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Bakhchisarai 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.
History of the palace
Bakhchisarai Palace in the Middle Ages was the center of the Khan's kingdom, the 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. Up to this point, the old capital was located in a Devlet-Barn located a couple of kilometers from here, where the historical and archaeological complex Salachik is now operating, which is also worth a visit. It is believed that Khan Sahib I Gerai was forced to move the capital to another place by the need for additional space to expand the city, which was lacking in the old place in a narrow valley between the rocks, as well as the desire to build a magnificent palace to demonstrate the wealth and beauty of the khanate. And do not be surprised that there was not enough space in Salachik for the Khan's palace, because today the museum of the Khan's Palace occupies only 4 hectares, and in those days it occupied as many as 18.
As a result, it really turned out to be a magnificent palace, which surprised the beauty and wealth of visiting foreigners, inspired creators to create new works and praise the khan and the palace. It was even called the palace-city, because a mosque and baths were erected here, richly decorated mausoleums and fountains were built, gardens were laid out, a stable and a library worked, and, of course, a harem was located in a separate building. Each new ruler of the Crimean Khanate brought something of his own here, trying to make the palace even more beautiful and rich.
Interestingly, on the territory of the palace there are buildings even older than himself. The oldest building is a portal called Demir–Kapy in 1508, moved here from another place after the construction was completed.
Unfortunately, during the Russian-Turkish war in 1736, the capital was taken by Russian troops under the command of Field Marshal General Christoph Minich. He gave the order to make accurate sketches of the palace, and then burn it. Since many of the buildings were made of wood, most of the original buildings were lost, leaving only a description on paper. However, thanks, among other things, to this description, the palace was rebuilt by subsequent khans Selamet II Gerai and Kyry Gerai.
After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, the palace was visited by many Russian rulers and figures. On May 20, 1787, Catherine II visited here, on the occasion of which the Catherine Mile was installed at the entrance, and the interior was significantly changed. In 1818 Alexander I visited the palace, and in 1820 A.S. Pushkin visited, later Alexander II and Nicholas II.
In the last century, under the Soviet regime, the museum of the history and culture of the Crimean Tatars started working here, and what is bad, during this time the palace underwent regular changes that did not benefit from preserving its historical value, in particular, the exterior painting was painted over. Since the beginning of the Second World War, a surgical hospital has been located here, and that is why a cemetery with the graves of Soviet soldiers is located in the southern part of the palace. Since 1955, the palace became a museum again and remains so to this day, while work on its restoration and archaeological excavations continue today.
How to visit the palace and practical information
Attention! in 2023 and 2024, a large-scale restoration is taking place in the Khan's palace. Because of this, many objects are closed to the public or hidden by scaffolding and materials. Conducting excursions due to construction noise is also difficult. The completion of the works is scheduled for the end of 2023, unless, of course, they are postponed to a later date, which is very likely.
The area of the modern exposition of the Khan's 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.
The ticket price includes an excursion escort (mandatory), for which groups of 15 people or more are formed at the entrance. Guides tell the history of the palace and about its facilities, so you can learn right here about the Khan's mosque, bathhouse, mausoleums, golden fountain and fountain of tears, falcon tower, Demir-Kapy portal, etc. Unfortunately, the quality of the tour strongly depends on the specific guide that your group will get, so it's a matter of luck.
🌐 Website: https://handvorec.ru
🕐 Working hours
in summer 09:00 - 18:00, the rest of the time 09:00 – 17:00. Monday and Tuesday are days off. Some of the objects of the expositions are closed to the public in winter.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
The palace Museum consists of a common area and separate exhibitions inside. You can buy a ticket to visit the palace and park ensemble (the most popular option) and additionally separate exhibitions "the main courtyard of the palace with three fountains" or "treasures of the southwestern Crimea" on request.
- Palace and Park ensemble for adults - 250 rubles +50 rubles excursion support; children 16-18 years and students – 100 rubles + 50; pensioners – 200 rubles +50;
- Separate exhibitions for adults (for each) – 100 rubles + 50 rubles excursion support; children 16-18 years and students – 50 rubles + 50; pensioners – 50 rubles +50;
A visit to the palace and park ensemble takes place only with excursion service, which starts when a group of 15 people is recruited, so you may have to wait a little after buying a ticket for the next group.
Previously, there was a comprehensive ticket that allowed you to visit everything in the palace and at the same time save on the cost, but now such a ticket has been removed from the official prices on the website. You can check the current prices on the official website.
🚶 How to get there
The Khan's Palace is located in the very center of the historical district or old town of Bakhchisarai on the main Lenin Street (Khan's Palace on the map). It is most often visited from the beach resorts of Crimea with group excursions, but you can also come here during the day on your own by bus or private transport, or come in Bakhchisarai for a few days to explore the city, the palace and other sights of the former capital of the Crimean Khanate. Let's tell you more about all the options:
Independently from Bakhchisarai
If you are staying in a hotel in Bakhchisarai itself, then it is easy to get to the Khan's Palace on foot if you are staying in the old town. If your hotel is located in new residential areas, then you can take a taxi from 100 rubles or by city bus No. 2, which runs every 10-20 minutes, the fare costs 25 rubles in 2023.
Independently from other resorts of the Crimea
From nearby resorts Sevastopol, Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Yalta and others in this part of the peninsula, you can visit the Khan's Palace on your own during the day by intercity bus to Bakhchisarai, but from more remote resorts it is better to go with an excursion or by your own transport, otherwise you may not have time to return on the same day.
It is best to go by bus on the first morning flights at 5-7 o'clock. About how to get to Bakhchisarai, including by bus, in more detail here... When you get to the Bakhchisarai bus station, you can get from it to the palace by taxi from 200 rubles, or take the city bus No. 2, which will take you to the entrance ticket office in just 25 rubles and 10 minutes.
If you are traveling by your own or rented car, then you should be aware of some local features:
When entering the old town by car, a couple of kilometers before the palace, locals will stop you on the road, literally falling out onto the road and blocking the way. Some of them get impudent to the point that they put on special vests and pick up striped wands. This is a traditional tourist trick, and you will be told that there is no further travel or all parking spaces are occupied there, and you can stop only here and for money. But all this is a lie. In fact, there is a spacious paid parking next to the entrance and ticket offices on the right side along the way, it costs 200 rubles / day.
There are really few free parking spaces here and there are a lot of signs prohibiting parking and stopping, especially on the main Lenin Street. But if you really want to, then even at the height of the season you can park the car for free. To do this, you just have to leave the car further from the palace and walk. You can find free places in one of the alleys in the residential area to the right of Lenin Street (along the way), near the Durbe Dilyary-bikech mausoleum on Polevaya Lane, or on the side of Lenin Street if you drive further 500-800 meters after the palace.
With excursions from other resorts of the Crimea
In our opinion, this is the best way to visit the Khan's Palace and get acquainted with Bakhchisarai if you are vacationing in other resorts of the Crimea. Such excursions are offered at almost every resort in any corner of the Crimea. Usually these are day trips to Bakhchisarai with a visit to the Khan's Palace and Chufut-Kale, but there are also more interesting programs for several days with visits to other interesting and lesser-known places in the vicinity of the city. You can buy them from distributors on the streets of resorts, or online on the sites tripster.ru or sputnik8.com
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Balaclava with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites:
- 📷 Search for excursions in Bakhchisarai on Sputnik8.com
- 📷 Search for excursions in Bakhchisarai on Tripster.ru