Kalos Limen - a beautiful harbor in the village of Chernomorskoye

Representing the small village of Chernomorskoe, Kalos Limen is the oldest and most significant archaeological site in the North-Western Crimea, being at a great distance from other ancient cities of the peninsula. It was located in a convenient harbor, which was invariable in the location of all Greek settlements, which gave them a lot of advantages, and the specified settlement was also given the name - Beautiful Harbor, which fully corresponded to reality.

The policy owned quite extensive and fertile lands, and agricultural products, or rather its volumes, began to bring good income, the welfare of citizens increased, but the envy of neighbors grew with it. For this reason, the settlement quickly lost its independence and almost all the time of its existence was in the sphere of influence of the Bosporus, and the proximity of the steppe peoples determined its largely tragic fate.

Where is the ancient policy in the Crimea?

The ancient settlement is located in the northeastern, steppe part of the peninsula, on the territory of the modern. The ruins of the city of Kalos Limen are located 1.5 km from the resort village of Chernomorskoye, on the coast, in the area of ​​Uzkaya Bay.

Kalos Limen on the map of Crimea

The history of the emergence and fall of the city

It was founded by the Ionian Greeks at the beginning of the 4th century BC, in a beautiful harbor, which is reflected in the name of the settlement. Much more important for the settlers were the extremely rich, fertile chernozems, which yielded impressive crops of grain and grapes. Advantageous position, fat fields, rapidly growing prosperity of the population could not but attract the envious glances of warlike neighbors oriented towards an aggressive policy.

The worst of all possible scenarios, the inhabitants of the settlement of Kalos Limen considered the devastating raids of the Scythians who lived to the north. Since its inception, it has been constantly strengthened, but what the fortifications were remained unknown. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the settlers, faced with the Scythian barbarians, considered joining Chersonese as a lesser evil, which happened already in the second half of the 4th century BC. Until the middle of the III century BC. there was a large-scale construction of a fortress wall with impressive towers capable of withstanding an enemy assault. Remains of these impressive structures can still be seen today.

For a long time, nothing was known about it, until the ancient city of Kalos Limen near the village of Chernomorskoye was dug up by Soviet archaeologists, led by Moiseev in 1929, who established that the settlement had been abandoned long before the rise of other Greek cities in the Crimea. It turned out that in the II century BC. Chersonese, being at that moment not in the best position, was forced to cede the described settlement to the Scythians.

But they did not last long either. Some time later, after the campaign of Diophantus in the northeastern part of the Crimea, the ancient city of Kalos Limen and its neighbor were annexed to. Over the next 200 years, he constantly passed from hand to hand, which is why he was in complete decline. Finally, at the beginning of the 1st century, it was completely destroyed during a large campaign of the Sarmatians from the Northern Black Sea region. There is evidence that people lived in the area of ​​the ancient settlement until the 16th century.

What is interesting about Kalos Limen near Chernomorskoye?

Its existence was known for a long time, mainly from the works of famous ancient authors such as Strabo, Flavius ​​Arrian, Claudius Ptolemy. However, where he was, for a long time remained unknown. The first to conduct excavations in the Chernomorskoye area was the archaeologist Shmakov. He found one of the city's towers in 1838,
but the mystery of the ancient settlement of Kalos Limen excited the minds for almost a century.

And although the excavations have not actually stopped since 1929, and the city has been completely excavated, it has been studied quite poorly. Archaeological research continues even now, which makes it somewhat difficult to visit it. But today, most of the settlement is open to tourists. Of course, only the foundations remained from the ancient fortifications and residential quarters, but this place can rightfully be called an open-air museum. As well as the photos of these romantic ruins, which have flown around all authoritative scientific publications, made them world famous.

The Kalos Limen area was small - only about 2.5 hectares, so visiting and exploring it will not take much time. According to the remains of ancient structures, a clear layout is clearly visible, slightly disturbed by the high density of buildings. Residential buildings here are literally sandwiched between powerful fortress walls. Their ruins are still impressive today, with traces of battering rams and other battering rams.

There is no more ancient and interesting architectural monument in the North-Western Crimea than the settlement of Kalos Limen. It is located on the shore of a calm bay, which is considered a sign of classical ancient settlements. Such a location gave several advantages to the inhabitants of the city: maritime communications, protection from the coastal side and developed fishing.

