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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
The site of the ancient man Tash-Air I with rock carvings we can not be attributed to the number of places that should definitely be visited in the vicinity of Bakhchisarai, too insignificant and not particularly spectacular place. You will spend at most five minutes here, and most likely in unsuccessful attempts to see something on the rocks. However, for road travelers, this place will still be not only interesting, but also useful. The fact is that there is also a spring with drinking water here, where you can replenish supplies or just get drunk for fun. We heard from a local resident that this water is very good and almost miraculous, and it contains silver ions. But this is not accurate, so it's up to you to believe it or not. But we can confirm that it is tasty and drinkable.
But let's return to the site of the ancient man himself. Although this place is not very large-scale and spectacular for tourists, it is still very important for history. It was discovered during an expedition of Soviet scientists in 1935. The attention of archaeologists was attracted by rock carvings made with red paint. Flint tools, pottery and animal bones were found nearby. The conducted archaeological excavations revealed cultural layers 3-4 meters deep, where artifacts of the Stone, Bronze and Early Iron Ages dating back to about 8000-700 years BC, as well as a few materials of the first centuries AD and the Middle Ages were discovered.
The study of the drawings showed that a paint based on ochre and fat was used, which ensured their durability due to the absorption of paint into the surface of the rock. Images of more than 30 geometric shapes and several red dots, images of people and animals have been preserved.
But, unfortunately, these drawings have survived millennia, but have not been able to survive the last decades. Since the object is not guarded, it was spoiled by vandals who like to leave their autographs on the rocks. Right on top of the ancient drawings, "Vasya was here" and the like are emblazoned here today. Only a specialist can see real ancient drawings, perhaps.
There is an information board with a description of the history of the place and samples of drawings so that they can be identified. We barely recognized the outlines of several of them, but this is not visible in the photos. Therefore, we cannot definitely recommend this place to visit. But if you drive by, and even want to drink or get water from the spring, then be sure to make a stop.
🕐 Working hours
Around the clock.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
The Tash-Air I parking lot is located 10 kilometers from the center of the old town of Bakhchisarai (Tash-Air on the map). There is a good asphalt road leading here, along which one usually goes to the cave city of Kachi-Kalion, the ancient city of Tepe-Kermen and The hermitage of Anastasia Uzoreshitelnitsa. The spring is located right next to the road, in front of it is a platform where you can park. To get to the rock carvings of Tash-Air I, you need to walk a couple of dozen meters from the spring to the left along the cliff. Do not confuse: you need to go exactly to the left and parallel to the highway, and not deep into the gorge beyond the spring. We have the exact coordinates on the map.
💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Balaklava with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites: