The name of the ancient fortress of the symbol of Inkerman. Calamite Fortress in Inkerman, Crimea: Description, History, Interesting Facts and Reviews

A lot of legends go about the Kalayt fortress. They say that moans are heard at night from the ruins, these are the death cries of slaves, which did not work in the slaves in the markets. Or that there are ghosts of the soldiers of the English garrison that be trapped. I wonder if there is the truth in these stories?

Helpful information:
1.5-2 hectares - approximate fortifications. From the outside, there was a fortress ditch, a smoked cliff.
2 m - thickness of fortress walls. Turks during the reconstruction made the walls twice as thick and gave up embrasures for artillery guns.
8 m - the height of the fortress walls.
5 round guard towers rumped over the walls of 2.5 -3 m.

Photos of fortress from visitors:

Historical reference - Interesting facts

The history of the Crimean town of Inkerman began in the 6th century from construction on the monastic rock of the fortress. Her first name was lost in the centuries. Only in the XIV century at the Genoese maritime maps, the fortress is indicated as Calamite, or "good pier." The outpost defended the approaches to Chersonese from sushi. Three centuries later, the caveguard monastery is built in the corner, the cells have been preserved to this day, which are located in three tiers, basilica and baptism.

In the Middle Ages, the Kamitskaya fortress belonged to the principality of Feodoro and defended the Avlita port. It was a famous place of trade in slaves captured by Tatars during raids on Russia and other states. Since then, go legends about slave moans!

At the same time, Calamite becomes a "apple of discord" in the disassembly between the genuses and feudorers. While the opponents quarreled, captured the Kamitskaya fortress of the Turks and called it in-cermen, "the cave fortress". It happened in the distant 1475.

Fierce battles between Russian and English troops in the black river area occurred during Crimean war. An inkerman battle was held here, the soldiers from the English team of Adams were pushed out of the Inkerman Valley and suffered huge losses, including the death of the commander of the 4th division of the English general of Katkart. And the history with ghosts has a historical poverty!

After connecting the Crimea to Russian state In 1783, the fortress of Calamita lost its defensive importance. The railway branch was held near her, the ranks were built, called Inkerman.

Modern realities

Now the dilapidated towers and fragments of walls remain from the fortress of Calamite. The strengthening area is always available for visiting. And it's great! You are not limited to time, do not indicate where to go where to stay. You can walk where you like, sit on the stones and fantasize, climb on the highest point, to inspect the black river bed, present yourself to a soldier on the watchtower. You will meet many places for beautiful field filming and attracting the attention of Selfie.

Be careful:
Do not neglect your own security rules. At times they will have to climb on the fuses, put on comfortable tracking shoes. The sun in the Crimea fell mercies mercilessly, and to hide from his rays near the Calasses practically now. Take hats and drinking water.

How to independently inspect the fortress

In the village of Inkerman, the bridge is moving across the Black River and, leaving behind the railway canvas, go to the trail, along the rocks with the caves chopped in it. This is a whole range of military and household buildings.

At the plateau to the ruins of Calamites can be climbed from the territory of the Inkerman Holy Cleaniment Monastery, passing through the old monastery cemetery. But we were not sure that this trail leads to ancient Fortress, not to the inner monastery economic buildings, therefore, leaving the monastery, went on a plateau by bypassing.

Suddenly, our trail was cut off on the edge of the cliff, as if a huge knife cut under the laid railway.

The correct direction does not guarantee the achievement of the goal, but allows you to see the goal from the desired angle.

A little more bypass path, and here we appeared the ancient ruins of Calamites.

The name "Calamita" has several interpretations, one of which is translated from Greek as "reed", is fully justified due to the mouth of the Black River's mouth, close to the fortress. For the first time, the name "Kalamite" is found on the marine maps of the Genoesees of the XIV-XV centuries.

The history of the emergence of Calamites is reliably unknown, and, like most of the cave cities, Crimea is lost in the depths of centuries.

After numerous studies and excavations, scientists came to the conclusion that the first fortifications on the monastery rock appeared in the VI century and were built by Byzantine to protect the approaches to Chersonese. Which was a fortress in early Middle Ages And how she lived for several hundred years, probably, it will remain a secret for us.

