The ancient Armenian Church of the St. Sergiy is among Feodosiya's most interesting architectural monuments. The temple, built in the middle of the 14th century, is one of the few medieval cultic buildings on the Crimea's territory that remained intact until now. Built according to all Armenian medieval architectural canons, the Church of the St. Sergiy is notable for simple and airy forms. Its ma

A lot of places in Yalta are connected with the name of the eminent Russian writer. After visiting it several times, Chekhov fell in love with this peculiar Southern town. Therefore, in 1898 having come to Yalta for treatment on doctors' advice, he decided to stay here for good. He bought a piece of land in the Upper Autka village near the town and built a two-storey house with garden, popularly k

The Khan's Palace situated at the very center of the Old Town is the Bakhchysarai's brightest sight and one of the few large monuments remained from the Crimean Khanate's times. The Khansarai served as family residence of the Girays dynasty - the rulers of the Crimean state - for two and a half centuries, and now it is the only sample of the Crimean Tatar palatial architecture in the world. Its co

The Grand Canyon of Crimea, hidden in the depth of the northern slope of Ai-Petri massif, is one of the astonishing natural wonders of the peninsula. This biggest and the most magnificent gorge in the country was formed almost two million years ago as a result of the active shifting of the colossal earth units and is the huge tectonic cleft. The canyon impresses with its grandeur: its depth is ove

Koktebel is a popular resort on the southeastern coast of Crimea, famous for its splendid landscapes, wide pebble beaches, and healing air. It is situated not far from Feodosiya, at the foot of the famous Karadag mountain range. In Crimean Tatar language, the name Koktebel means the ‘land of blue hills.’ The precise date of settlement’s foundation is not known. It is known, however, that in the m

Kara Dag is one of the most amazing wonders on the peninsula, the most beautiful and the most mysterious corner of southeastern Crimea. It is an ancient dead volcano, which was active over 150 million years ago, in the Jurassic period. At that time, according to scientists, it was submerged under water, along with the rest of the peninsula. Kara Dag, in Turkic, means ‘Black Mountain.’ This dark g

Mangup Kale is the biggest cavern fortress on the Crimean peninsula. It is located at the top of Mangup Mountain that stands above three picturesque valleys. The plateau, located at the height of almost 600 meters (1,968 feet) above the sea level, has a peculiar form: from above, it looks like a palm with four capes acting as ‘fingers.’ Nature made this area impregnable: on three sides, the platea

The ‘cavern fortress’ Chufut Kale is one of the most shining and the best-preserved medieval landmarks of the peninsula. It is located near Bakhchisaray (around 3 km, or 2 miles) on a mountain plateau with precipices 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) above sea level. It may be said that nature created this fort, and people have only strengthened and improved its defenses. To be fair, it should be mentioned

Local residents call Demerdzhi the peninsula’s most valuable treasure. And no wonder: it is one of the most attractive and mysterious mountains in Crimea. The mountain gets its mystery from the unyielding haze that changes its colors like chameleon, dressing up Demerdzhi in multi-colored ‘clothes.’ In the Middle Ages, the mountain was named Funa, which means ‘fuming.’ The present name of the moun