The next excursion was chosen by me. It was my desire to visit the Khan's Palace,which is located in Bakhchisaray. I heard a lot about this place and it was such an opportunity to see it. Although we didn't stay very close to this town, it was not a problem. You can get anywhere in Crimea by mini bus or taxi. It is easy and quite comfortable in spite of the fact that the road system in Crimea, as well as most of the Ukraine, is in very poor repair . The next issue was the journey with a small kid in hot weather for a long distance. But my desire was much more larger than all these inconveniences .
At last we arrived at the small mountain town of Bakhchisaray, where the Khan's Palace is located.
Evliya Chelebi, the famous Turkish traveler, wrote: "While the wayfarer looks at Bakhchisaray, he is puts his fingers on his lips and loses his thoughts". And so I expected to see something greater...
It is one of three Muslims palaces found in Europe.The Khan's Palace is a rare and gorgeous monument of architecture and art.The Palace was build like an earthly incarnation of a heavenly garden. The general appearance of the Palace has encountered significant changes during two and half centuries. Unfortunately, in the present time it's become just a shadow of the greatness from our past.
Uspensky Cave Monastery
The monastery is located not far from the north of the town of Bakhchisaray. So we decided to visit this place. We didn't expect to see anything tremendous...but how we were wrong!
Uspensky Cave Monastery created an indelible impression on me. I was amazed. I am not so much a religious person, but I like visiting temples, monasteries, convents and churches as monuments of architecture and art. But this place set me thinking about so many things. Time came to a stop there. I wished to be there, keeping silence and thinking about eternity.
Can you imagine a monastery,carved out of a cliff?
Think, how much human strain was spend on a creation of so much wonder, taking into consideration, that people didn't have a chisel hammer even at that time. So all was made by hand.
And what is more, the monastery lies in one of the most impressive landscapes in Crimea.
This holy place will stay forever in my heart.
After sightseeing the monastery, we went on our way. We had to see Chufut -Kale. Although the greater part of the road was located in the shade, we had to walk around a kilometer downhill along a pictorial market. Actually it was a challenge for us, especially for my poor husband. Just see a man, with a heavy bag in one arm with a kid, sitting on his shoulders, which owed to his passing, all the way, over many temptations for his wife and a little son. As for me , I was ready to buy all those beautiful souvenirs and toys , which were made from stone, wood and other materials. Naturally, my son was agreeable with me. Unfortunately, my husband's opinion was diametrically the opposite. At last we attained the goal.
Chufut-Kale
The "Cavernicolous City" , Chufut – Kale is one of the best, remaining monuments from the medieval cities in the Crimea. This place is located not far from Bakhchisaray, on a plateau with inaccessible precipices. It seems from a distance, that houses are stuck straight to the rock. It looks like an "air city". This stronghold was created by nature with humans strengthening it. It's just a relative appellation, "cavernicolous cities"; city-dwellers lived at ordinary houses at that time and basement lodgments were used for the owner's needs. Aboveground constructions were destroyed time, but caves were discovered. That is why the assumption appeared that people had lived there.
Chufut - Kale was used like a stronghold and a reliable refuge at the time of the internecine dissension for the Crimean khans, because of it's forbidding seat. This place was known also as an imprisonment location for the noble prisoners. In reality, Chufut - Kale had severe conditions for living in, in view of it's location and absence of sufficient water-supply. And so, Crimean khans spent a lot of resources on keeping this stronghold.
The sights and scenery of Chufut- kale are very impressive, even at the present time. Just look at these photos. When you sit at the top of the stronghold, you can see boundless space. It looks like an infinity. In fact, it is an exciting sight.
Our excursion came to an end. It took plenty of time as all those places were visited on the same day. To tell you the truth, we got tired walking. But then, we got an unforgettable impression.