The history of Calamites, starting from the XV century not so foggy. At this time, the Principality of Feodoro conflicted with the Genoese colonies. To get a way out to the sea. Feeodorites in the bay near the mouth of the Black River built a port of Avlite, who broke the trading monopoly of the Genoesers on the Black Sea. For his protection, Prince Alexey in 1427 began to rebuild the early-medieval fortress on the monastic rock.

Military conflicts have repeatedly arose between theses and the Genoesers, but none of them stood in front of the Turkish invasion of Crimea in 1475. Capturing Calamite, the Turks renamed it in Inkerman, which means "cave fortress." With the advent of firearms, there was a need to strengthen the fortress, which was made by new owners - the walls are thickened, strengthened and rebuilt the towers, a powerful semicircular tower, made behind the ditch and connected to the main fortress wall with the transition.

By the middle of the XVIII century, the fortress lost a defensive value, and after the joining of the Crimea to Russia, as military fortification was not used. Abandoned fortress slowly collapsed. Especially she suffered during the first and second defense of Sevastopol - to the Crimean and Great Patriotic War.

Even now in a dilapidated condition, the power of the fortress is felt. From the South and West Parties, Calamite defended the sheer 50-meter cliffs of the monastery rock, and with northern and eastern fortress walls with six towers and carved in the rock.

Ancient road He led us to the garment tower.

This is the first of the Western cliff of the semicircular tower with arched opening, in the arch of which the stone is laid down with the image of the cross and the inscription "Az Khoschu Zede of Russia."

Not far from the first tower there is another well-preserved semicircular tower. They were associated with a fortress wall, now destroyed, the road between the towers appeared in our time.

Second - semicircular tower

The second tower should additionally defend the entrance gate. She was rebuilt by the Turks. The shape of the booties allowed fire and be inaccessible to the enemy outside.

From the second tower begins choke in the rock.

It stretches along the fortress wall to the southern cliff of the monastery rock. In its middle part (between the third and fifth tower), a lot of caves were cut down in the walls of the RVA, the appointment of which, most likely, was economic.

The third tower is practically destroyed. It was an angular, rectangular tower, rebuilt at each stage of the fortress.

The most well-preserved is the fourth tower - the newest, was built by the Turks.

It is delivered behind the ditch and is connected to the fortress by a wall-transition, across intersecting ditch. There was a prison in the tower.

The fifth and sixth towers, as well as the third, are strongly destroyed.

In the early service period, the entrance to the fortress was at the fifth tower. After perestroika, the feudorets were left there a gate for pickles.

Behind the sixth tower, the fortress wall ended with a sheer cliff of the monastic rock. Standing on the edge of the plateau, our gaze opened the valley spreading in the sunset rays, leaving in the blue mountains, and the Zangitanskaya rock rich was cut off by the caves.

Panorama of the May Day Valley (by clicking opens in a large size)

There are also few caves in the monastery rock. Some of them can be descended from the plateau.

Not far from the cliff is a well, which supplied the fortress with water. Now he is covered. Next to it, a staircase, leading to the cave temples of the Inkerman Holy Cleaniment Monastery in the rocks. Stone steps are polished to the brilliance, apparently, the inhabitants of the Calamites have been actively used for centuries. Currently, this passage to the monastery is closed.

Walking around Calamite around the perimeter, we returned to the first tower with the gate.

Mattled. It's time to return home.

Inkerman is the city of caves, who excites the minds of scientists not one century. Fairly believed to one of the most famous and beautiful attractions of the Peninsula, Inkerman opens the road to the uncharted pages of history, when Bakhchisarai was the capital of the Crimean Khanate, the Genoese rule was stronger, and the Calamite fortress was the starting point of Inkerman's construction.

Where is Calamita fortress?

The remains of the once powerful building of the Kamaita fortress are found on the monastery mountain, which rises above the residential buildings of the city on the east. An inkerman sacred-climate cave monastery can serve as a guideline for travelers, where dozens of travelers are sent daily.

