Archaeological and natural museum-reserve "Tatar settlement"

Tatar settlement is the largest archaeological monument of the Caucasus, miraculously preserved among the relict forest in the vicinity of Stavropol. The settlement is a complex multi-layered monument that functioned for four historical periods: Koban, Scythian, Sarmatian, Khazar.

The unique preservation of fortifications and cultural structures, road systems, burial grounds and religious structures, allows you to trace all aspects of the life of ancient people from the VIII century BC to the X century AD. The cultural layer of the Tatar settlement is abundantly saturated with the ruins of ancient walls of houses, the wreckage of long-broken pots and jars, the ash of numerous hearths and fires that burned down many hundreds of years ago. It was here that one of the northern highways of the Great Silk Road passed.

The museum offers one-day walking and bus (on the customer’s transport) tours of the open-air museum – “Tatar Fortress”. Guides will show the most interesting objects of the archaeological complex - a rich cultural layer, the remains of fortifications, a citadel, burial grounds, ash, ancient roads and more than thirty natural attractions - rocks, grottoes, picturesque stones, springs, waterfalls and amazing plants.

There are several options for excursion trails between the objects, which visitors can choose depending on their interests, physical abilities, mood and weather conditions. You will be able to visit the observation decks, which offer a magnificent view of the Strigement Mountains, the Nedremannaya and the Caucasus Range.

Archaeological and natural museum-reserve "Tatar settlement" since 1992 is part of the Stavropol State Museum-Reserve named after G.N. Prozritelev and G.K. Pravo. Archaeological excavations are carried out annually on the territory of the settlement. Excursion to the museum-reserve is an amazing journey not only to the relict forest of the Caucasus, but also to the distant history of Stavropol and even to the depths of the geological past, captured in the stone chronicle of rocks.