Kalos Limen is located just 1.5 km from the popular resort - the village of Chernomorskoe. There are steppes around, and the bay in which the ancient city is located is called "Narrow". The attraction can be attributed to the riches of both the Black Sea and Tarkhankut.

The history of the formation of the fortress city

Kalos Limen was founded in the 4th century BC. Local lands attracted settlers - Ionian Greeks. Rich chernozem gave abundant harvests for several centuries. The rapid development of the city led to the fact that the neighboring peoples, the Scythians, learned about it. For a short time, the city was subjected to devastating raids, after which it was forced to join Chersonesos in order to receive protection. Until the middle of the 3rd century, the inhabitants built a powerful fortress to protect themselves from the barbarians. The remains of this fortress now attract tourists visiting the Western Crimea.

Important! For the first time, the ancient city was found at archaeological excavations in 1929.

In the 2nd century Chersonese ceded the great settlement to the Scythians. However, by the middle of the century, Kalos Limen was annexed to the Bosporan kingdom. For 200 years of war and constant devastation, the settlement was exhausted, and it was deserted.

Archaeological excavations

The archaeologists who started the excavations did not know the exact position of the ancient monument. However, after the discovery of a hill created by human hands, they found the remains of a 16-meter tower that once guarded the settlement.

In the center of the first excavations, a religious building was discovered, resembling a Scythian sanctuary. Not far from the sanctuary are the eastern gates of the fortress. However, most of the ancient buildings are hidden under water - the result of a natural change in the landscape. Archaeologists believe that only 10% of what the settlement was more than 2500 years ago has been developed.

Castle Museum

In the halls of the attraction are finds collected throughout Tarkhankut. But most of them belong to people from the ancient settlement. Ancient amphorae and vessels are the most massive artifacts, the oldest of which date back to the 4th century BC. e.

There is a hall of the Middle Ages, in which artifacts are stored - monuments from the time when the Black Sea was called Ak-Mechet. Tourists get acquainted with unusual relics of the eras of the Crimean Khanate, as well as the Ottoman invasion.

There is an ethnography hall in the museum - it contains various exhibits of Russians, Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and Bulgarians. Most of them date back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Much attention is paid to the period of the Second World War, there is a separate hall with that name.

Most of the historical documents about the underground workers and partisans of the Black Sea region are collected in the military hall. There is also a hall, unusual for Crimea, dedicated to the war in Afghanistan: photographs, belongings of soldiers.

They did not ignore the flora and fauna of the area: in the hall there are photographs and man-made objects, including stuffed animals that live on Tarkhankut. It is followed by a hall dedicated to the everyday life of the employees of GAO Chornomorneftegaz.

A unique feature of each of the halls is the soundtrack and video installations. For example, in the ancient Greek hall you can hear the sounds of harps, the surf. Each hall is distinguished by a unique interior corresponding to the era. Some valuable exhibits were transferred to Moscow and St. Petersburg state museums.

How to get to the attraction?

The attraction is located 150 km from Simferopol, the settlement can be reached from the village of Chernomorskoye. Buses run to it from Evpatoria, the capital of Crimea and other resorts. From the village, the path to the settlement is very close - it is located in one of the bays.

The Kalos Limen Museum is located in the village of Chernomorskoe, on the street. Revolution, 8. It occupies part of the building that used to belong to the hospital. You can get on any bus that goes to the center of the town.

Kalos-Limen (translated from Greek - “Beautiful Harbor”) is an ancient city, the remains of which are located on the northern outskirts of the modern village. Chernomorskoye in the northwestern Crimea, on a rocky cape on the southeastern coast of the Ak-Mechet Bay, in close proximity to the city beach.

Kalos Limen was founded by the Ionian Greeks in the 4th century BC. BC e. The city with an area of ​​about 4 hectares was surrounded by a fortress wall with quadrangular towers. The surrounding lands were divided into allotments.

Successful archaeological excavations are underway in Kalos Limen. The remains of an ancient Greek fortress and houses have been discovered. The central city gates and the main main street, paved with slabs, on which traces of wagons have been preserved, have been completely excavated.