History of fortification in Inkerman

When it was and who closed the fortress of Calamans in the city of Inkerman is unknown. Historians comparing different styles and specific traits Buildings, inclined to the Italian origin of fortification, but this does not shed light during the years of the beginning and end of the structure. It is known for certain that you can dawn with antique times when these walls were used for defense from militant tribes Avar. The Genoese came to these places reported that the name of the Fort of Gazaria, named by the first temporary rulers of the Jews-Khazar, which used fortifications.

Moreover, historical references Mention of Prince Feodoro Alexia, who also used the Fortress of Calamite in Inkerman for state purposes. Interestingly, it was Alexy and called the Calamita Gazaria (a good pier), the name was fixed and remained in the centuries. A few years later, after the establishment of the Genoa power, Kalamita became the basis for the subsequent construction of the fortifications of the Genoesers, but even on those military maps there remains the name of Calamite, Gazaria goes into the past.

After the fall of Byzantium, crimean Tatars Twosted to the fortification in fairly "honest" negotiations and the fortress of Calamite in Inkerman becomes Tatar. For a short time, the defensive outpost served, Constantinople soon collapsed, the Ottoman troops came to the land of Crimea, and Tavrida fully felt heavy hand Winners.

The port of Avlite was renamed in In Kerman, it was officially allowed to lead from here the workman and the medieval fortress of Calamita saw a lot of tears and grief of people. Destruction has suffered the greatest walls of the wall abandoned the fortress in the years of Ottoman heyday, the death of the Turkish army and even no one defended the fortress walls, only the artillery Turkish calculations were taken in advance and the walls fell under the blows of enemy attacks.

Preserved ruins can tell a lot to travelers. About how they were scored to death unsold slaves, as lost in these places a garrison of English soldiers. The defensive troops of the monastery of the monastery of the monastery of the monastery of the Mountain decided to try happiness, descending down, and they were lost. It is said that the medieval fortress of Calamite is still filled with the leadership and spirits, because the innumerable number of people died in her walls.

Excursion to the medieval fortress

Calamite fortress in Inkerman is attractive today, despite merciless time, destruction and adversity. No matter how beautiful the entire Inkerman is, the fortress is clearly visible, harmoniously inserted into a complex ensemble of foothills, cleft and caves. The strengthening retained the tower, the gate, but the travelers will be much more interesting to see the passages into rock fortresses, where before the time of the formation of the principality there were intracreational Christian churches.

The Calamites are preserved one and the walls are the Panteleimon Church, which is located there, where there were once celi novices and monks. It is incredibly interesting for inspection of stones, which has retained an inkerman, the fortress can even "see" completely if a little strain their own imagination. And for a complete pleasure, you should see the climate monastery, Dmitrievskaya Church, especially since the road to Calamite in Inkerman, believes to its ancient towers, it takes exactly by.

Calamite fortress in Inkerman is always open for visitors, you just need to be careful on the approach paths, to be able to climb and jump. Do not forget the camera, below the incomprehensible section of the railway tracks, hiding in the tunnel - it is worth capturing, and take a picture against the background of stunning species will also not be superfluous. And from the top will open the view equal to which there is no longer anywhere! The whole river black will appear in front of a traveler's eye, and indeed this is an inkerman, near the road, cut down in the rock, leading to all five towers. A little patience and here she is the fortress of Calamite in Inkerman, which is the end point of the journey.

How to get?

If you have never been in the cave city of Inkerman, the fortress will be the first point where the fascinating journey is started in the past! The easiest way to get there is to get to Inkerman on any transport (from the city bus station goes a regular bus, a minibus, a taxi) and get out at the "invite" stop, then a little walk to the gas station and see the ensembles of temple buildings - from here you have to go on the road to adventures !

Come true the exact address: Inkerman, ul. Career, the fortress is located here, and coordinates N 44.3611 E 33.3632.

How to get from Sevastopol (map)

From Simferopol

From Yalta

Sightseeing is worth the attention of travelers and no matter, you arrived here for one day or a week - the fortress of Calamans is the ancient pillar of the Orthodox faith, a shrine and a truly unique place that is so little in the world. Do not miss the chance to see the most ancient beauty with your own eyes and enjoy the magnificent reviews, the wind rustier and the whisper of Valunov, telling many legends and truthful stories.

We continue to travel around the Crimea and today will look at Inkerman, where we look at the ancient fortress of Calamite and Inkerman quarry.

