Chufut Calais

Chufut-Kale (Ukr. Chufut-Kale, Crimean-tat. Çufut Qale, Chufut Kale) is a medieval fortress city in the Crimea, located on the territory of Bakhchisarai district 2.5 km east of Bakhchisarai. Object of cultural heritage of federal importance. Chufut-Kale: the name is translated from the Crimean Tatar language as "Jewish fortress" (çufut - Jew, qale - fortress), the same name is used in the Soviet scientific literature, as well as in the Russian-language works of Karaite authors from the second half of the XIX century to the post-Soviet era; Juft-Kale (translated from the Turkic "double (pair) fortress", juft - a pair, qale - fortress) - used by the "Crimean Karaite" leaders of the post-Yer, Kyrkim (Kym-Karaim) century, Khera-Karaim ( половины, Khera-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kraim) - Khera, Khera, Khera, Khera-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kym (Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara-Kara The city appeared presumably in the V-VI centuries as a fortified settlement on the border of Byzantine possessions. It was probably called Fullah at that time. The city with this name is found in various sources, but historians can not clearly determine which of the now known settlements corresponds to it. The population of the city during this period consisted mainly of Alans.

In the era of domination in the Crimea Kipchak city came under their control and was called Kyrk-Yer. In 1299, Kyrk-Yer was taken by storm and robbed by the Horde army of Emir Nogai. In the XIII-XIV centuries, the city was the center of a small principality, which was in vassal dependence on the rulers of the Crimean Yurt of the Golden Horde. Since the XIV century, the Karaites began to settle in the city and by the time of the formation of the Crimean Khanate, they most likely formed a large part of the city's population. This was facilitated by restrictions on their residence in other cities of the Crimean Khanate.[16][17] Kyrk-Yer was the residence of the first Khan of independent Crimea Haji I Heray. Mengli I Geray founded a new city on the site of the current Bakhchisarai suburb of Salachik, and the Khan's capital was moved there. Only Karaites and a small number of Krymchaks remained in the fortress. In the XVII century, the toponym "Kyrk-Yer" was replaced by "Chufut-Kala" (translated as "Jewish / Jewish fortress" with a negative, contemptuous semantic connotation). During the time of the Crimean Khanate, the fortress was a place of detention of high-ranking prisoners of war, there was also a state mint. After the entry of Crimea into the Russian Empire, restrictions on the residence of Karaites and Krymchaks were lifted, and they began to leave the fortress and move to other Crimean cities. By the end of the XIX century, Chufut Kale was completely abandoned by residents. Only the family of the caretaker remained in the fortress. Since October 2015, the Fortress and the cave town of Chufut Kale have been an object of cultural heritage of federal importance.

Living quarters carved into the rock

In the western, the most ancient part of it, numerous outbuildings (for example, barns for storing sausages, sausages), the ruins of a mosque and the mausoleum of the daughter of the Golden Horde Khan Tokhtamysh Janike-khanum built in 1437 have been preserved. Also well preserved are two kenassas (Karaim temples) and one residential estate consisting of two houses. Kenasses are now being restored by the Karaite community, and in the residential estate there is an exposition telling about the culture of the Karaites. In the eastern part of the city there were many residential buildings, as well as a mint that has not survived to this day, where Crimean coins were minted. In one of the estates, built in the XVIII century, lived until the end of his days the famous Karaite writer and scientist Abraham Samuilovich Firkovich (1786-1874).