E S K I -K E R M E N

   The site of ancient town of Eski-Kermen (which means "The Old Fortress" in tatar language) is located Bakhchisaraysky district in the Crimea, 6 km to the south of the villiage of Krasnyi Mak (the Red Poppy).                            The settlement (area 8,5 ha) is situated on the plateu of the precipitos mesa.       According to archeological sources? the fortress was built at the close of the 6th century, on the initiative of  Byzantine autohorities. Its garrison consisted of the gotoalans - the federates of the empire. At the close of the 8th Eski Kermen falls under the dominion of Khazars.In the late 10th century the Byzantine dominion restored. Since that time the medieval town had been gradually forming there. At the close of the 13th- in the 14th centuries there was an invasion of enemy, apparently Golden Horde warriors, in Eski-Kermen, and the latter was completely destroyed at the close of the 14th century. The monuments of Eski-Kermen. The burial ground (the close of 6th - the 10th centuries) First the deceased where interred in the subsoil crypts and the graves, hollowed out in rock. Since the 9-10th centuried they started burying their deceased in rock tombs. Ascending road led from the valley to the Main Town Gate. The gateway was breached in the rock-mass.  There are two cave-temples at the flight of the ascending road. They were built in the late 10th century - in the beginning of the 11th century. The cave-temple "Sudiliche" (The Trial) is situated on the right side to the rock corridor? which leads from the Main Gate to the main street. This is the biggest cave-temle in the town.  There have been found 400 cave-structures in Eski-Kermen. Most of them were used for domestic needs, mainly, as cattle-sheds. Basilica is located on the highest plateau. it was built in the late 6th century, rebuilt in 8th century and considerably reconstructed in the 11th century. Siege Well was to supply water in case of the siege of the fortress. It was cut through the thickness of the rock from the upper plateau to the foot, whare the spring welled up.  In the neighbourhood of Eski-Kermen you can see many monuments of interest.  These are ''Three Riders" (13th cent.) and "Donators' " (the 13th-14th cent.) cave-temples, Northern Watch Complex, Kiz-Kule fortification.