Description of the attraction
The Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai is a whole complex of buildings: a palace, two mosques, a harem, stables, baths, gazebos, fountains. It took shape from the 16th century. Then Bakhchisarai became the new capital Crimean Khanate … Currently, it is a museum that tells about the history of the khans and about the life of the Crimean Tatars up to the present time.
Crimean Khanate
After Golden Horde disintegrated, in the south (now - Krasnodar Territory, Azov and Crimea) a separate state was formed. It lasted until the end of the 18th century. At first, governors from the Horde ruled here, but the khanate quickly gained independence.
The Crimean Khanate fought with the Ottoman Empire, led raids on Russia, Poland and Lithuania, the Zaporozhye Cossacks, in turn, raided the Crimean lands. In 1571, the khan Devlet Geray (in our tradition it is called Giray) a large march to Moscow was organized. The city's settlements were almost completely burned down, only the Kremlin and Kitay-Gorod survived. As a result, until the 17th century, the Moscow state paid tribute to the Crimean Khanate. Later, in the 18th century, the balance of power changed. Russia has already attacked Crimea several times in order to establish control over the peninsula. During the wars of 1735-1739. and 1768-1774 Crimea was ravaged. Since 1783, Crimea officially became part of Russia, and a few years later the Ottoman Empire recognized this.
Bakhchisarai
Bakhchisarai began to be built in 1532 year as the new residence of the khan near the old capital - Salachik (now this place has become part of the modern city). The main fortification was a small fortress Kyrk-Er, and in the city itself a palace was built for the khans. It stood for about 200 years until it was burned down during the next war with the Russians. In 1736, troops entered the Crimea Minikha … Little is left of Bakhchisarai.
In the middle of the 18th century, the city began to be rebuilt. The complex that is now available for inspection is the khan's palace, built just then, after a big fire on the site of the old one. Only a few buildings have survived from the 16th century.
The khans built on a grand scale. The palace buildings occupied an area of slightly less than twenty hectares. Itself the word "Bakhchisarai" means "garden-palace" … Residential buildings and park elements are perfectly organically combined here: many fountains, courtyards, open galleries, gazebos. The new palace turned out to be larger and more luxurious than the old one.
After Crimea became Russian, Empress Catherine the Great took a long trip to inspect her new possessions. By her arrival, the palace was renovated and decorated. The interior decoration led to a "European" look, more familiar to the Empress. For example, a crystal chandelier was hung in one of the rooms - of course, there was nothing like this here under the khans. Catherine spent three days in the palace. In memory of her stay, the “Catherine's Mile” remained in the courtyard. These signs marked the entire path of Catherine in the south of the empire, now only five of them have survived. Several memorabilia remind of Catherine I in the exhibition, for example, her desk.
During the 19th century, the palace was opened for inspection. During my southern exile I visited here Alexander Pushkin … The imperial family came here very rarely: in 1818 there was Alexander I, and in 1837 - the heir to the throne, Alexander Nikolaevich. During the Crimean War, a barracks was set up in the building of the former stables, and then an infirmary. During the 19th century, the palace buildings were repaired several times, the paintings were renewed and changed.
A museum was opened here in 1908 Is one of the first museums in Crimea.
Soviet time
After the revolution, a historian, artist and ethnographer became the "commissar of the former khan's palace" Usein Bodaninsky … Thanks to his efforts, the museum was not ruined, but remained National Museum of Crimean Tatars … The Divan Hall was even used for its intended purpose - it was here that the Crimean Tatar kurultai declared independence in 1917.
Several more palaces and ruins of old Tatar fortresses began to be considered branches of the museum - Mangul-Kale, Cherkez-Kermen and others. The Museum collaborated with the Museum of the Orient in Yalta: ethnographic expeditions were conducted in the surrounding area, a collection of rare handwritten books was collected from the libraries of madrasahs and mosques.
In 1934, both museums suffered: employees who were concerned with the preservation of the Crimean Tatar heritage were declared bourgeois nationalists. The director of the Oriental Museum was also arrested. Yakub Kemal and the director of the Crimean Tatar Museum Usein Bodaninsky. In 1938 Bodaninsky was shot.
In the 1930s, the palace was renovated again, and the exterior paintings were painted over. In 1944, the Crimean Tatar Museum was completely closed, and the Crimean Tatars were deported from Crimea. Now this place was considered simply "Bakhchisarai Museum". Most of the ethnographic collections have been lost.
