Cave towns of Crimea

Cave cities of Crimea - are the hills (or let's say mountain plateaus) surrounded by natural rocks... actually fortresses with a natural defense. Such fortresses were built and fortified in VI - IX th. centuries and were destroyed as a result of Tatar-Mongolian invasion to Crimea (first time conquerors appeared in Crimea in 1223). Mangup - principality of Feodoro, capital of cave towns was destroyed in 1475, when Turks invaded the peninsula.
Inhabitants built houses to live and made artificial caves (this is why it was called cave towns) mostly to use it as kind of utility rooms (keep animals, store food etc.)

Remarkable hiking tours to the Crimean mountains, including Cave towns with a private mountain guide.
Please, see here: Program of tours & excursions 2008

Cave cities of Crimean peninsula:

Below are pics of four main cave cities of Crimea in order from Bakhchisarai to the North-West: Chufut-Kale, Tepe-Kermen, Mangup-Kale and Eski-Kermen

Chufut-Kale:

cave city Chufut-Kale. Crimea

Chufut-Kale, cave town. Crimea. Bakhchisarai

Chufut-Calais cave town. Bakhchisarai. Crimea cave town Chufut-Kale. unconquerable walls

Tepe-Kermen:

Cave town Tepe-Kermen. Crimea

Crimea. Tepe-Kermen cave city Crimea. Tepe-Kermen cave town

Mangup (Principality of Feodoro):

Manhup cave city. Crimea

Cave town Mangup-Kale. Crimea

Crimea. Mangup Cave city Manhup-Kale. Crimea

Eski-Kermen:

cave city Eski-Kermen. Crimea

Eski-Kermen. Cave town. Crimea Cave town Eski-Kermen. Crimea

Pictures © Copyright Sergey Sorokin