Since 1997, the territory of the ancient settlement of Kalos-Limena has been declared a historical and archaeological reserve.

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Kalos-Limen (translated from Greek - “Beautiful Harbor”) is an ancient city, the remains of which are located on the northern outskirts of the modern village. Chernomorskoye in the northwestern Crimea, on a rocky cape on the southeastern coast of the Ak-Mechet Bay, in close proximity to the city beach. Kalos Limen was founded by the Ionian Greeks in the 4th century BC. BC e. The city with an area of ​​about 4 hectares was surrounded by a fortress wall with quadrangular towers. The surrounding lands were divided into allotments. Successful archaeological excavations are underway in Kalos Limen. The remains of an ancient Greek fortress and houses have been discovered. The central city gates and the main main street, paved with slabs, on which traces of wagons have been preserved, have been completely excavated. Since 1997, the territory of the ancient settlement of Kalos-Limena has been declared a historical and archaeological reserve. Save Changes

The name of this ancient Greek city, which was located on the coast of Crimea, is translated as "Beautiful Harbor". Archaeologists are still working on the remains of the ancient settlement, the main find of which was the ruins of a stone structure, a bit reminiscent of pyramids. Later, the origin of the mysterious ruins, which turned out to be a high defensive tower, was clarified.

historical landmark

Kalos Limen (Crimea) is the main attraction of the Chernomorskoye village on the coast. The city mentioned by ancient authors at the moment consists of the territory where scientists are excavating, and the Museum of History and Local Lore.

History of the settlement

Interestingly, no one knew the exact location of the city, about which ancient travelers so often wrote. For a long time, researchers could not decide where the settlement was located. And only the man-made hill, which kept the ruins of the tower, became a clue for archaeologists.

The first expeditions began their work in 1929 and continue to this day. The researchers of the ancient city found that the settlement with a beautiful name was founded in the 4th century BC by the Greeks, who arrived to seize the land. They fell in love with the vast territory of about four hectares so much that they gave it such a poetic name.

The erected small settlement, which turned into a large policy, was surrounded by fortress walls, and all the land was distributed among the inhabitants as allotments, on which estates or towers were erected.

The ancient city of Kalos Limen, which eventually came under the rule of Chersonesos, had a very good location. A convenient harbor, which foreign ships entered, and fertile soils famous far beyond the borders of the policy, became the reason for constant raids by stronger neighbors. It is believed that the period of independence of the settlement was very short.

Invader raids

With the emergence of the Late Scythian state, raids on Kalos Limen became more frequent, whose quiet life turned into an eternal defense of their positions. The inhabitants fortified the lines of defense and erected forts and fortresses to prevent the Greek city from being sacked. However, this did little to help, and in the 2nd century BC it was conquered by the Scythians, and the sea harbor turned into a sought-after port for invaders.

Destruction of the ancient city

It was at this time, according to historians, that the most large-scale hostilities began. The Pontic commander Diophantus, who arrived at the request of the besieged Chersonese, seizes the Crimea and takes away the ancient Kalos Limen from the Scythian rulers. The once flourishing city is gradually falling into decay. The locals leave it, and all the buildings are covered with sand and slowly destroyed. The famous harbor, which has become a large port and received military and merchant ships, turns into only a shallow estuary.

But the policy suffered the most terrible losses in the 1st century BC after the invasion of nomadic Sarmatians, who destroyed it almost to the ground, leaving only the ruins of defensive fortresses and residential buildings.

Kalos Limen: description

The city, which stood on the shore of the bay, was surrounded on all sides by a fortress wall, supplemented by rectangular towers. As soon as the Scythians began to threaten the policy, the local population strengthened the fortification. A 16-meter tower is being erected, from the height of which, with the help of stone throwers, the invaders blocked the way.

In addition, in the dark, it served as a beacon for merchant ships calling at the local port. And the organized cellar inside the building, where food supplies were stored, allowed the city to be under a long siege. After the attacks of the Scythians, the tower was surrounded by a stone belt, which gave it the shape of mysterious pyramids, and the structure itself turned into a real bastion, protecting all approaches to the city from land.

Distinctive features

The remains of the fortress walls, on which blows from rams are visible, are still being studied by scientists. Through Kalos Limen there was a wide street along which wagons drove. She was the connecting link between the main gate and the harbour. Along one side of it there was a sidewalk, and on the other side there was a gutter.

Archaeologists note the neat style in the architecture of the natives of Hellas, which looked advantageous against the backdrop of new Scythian buildings.

Agricultural lands stretched around the city, on which local residents worked, who received nine hectares each. But gradually handicraft and trade become the main activity of the population.

Organized Museum

Now the historical and archaeological museum-reserve "Kalos Limen", opened in 1987, attracts the attention of curious tourists who want to get to know the amazing ancient city with a tragic fate. Employees often conduct educational excursions that tell about the ancient rites of the settlement and its valiant struggle against the invaders.

What to see?

Not only part of the fortress wall has been perfectly preserved. You can see several towers that served as protection for the gates, residential buildings that give a complete picture of the life of the population. Of great interest are the remains of brick walls with tightly embedded Sarmatian tips.

Scythian buildings are the best preserved in the settlement, and their careless masonry testifies to the lack of building skills inherent in the Greeks.

Barrows were found far from the settlement, under the mounds of which there were cemetery crypts and ordinary graves. Scientists have found jewelry and weapons in them.

Kalos Limen (Chernomorskoye) is a unique monument that stores artifacts that are of interest not only to scientists, but also to ordinary tourists. Rare finds helped restore the historical picture that tells about the life of the ancient city.

Kalos Limen (Beautiful Harbor) is the largest ancient city in Western Crimea. It was founded in the 4th century. BC e. and retained its great importance as a harbor and trade and craft center until the first centuries AD. This is one of the most valuable monuments of ancient Greek and Scythian culture, which were mentioned in their time by many ancient and medieval authors: Herodotus, Strabo, Flavius ​​Arrian and others.

The settlement occupied a considerable area - about 3 hectares. A considerable number of ancient buildings, including unique ones, have survived to this day. These are residential buildings, barracks for soldiers, towers, some sections of the defensive walls and the city citadel - a large-scale fortification. The kurgan necropolis is inextricably linked with the settlement, the complex of which includes mounds with a height of 0.2 to 1.5 m and a diameter of up to 3 m. Numerous ground graves were located between them. In the investigated burial structures, various vessels, jewelry, weapons were found, presented in the exposition of the Black Sea Museum of Local History.

The first studies of the Ak-Mechet settlement were carried out by A.I. Shmakov in 1837-1838, but his work did not affect the solution of the issue of localization of Kalos Limen. The next stage of the study of the settlement covers the period from the late 30s to the early 40s. 20th century and is associated with the names of famous researchers L.A. Moiseev and P.N. Schultz. This stage is characterized only by pitting and erasures, both on the settlement and on its barrow necropolis, aimed at establishing the boundaries of the ancient settlement and solving the localization of Kalos Limen. The third stage is connected with the activities of the Evpatoria detachment of the Taurus-Scythian expedition in 1948, 1950. (heads of the work M.A. Nalivkina and G.D. Smirnov), the detachment of the Soviet-Polish expedition of 1959 (headed by M.L. Bernard) and the Tarkhankut expedition of 1962-1966 (headed by A.N. Sheglov). The result of these works by the end of the 70s. was the solution of chronological issues,

stratigraphy, separate residential and outbuildings were revealed, the nature of the planning structure of the Hellenistic Kalos Limen was established, and more.

The last stage, after a long break, began in 1988 and continues to this day. It correlates with the large-scale work on the settlement and the necropolis of Kalos Limena, carried out by the Western Crimean expedition of the Crimean branch of the IA NAS of Ukraine under the leadership of V.A. Kutaisova. The results obtained made it possible to study in detail the stratigraphy and chronology of the site, determine the periodization of its existence, and provide answers to many other questions. They are considered in monographs: V.B. Uzhentsev "Greeks and barbarians of the Beautiful Harbor", 2006 and V.A. Kutaisov "Kurgan necropolis of Kalos Limena", 2012

A significant part of the city has not yet been fully explored archaeologically. However, even the part that was excavated and studied provided a lot of material on the history of the region, and also significantly replenished the reserves of the reserve.