2. In general, for tourists, Inkerman is primarily a local monastery, founded at the VII century and, at that time, completely chopped in the rock. Now, in addition to rocky housing, there is a traditional church. I do not really like religious objects, so it walked around the territory a little bit.

4. The most interesting thing for me was above, above the monastery. To begin, it is possible to remove unique frames with the railway passing almost through the territory of the monastery. Alas, I did not agree on my visit to the local railways And therefore remained without trains. Sorrow.

5. Local love to sit here, think about the beautiful, drink beer and semi seeds.

6. At one of the frames, you probably have already seen the ruins of the ancient fortress, which appeared here even earlier the monastery, as well as in the VI century. The beautiful was time, people did not think about the dollar of 30 and the sixth iPhone. The dollar was still not at all, imagine.

7. Up to 1475, the fortress was owned by the Principality of Feodoro, but it fell under the onslaught of the Turks. Turks rebuilt the fortress and called her inkerman, which means "cave fortress."

8. Then Inkerman, together with all Crimea, passed Russian Empire And for a while there was quite calm and cozy. Calamite, however, was decently injured during an inkerman battle, but what to do.

9. During the Great Patriotic War And the defense of Sevastopol, almost all the buildings were destroyed on top. All that is left - in front of you. At the moment, according to information from the Internet, Calamite is restored. FIG knows where people have such information from that, except for the flags, no trace of restoration found.

12. Two graves ... one - a machine gunner who died in 1942 during the defense of Sevastopol, the second pilot, who did not live to war and died here with test flights.

13. Right next to the Calamite there are inkerman quarries and a large quarry left from the workings. Now in the career is a surprisingly beautiful lake.

14. According to the local - the lake is very warm, in the summer the water here herses degrees to 30. I could not stand and redeemed - indeed, even in May here are comfortable - there are 20 degrees.

15. By the way, this landscape is very like directions for filming films. From the latter, the "lively island" of Bondarchuk was filmed. Well, as Bondarchuk, Strugatsky, of course.

16. On the shores and the edges of the career very well visible traces of workings.

17. Traces of these are very similar to stickers that are attached to the refrigerator, do not find?)

18. And the Crimea flowers around ...

21. One of the most interesting places In the quarries - this tunnel. Edakaya "Inkerman gap".

22. On the tunnel periodically pass cars - it looks very interesting. I even regretted that I left my car at the monastery, here would be photos no worse than any "author."

23. The geometry of lines battered on the walls of the quarry is striking by its accuracy.

24. Seeing the path leading to the top of the mantomolometer, I would not think without thinking. I was already in anticipation of the most interesting excursion for myself, but my hopes to come true was not destined ...

25. But in the quarries there are even similarity of windows. Maybe there even someone ever lived?

26. That's all, we leave the incredible inkerman who turned out to be very interesting and go on the Crimea ... to new meetings!)

You can see more records from this trip by tag

Fortress of CalamitaAnd the cave monastery of St. Clement

Slightly stories

Double Crimea was subjected to raids of the Goldenopa Halchishchildren - in 1299, Khana Noga and in 1399, Khana Okuya. And both times Mangupus Prince Although he lost part of the territories. These territories settled mainly Tatars. The Genoes, who captured the coast of the principality, including the territory of the current Balaclava, where the Italians built a fortress Chambalo. Despite this, in the XIV-XV centuries Mangupus Prince Intensively developed in economically, its trade and political ties expanded. All this required the exit to the sea, whom the principality was deprived of the Genoese.

And so, in order to have their own access to the sea, the rulers of Mangup decided to build a port Avlita Not far from the mouth of a black river flowing into Ahtiirskaya (now Sevastopol) bay. In addition, to protect the port from Genoesers in 1427, a fortress was built near the port Kalamita. Toponym " Kalamita"You can translate differently, but most experts believe that the most appropriate is the translation from Greek -" good cape. "

For the construction of the fortress, a dining area was chosen, called now Serfwhich has breakdown southern and western slopes. From the north and east, the fortress was protected by defensive walls and towers (see the scheme below).

