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RussiaWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Holy Assumption male Cave Monastery or simply Bakhchisarai Assumption Cave Monastery – this is a landmark and a functioning place of worship, which tourists and guests of Bakhchisarai do not miss. The fact is that this beautiful cave monastery and temple are on the way to another important attraction, the cave city of Chufut-Kale, which every tourist must 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.
The monastery is beautiful both in itself and the picturesque nature around it. It is located under a rocky cliff, in which caves formed naturally during weathering and leaching of soft rock were deepened and equipped for monks' cells and utility rooms. At one time there were five domed temples on the territory at once (only four have been restored now), and soldiers of the Crimean War of 1853-1856 and heroes of the Great Patriotic War rest in adjacent cemeteries. If you want to learn in detail about the history of the monastery and the life of novices and pilgrims, you can join the excursion, which is conducted for donations. And there is also a holy spring here, from which you can get water for free, so don't forget to take a container with you. And by the way, this water will definitely be useful to you if in the future you plan to reach the cave town of Chufut-Kale, which is located a little further and above the monastery.
A little history of the monastery
There are two versions about who and when this monastery was founded. According to one version, this happened no later than the 8th century, and the founders were Byzantine icon-worshipping monks. Another version attributes its appearance to the XV century. Whatever version is true, the fact is that from the XV to the XVIII century here was the main stronghold of the religious life of the Orthodox population of Crimea. In Soviet times, the monastery was closed by the authorities, the property was looted, and the monks were shot. During the Second World War, a hospital was organized here, as a result of which a mass grave of war heroes appeared. And after the war, a neuropsychiatric dispensary was located here. It was returned to the bosom of the church only in 1993, after which it was revived in its former status, the holy spring and four of the five destroyed temples were restored.
🕐 Working hours
The monastery is open to the public from 09:00 to 18:00, seven days a week.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
free of charge, donations for the restoration of temples and voluntary fees for excursions are welcome.
🚶 How to get there
The Assumption cave monastery is located on the outskirts of Bakhchisarai, a couple of kilometers from the tourist area on the way to Chufut-Kale (Assumption Cave Monastery on the map). Usually it is visited independently or as part of an excursion to Chufut-Kale, but you can only visit the monastery separately.
Important! Since this is a functioning temple, one should behave appropriately and be modestly dressed when visiting. Short shorts and skirts, open shoulders and other provocative clothing are unacceptable. In extreme cases, you can use the capes and scarves issued free of charge at the entrance.
If you come to Bakhchisarai for a few days, then it will not be difficult for you to visit the monastery on your own, even if you do not have your own transport. To do this, first from the hotel you will need to get to the end of the highway along Lenin Street, Gasprinsky, Basenko. All these streets go along one straight road and passing one into the other end with a large parking lot of the monastery. To this parking lot from the center of the tourist area and Khan's Palace on foot about 25 minutes and a little less than two kilometers. You can also 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. You need to take the bus to the final stop "Staroselye".
After parking and stopping, the walking part of the route with a length of less than a kilometer begins. An asphalt footpath leads to the monastery itself, mostly upwards, but gently, so that it is easily overcome in 10-20 minutes. If you follow this path further after the monastery, you will eventually get to the entrance and ticket offices in Chufut-Kale.
But how to get to Bakhchisarai Assumption Cave Monastery from other cities and resorts of Crimea:
Independently
From nearby resorts Sevastopol, Simferopol, Yevpatoria, Yalta and others in this part of the peninsula, you can visit the Assumption Cave Monastery 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 take a taxi from 200 rubles from it to the beginning of the walking route to the complex and parking (see above), or take the city bus No. 2, which will take you to the Staroselye stop at this very parking lot in just 25 rubles and 10 minutes. Then follow the route directly to the caves as described above.
If you are traveling by your own or rented car, then simply set a route to the mentioned parking lot at the entrance to the complex (parking on the map). Parking belongs to the monastery, and therefore it is free, there is always enough space on it. But even at the entrance to this parking lot, you will be intercepted by barkers at paid parking lots or free sites at cafes, where I will then expect you to order lunch in the form of encouragement. Therefore, we advise you to skip all the barkers and go first to the monastery parking lot, and if there is no free space there, you can return to one of the cafes or park your car in a paid parking lot.
With excursions
In our opinion, this is the best way to visit the Assumption Cave Monastery 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 the Assumption Cave Monastery, but there are also more interesting programs for a few 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: