Sights of Bakhchisarai

Bakhchisarai is the former capital of the Crimean Khanate with an eventful medieval history, the trend of which can still be felt today while walking along the streets of the old city. Accordingly, most of the local attractions are associated with this historical period and the Crimean Tatar culture. This, of course, is primarily known to all guests of the peninsula Khan's Palace and the medieval fortress of Chufut-Kale, with which tourists usually associate this city. Also in the old town of Bakhchisarai there are several medieval mausoleums (durbe), a historical mosque, the Gasprinsky Museum and the open-air museum Salachik. But there is not much entertainment in the city. You can go with the children to the famous miniature park of the Crimea, ride horses or quad bikes. Also, the rocks around Bakhchisarai are popular as a place for rock climbing and mountaineering training, but to do these sports, you need initial preparation.

However, not only the sights in the city itself exhaust interesting places in Bakhchisarai. So, in the vicinity of the city on the territory of Bakhchisarai district there are medieval fortress towns Mangup-Kale, Tepe-Kermen and Exi-Kermen, each of which is interesting and unique in its own way. There are also many cave temples and monasteries, but only the most famous of them are: Holy Dormition, Kachi-Kalon, Bead Temple, Shuldan, Chelter-Marmara. And a nice bonus when visiting these attractions will also be the magnificent nature with excellent views of the low rocky and flat mountains covered with dense caps of green vegetation.

You can visit the sights in Bakhchisarai itself on foot, everything here is compactly located within the old town district. You can use a local taxi (trips starting from 100 USD) or city bus No. 2, which for 25 rubles can take you to all places of interest to tourists. But to see places in the Bakhchisarai district, it is best to go by your own transport or take excursions. Unfortunately, inexpensive group excursions cannot be found here, and therefore you will have to use the services of private guide drivers in jeeps, who will make up any trip program at your request. You can also book unique individual excursions from local residents on sites with reviews:

• 📷 Search for excursions in Bakhchisarai on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for excursions in Bakhchisarai on Tripster.ru

And now we present you a complete list of attractions in Bakhchisarai and Bakhchisarai district with indication of their opening hours, the cost of visiting and how to get to them yourself:

Bakhchisarai Khan's Palace

Khan's Palace is the central attraction of the city and the entire Bakhchisarai district, which is visited by every guest of the city. There is even an opinion that without visiting the Khan's Palace it is impossible to leave the Crimea at all, but if you have not visited it, then you will have to come back again. Indeed, the image of the palace is so strongly associated with Bakhchisarai that many vacationers believe that there is nothing but the Khan's Palace in the whole city of Bakhchisarai. In the Middle Ages it was the center of the Khan's kingdom, the place of residence of the Crimean khans. It was with its construction in the XVI century during the reign of Khan Sahib I Gerai that the development of the city of Bakhchisarai or "garden city" began, which became the new capital of the khanate. The area of the modern exposition of this museum-palace is 4.3 hectares. Most of this territory is a palace square or an open–air courtyard, which is visited by an entrance ticket (see below for prices). In addition, there are separate expositions for which you will have to pay separately: the main courtyard of the palace with three fountains; the exhibition treasures of the southwestern Crimea. Read more about the Khan's Palace here.

Medieval cave fortress town of Chufut-Kale

Chufut-Kale is the most famous and visited by tourists cave city of Crimea, and one of the most popular attractions of Bakhchisarai. In terms of popularity throughout the Bakhchisarai district, it competes, perhaps, only with the Khan's Palace. The first mention of the fortress at this place is found in 1254, and the city was then called Kyrk-Er iil Kyrk-Or, which means "forty castles" in Turkic. However, even before Kryk-On, an ancient Byzantine city of the V-VI centuries existed on this place. Chufut-Kale emptied naturally at the end of the XIX century already under the Russian Empire, and today an open-air museum is operating in its place. Read more about Chufut-Kale here.

Assumption Cave Monastery

This is a landmark and an active place of worship, which tourists and guests of Bakhchisarai do not miss. The fact is that this beautiful cave monastery and temple are located on the way to Chufut-Kale, which in turn every tourist is obliged to visit. Therefore, it is simply impossible not to look at the monastery on the way. In addition, since 2015 it has become a monument of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation of federal significance, and it is also the largest Crimean monastery in terms of the number of novices. According to one version, the history of the monastery begins no later than the VIII century. Learn more about the Assumption Cave Monastery here.

Historical and archaeological complex of Salachik and Zynjirli Madrasah

This open-air museum was formed on the site of the disappeared village of Salachik, and includes the Zyndzhirli Madrasah, the mausoleum of the first Crimean Khan Devlet Haji Gerai, the Ismail Gasprinsky memorial, the alleged Mengi Giray mosque and the archaeological site of the medieval bath hamam. There is also a former private museum of Larishes, which in fact is no longer a museum, and a small number of exhibits can be seen inside the building of the Zynjirli Madrasa. You will not see anything exciting on the territory of Salachik, but it is difficult to overestimate the historical significance of this place. The fact is that Salachik was the first capital of the Crimean Khanate until 1532, and the first khan's palace was located here. Read more about Salachik and Zynjirli Madrasah here.

Park of Crimean Miniatures

This is one of the few attractions in Bakhchisarai that can be classified as entertainment and even visited with children. This is already a fairly traditional park with miniature copies of famous architectural places. But it is worth saying that Bakhchisarai Park, in our opinion, is the best among other similar places on the peninsula. Here in one place there are a zoo and a petting zoo, children's attractions and a rope park, figures of cartoon characters, and actually the collection of reduced copies of the most famous architectural structures and popular attractions of the Crimea. Learn more about the miniature park of Crimea here.

Gasprinsky Museum

For most tourists, Ismail-mirza Gasprinsky himself and his activities are little known. But if you have already seen everything in Bakhchisarai, and you want something else, then you can safely poison yourself in this house-museum of a prominent Crimean Tatar political and public figure. There was once a printing house and Gasprinsky lived here, and the building itself is an object of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia of regional significance and is protected by the state. By the way, this is one of the oldest museums in Crimea, it was founded in 1921. Unfortunately, the exposition presents few of Gasprinsky's personal belongings, mostly family photos, documents, awards, books, textbooks, and a restored study with furniture of the XIX century. But tourists will be interested not so much in the exhibits themselves as in the history of his work and life, which is enthusiastically told by the curators of the museum. Read more about the Gasprinsky Museum here.

Bakhchisarai sphinxes

These are natural formations of a bizarre shape, the sculptor of which was nature itself, namely, the natural processes of wind and water. Over the centuries, they have weathered and washed away soft rock from the hills, exposing dense stone sculptures made of harder limestones, in which, depending on your imagination, you can now see Egyptian sphinxes, and images of people, and bizarre animals. Someone will even recognize them as aliens or, for some unknown reason, the stone monolithic statues of Moai created on Easter Island. Read more about Bakhchisarai sphinxes here.

Dilara Mausoleum-bikech

Dyurbe Dilyary-bikech is a historical and architectural landmark in Bakhchisarai, which we cannot attribute to a mandatory place to visit. However, if you have already seen everything here or are just taking a walk, you can also explore the mausoleum, especially since it is located in the very center of the tourist area at the southern gate of the Khan's Palace. The mausoleum building was built in 1764 in the far corner of the garden terraces of the Khan's Palace for the repose of a woman named Dilyary-bikech by order of the Crimean Khan Kyrim Gerai. Learn more about Dilara-bikech Mausoleum here.

Mausoleum of Eski-Durbe

Eski-Durbe is the oldest tomb in Bakhchisarai, and as previously thought, it was built during the Golden Horde in the XIV century even before the Khan's Bakhchisarai Palace appeared here. However, more recent archaeological studies attribute its appearance to the XVII century. Actually, Eski-Durbe is translated from the Turkic language – "old tomb". Unfortunately, today it is not very attractive for tourists. The building is abandoned and fenced, there is no information sign and no signpost. Read more about Eski-Durbe here.

Takhtali Jami Mosque

This is a functioning mosque in the historical district of Bakhchisarai, built in 1707 by the daughter of the Crimean Khan Selim I Gerai, Bek Khan Sultankhani. Its minaret can be seen from almost anywhere in the old city. The scheme of construction of the mosque is interesting, due to the weak soil at this place. To ease the load of heavy stone walls on the ground, the builders laid boards between the load-bearing wall and the external stone decorative trim, which is why it got its folk name "Takhtaly-Jami", which means "plank mosque". Read more about the Takhtaly Jami Mosque here.

Medieval fortress town of Mangup-Kale

In the Bakhchisarai district, on the way from Sevastopol to Bakhchisarai, near the village of Khoja Sala, there is Mount Mangup-Kale. And although it is inferior to other mountains in this area in height, its historical value is enormous, since here is one of the most exciting and largest man–made sights of the Crimea - the medieval fortress city of Mangup-Kale. According to many tourists, Mangup-Kale is even much more interesting than Chufut-Kale, popular and well-known to almost every guest of the Crimea, and therefore we definitely recommend it for a mandatory visit during a trip to Bakhchisarai or from other resorts of the Crimea. Read more about Mangup-Kale here.