Initially Kalamita There was a weak fortification. The walls of the fortress had a thickness of only about one meter. They, like rectangular semi-breeds, were folded from the stone blocks mined here by the limestone. The defensive rye in the fortress was absent. Fortunately, nobody to the port Avlita It was not attacked and he soon became the main thing in the Southwestern Crimea, which was adversely affected by the trading interests of the Genoesers. The economic opposition of the principality and Italians ended with armed clashes. In 1433, the Mangupus Prince Alexey demanded that he returned to him in the area of \u200b\u200bthe current Balaclava, along with the Genoese fortress Chamblock. Without waiting for the answer, the prince sent to the fortress of his carcuts under the guise of merchants, and then troops. The cables were organized in the fortress the rebellion of fishermen, dissatisfied with the orders of Italians, and the troops hit the outside. As a result, the fortress Chambalo Moved to possession Mangupus Princess.

To return the lost fortress and restore the former influence in the Crimea, the Italians sent a squadron from 20 a gallery with six thousand selected warriors to Tavrick. In June 1434, the squadron reached the shores of Taraki and the Genoese seeded fortress Chambalo and Calamute. After a short siege of the fortress were taken.

Inspired by a light victory, the Italians decided to teach and the Tatars supporting the principality, but were headed by the troops of Khan Haji-Gurya. The Italians requested the world from the Tatar, and such an agreement was signed. The Mangupesky principality was returned to Calamite, and it began to actively develop in friendship with Crimean Khanate and in an initiance with Italians.

However, the strengthening of the Turkish threat after the fall of Constantinople changed the political situation - the Tatars became close to the Turks, and the Italians began to seek the Union with Mangupsky By principality. But it did not help, - Turkish landing landed Caffe (Feodosia) and took the city in a few days. After Kafara Other Genoese colonies surrendered to the Crimea, and in July 1475 fell and the fortress Kalamita.

Almost immediately after mastering the fortress of the Turks began to strengthen Calamute. They have doubled the thickness of the walls, replaced the rectangular semi-robes round towers, cut off dry ditch around the fortress, and an artillery caasemont was built over the tower with the main fortress gate. Thus, the fortress we can see now is no longer that Kalamitawhich was built initially, although the location of some towers remained the same. In particular, the towers number 1 and No. 2 remained in their places (see the fortress given above).

The modern arrangement of these defensive towers can be judged by the following photo. Tower number 1, standing on the edge of a 20-meter cliff, has the name "notad", as it rises above the main fortress gate. 12 meters from the first tower stands Tower # 2, from which the DRA-trap carved in the stone massif begins with caves, of which the defenders could attack the attacking opponents.

Turks not only rebuilt the fortress, but also gave her a new name - " Inkerman". Translated from the Turkic IN. - this is Cave, but Kerman (Kermen) – Fortress, i.e Inkerman - this is Cave fortress. Such a name fortress received for the abundance of caves in the slopes of the fortress mountain. Caves These are predominantly man-made, formed as a result of production by local residents of white stone.

On the above photo, besides defensive towers, also visible, located near the fortress mountain, Holy Clemental Cave Men's Monastery, the creation of which dates back to the XIII century. The monastery is called "cave", as Celi and other rooms are cut down in a rock and combine transitions and stairs, also cut down in monolith. Among other things, a staircase connecting the monastery with a fortress is cut down in the rock. Unfortunately, the monks overlap it now, as a result, it is possible to get from the monastery to the fortress only around.

In 1774, when the Turks went out of the Crimea, the defeat in the war with Russia, Mangup and Calamite For a long time owned by Tatars. After joining the Crimea to Russia Mangup Left his last inhabitants. Soon immente and fortress Kalamita.

Monastery

I will not touch here any religious topics, but I will explain how to get to the territory of the monastery, I will show you the most interesting species that I managed to capture in the monastery, and explain how to go from the monastery to the fortress Calamute.

So to get to Holy Clemental Cave Men's Monastery, you need to come to a well-known in Sevastopol "5th kilometer", sit there on bus number 103 and take it to it to stop "Vesmet" (first after a bridge over a black river). From the stop you need to go through meters 100 along the movement of the bus and further follow the monastic signposts of the path (it is impossible to get down there).

The first on our way will meet a neat two-story building, in which monastic brethren lives. As you can see, modern cells are profitably different from the initial cutting into the rocks.

