”, from where, according to legend, the Pontic king admired the sea, the Eternal Flame burns in honor of the soldiers who defended the city and liberated Kerch from the enemy. This is how events from the history of Kerch, the heir of the ancient Panticapaeum, echo in time.

I am often asked: “What sights of Kerch is it worth watching? To which I basically answer: “Pantikapaeus”! 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 located?

Panticapaeum is located in the city Kerch, in its very heart, on the famous . Another attraction leads to Chekhov Street, on which the ancient settlement is actually located - the Great Mithridatic Staircase. You will have to climb 431 stone steps before you reach your goal.

But believe me, it's worth it. Personally, when I climbed the stairs, I experienced the most positive emotions. The grandeur of the ancient building (1832 - 1840) decorated with griffins simply cannot leave anyone indifferent. Then, from the stairs, you need to go out onto 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 quite difficult to call it a city. The territory was about one hundred hectares. IN different times, the boundaries expanded and then narrowed again. Panticapaeum has survived many peoples and events, and today every traveler interested in history has the opportunity to see with his own eyes the ruins of a once great power. Find out 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 centuries later. At the same time, archaeologists have discovered 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 right on Mount Mithridates, from where, however, as now, a stunning view opened up. A hundred years after its founding, a temple to Apollo was erected in the city, who became the patron saint of the settlement. To the east, in the harbor of the most important trading point of those times, there were about thirty ships.

It was in Panticapaeum that gold, silver and copper coins, which were the main unit of the Bosporan kingdom. The state was quite powerful; its strength was mainly influenced by its favorable location. After the rapid prosperity of Panticapaeum, a protracted decline arose as a result of internal disagreements between government officials. 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 takeoff, the state flourished again, although not for long. And already in 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 Bosporus was attacked by the Ostrogoths, but it existed for another fifty years. Panticapaeum was completely destroyed in 371. For several centuries it was essentially a wasteland. And only in 600 the city of Kerch was founded in its place.

In 1970, architects reconstructed some of the columns, but there are also places here that were practically undamaged 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. I recommend first visiting Melek-Chesmensky, as well as the Golden and Tsarsky mounds. They are almost untouched by centuries and people. An unforgettable experience is guaranteed.

All the ruins of the former great state, even now, despite the fact that the remains of some buildings, even that very temple of Apollo, are barely visible, evoke indescribable impressions. The place is amazing, it evokes not only delight, but also some incomprehensible feeling. It's like you're in ancient kingdom, where everything is about to come to life. Majestic defensive walls and ten-meter buildings will rise. Perhaps you have this ancient city and will not cause such feelings, but in any case you will definitely not experience disappointment.

How to get there (get there)

It all largely depends on what kind of transport you travel with. If this is a personal or rented car, refer to the map. Map and coordinates at the bottom of the page! Citizens traveling by public transport take minibus No. 5 or 28, departing from the Kerch bus station. Get off at the stop “Pl. Lenin" and move west. You need to walk about one kilometer.

From the Kerch stop there are buses number 23, 5 and 3. You also get to Lenin Square. Walk along Admiralteysky Proezd to Teatralnaya Street and turn onto the street. Them. 51st Army. And from there you go out onto the stairs, which I already wrote about above.