The fortress city of Tepe-Kermen

Tepe-Kermen is a monument of early medieval urban planning and architecture of the Crimea in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai, or, in other words, an early medieval fortress city. It is a monument of cultural heritage of federal significance. The fortress is located on the mountain of the same name at an altitude of about 540 meters, and consists of a network of rock rooms, cave temples, rock passages and ruins of entire neighborhoods. This is one of the most striking, but at the same time little-known tourist attractions in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai, which should definitely be visited if you like little-trodden hiking trails. However, you need to be prepared for difficult and protracted mountain climbs. Learn more about Tepe-Kermen here.

Cave city of Eski-Kermen

Eski-Kermen is one of the not very popular and little–known historical sights among mass tourists in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai, which we confidently recommend for a mandatory visit. Translated from the Crimean Tatar, Eski-Kermen means "old fortress", although it could be successfully called an "impregnable fortress", because it is located on an impregnable rock up to 30 meters high. The remains of the cave city occupy the plateau of this mountain, in some places located above steep cliffs up to 20 m high. The city consists of many structures: chapels, combat casemates, tombs. There are outbuildings: cattle stalls, cellars, grain pits. All this is part of one museum complex and is visited by one ticket. Read more about Eski-Kermen here.

Kachi-Kalon Cave Monastery

Kachi-Kalon is an Orthodox medieval cave monastery in a rock, a monument of cultural heritage of federal significance. It is located on the vertical slope of one of the rocks of the inner mountain range of Crimea. Kachi-Kalyon is not the most popular tourist attraction among mass tourists, because it is lost in the shadow of the much more famous and promoted Khan's Palace of Bakhchisarai and Chufut-Kale, where more tourists are brought by buses with excursions. However, this does not detract from its attractiveness for tourists. This place is, in its own way, Unique and definitely worth visiting, and therefore we recommend that you include it and the nearby Hermitage of Anastasia Uzoreshitelnitsa in the program of your trip and vacation in Bakhchisarai. Read more about the Kachi-Kalon cave monastery here.

The hermitage of Anastasia Uzoreshitelnitsa or the Beaded Temple

The hermitage of Anastasia Uzoreshitelnitsa is also known as the Bead Temple. He received such a "nickname" for being richly decorated with beaded weaving made by parishioners and monks. It is believed that this is the only such temple in the world. It is located near the Kachi-Kalon cave complex and we recommend visiting both places at once. Moreover, the Hermitage is actually a historical continuation and revival of the Kachi-Kalon cave monastery. The fact is that earlier the source of St. Anastasia, which was one of the reasons for the foundation of the monastery, was located in the fourth grotto of Kachi-Kalon, but eventually dried up. After the closure of the old cave monastery in the Soviet years, it was decided not to revive it in the same place in the rock, but to build a new one nearby. Therefore, it is now in the active stage of construction, but this does not prevent its visit at all. Read more about the Beaded Temple here.

Shuldan Cave Monastery

This is a functioning ancient monastery and at the same time a historical and architectural landmark in the western part of Crimea. This place is very interesting and will be primarily attractive to those tourists who like to get acquainted with sights that are not very popular among mass vacationers. The history of the Shuldan monastery began in the XII-XIII centuries. It was at this time that it was erected by monks persecuted by the Byzantine authorities. In its original form, the monastery consisted of 20 caves. All of them were in 2 tiers. After one of the earthquakes, part of the caves was destroyed. But tourists still have something to see. Learn more about Shuldan Monastery here.

Grand Canyon of Crimea

This is a unique natural attraction for the Crimean peninsula, the longest and deepest canyon of the Crimea. Its maximum depth reaches 320 meters, and its length is 3.5 kilometers. For a longer distance it is quite wide, but in some places the rocks narrow to 3 meters. At the bottom of the gorge flows the mountain river Kokkozka, which formed the canyon, "cutting" for millions of years in soft limestone rocks a deep passage for its waters. For tourists, the Grand Canyon of Crimea provides an opportunity to walk along an equipped eco-tourist trail along the bottom along the riverbed. The route is simple and is overcome in 2-4 hours. For safety and convenience, there are route maps, signs, markers, bridges for crossing the river, stairs and steps, places of rest. Read more about the Grand Canyon of Crimea here.