And here is the entrance to the cave monastery. Everything is neat and beautiful here:

Climbing the stairs, get to the church of St. Andrei First Called (photo below). Total in the monastery 8 temples. Cave churches are interconnected by chopped stairs and passages.

If you go to the yard and go a little in the same direction, then we will come to the entrance to the white Church of St. Panteleimon (photo below):

On the wall for Temple Pantelemanon The rendered balcony placed the bells (two photos below):

There is no passage, - the door blocks the road, locked on the castle. To leave the territory of the monastery, you need to return to Temple of the Holy Trinity And just below to go through the gate on the railway mound. But before leaving the monastery, approach the monument to the monument of the soldiers of the Chapaevsky division nearby, whose headquarters during the war was located on the territory of the monastery:

Quarry

When we leave through the gate of the monastery and rise to the railway mound, we will have two options for the continuation of the route: turn 90 degrees to the left or right. In the first case, we can pass through the quarry and go away from there to the fortress KalamitaAnd in the second - immediately go to the fortress (this is not far). Since we have planned acquaintance with a quarry, turn left and go ahead along the trail going next to the embankment (photo below).

Looking at the photo, it can be noted that two roads got into the frame - iron, laid on the ground, and the road to God in the form of kesels go to the sky. Well, this is already a philosophy ...

After 150-200 meters, we will say with the railway - we will go to the left and go on the primer. Despite the fact that we are removing from the monastery, the amount of caves in the mountainside does not decrease (the photo below). Especially for enthusiasts I inform you that there are still many vacant cheels.

After 25 minutes from the monastery wicket, a cyclopic tunnel leading to a quarry (photo below) will open before us. It is necessary to roll into this tunnel and go through it into a giant pita, formed as a result of industrial mining of an inkerman stone.

You can judge on the scale of the extraction of stone, looking at the walls of the career, in which we got, passing through the tunnel (photo below):

The depth of the career exceeds 30 meters, but it is impossible to call it more accurately, since the bottom of the career is flooded - a pretty lake was formed (photo below):

A good primer is laid around the lake, as a result of which in the career there are quite a lot of motorists, roasting kebabs, catching fish and just resting at the water.

From the tunnel along the lake there is the only way. On it we will continue our journey. Soon we will come to the place where the big white cross, installed above the monastery, is clearly visible (photo below). Here, on the left in the course of our movement there is a small second lake.

Fortress

Information about initial form Fortress Kalasites and about her restructuring, after which the fortress received a new name Inkerman, It is contained in the section "Bare Stories", and here I will give only two photos characterizing modern condition Kalasites.

So, rising from the career, we will go to the fortress on the road walking by the High White Monastery Cross, who we saw from the bottom, from the second lake. Previously, when there was a fortress wall, it was possible to get on the territory of the fortress only on the road walking through the fortress gate (photo below). Now there are many roads there.

If you go to the territory of the fortress and look back, we will see that the Towers number 1 and number 2 are strongly destroyed (the photo below) and to save them it is necessary to urgently carry out restoration work. And many towers and fortress walls are not at all. Even ditch, a fighter fortress, in many places looked apart.

If you walk through the territory of the fortress, we will see many descents in the cave of the upper tier. In many cases, these descents do not lead to single caves, but in groups of the caves connected with each other.

Many caves are located behind the territory Kalasites, along the road, on which we walked into the fortress. Below is a photo of one of them, which looks like a finished garage with the original check-in.

Farewell to see the view of the black river and the Sevastopol bay, opening with the fortress mountain (photo below), and go down the bus stop.

The shortest path from the gates of the fortress in the monastery and then on the highway - this is a staircase, cut down in a rock, which monks have now blocked with a grid. Therefore, let's go around. At first, we will go from the fortress gate along the same road that was going to the fortress. Having passed by the monastery cross, we will see a powerful fence in front of stone blocks and go out to the left and down the path that enters this fence. We turn to the path and go down to it railway tracks. Further, in a convenient location, we turn through the rails and directly after 50 meters will go to Simferopol highway. Now it remains about 100 meters down the highway until the "invite" stop and leave there by bus on the 5th kilometer.