In the post-war years, the museum continues its work in a new capacity: the collections are replenished again, excavations of cave cities are being carried out. In the 70-80s, a large-scale restoration of all buildings of the complex took place. At the beginning of the 21st century, the collections began to be replenished with returned valuables: things that had once been taken out of here back in 1945 were transferred from Vienna.
Twenty first century
Now the palace complex is a branch of the Bakhchisarai Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve … When visiting it, you should pay attention to the most ancient buildings on the territory.
Great Khan Mosque dates back to 1532, and is one of the largest and most beautiful in the Crimea. It was built in the classical traditions of Ottoman architecture: two minarets twenty meters high, a high inner hall, pointed arcades. There were two entrances to the mosque - a general and a separate, khan's one, which led to a special khan's box on the balcony. The modern appearance of the mosque is the result of the reconstruction of the 18th century: before that, the roof was decorated with domes. In Soviet times, there were museum expositions, now the building is again a functioning temple.
Bath of Sary-Guzel ("Yellow beauty") is the second building that has survived from the earliest times. The two-story Turkish bath is interesting not so much for its appearance as for its internal structure: it was so well equipped and carefully thought out that it operated until 1924.
Cemetery with khan's graves … Here, in one of the mausoleums, the same Devlet Giray (or Girey), which once burned Moscow, is buried. In another, almost the same - Islyam III Giray. The grave of Khan Mengli II Geray is interesting - it is decorated with a rotunda with a colonnade.
In the palace itself, you should pay attention to the main entrance to the palace - Demir-Kapa portal … This is the earliest building dating back to 1503-1504. The portal has been moved from the previous capital. According to legend, it was made by the same Italian architects who later built the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow. In any case, it was created not in the oriental, but in the Italian style.
State Council of the Khanate, Divan, sat in a long hall, on one side of which the khan's throne was installed, and on the other - a carved balcony, from which the khan could "eavesdrop" on the council meeting unofficially. Here are preserved paintings of the 19th century, created during the next renovation.
Khan's golden cabinet - the most comfortable and beautiful room in the palace. It is here that a crystal chandelier of the 18th century, brought for Catherine, hangs. The windows are decorated with multi-colored glass, the ceiling is decorated with wood carvings and stucco moldings. Living quarters of the palace - now there is an exposition dedicated to the life of the Crimean Tatars.
Small mosque and golden fountain … The second mosque was also built in the 16th century and decorated in the 18th century. The rich ornamental paintings are interesting here. In the courtyard there is a gilded and also richly decorated fountain that was used for ablutions.
Harem, from which only one wing has survived. The main building was dilapidated even during the arrival of Alexander I and was demolished at the same time. Now here you can look at the later interiors, XIX-XX centuries, a rich Tatar house is reproduced here.
Falcon Mountain Tower. Once upon a time, hunting falcons were kept in the tower for the khan's hunt. Later, it was connected by a gallery with a harem, so that the harem residents could observe the life of the rest of the palace from there.
For relaxation in the coolness, numerous patios. Ambassadorial, Fountain, Basseyny - all of them are available for inspection. For the walks of the khan's wives and concubines, an indoor garden was intended, in which there were also fountains, pools and gazebos - Persian garden.
The most famous landmark of the palace is Pushkin's "Bakhchisarai fountain" or "fountain of tears" … It dates back to 1764. This is a fairly common type of wall fountain, when water flows from one bowl to another. After Pushkin published his poem, such "fountains of tears" were often staged in parks. In Crimea, a similar one is arranged in the Lower Park of the Vorontsov Palace.
According to legend, the fountain was installed by Khan Kyrym-Girey in memory of his most beloved concubine Dilyara. In 1820 Pushkin saw this fountain, and four years later he published the poem "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai", which glorified this place throughout Russia. According to the poem, the khan's beloved was actually called Maria, and she was a captured Polish woman. In Soviet times, a bust of A. Pushkin appeared next to the fountain.
Interesting Facts
Pushkin himself wrote that his poem is dedicated to some woman whom he loved in the 1920s. Literary critics and historians are still arguing about who is she? One of the most romantic versions - the poet meant a young Maria Raevskaya … The one who will marry the Decembrist General Sergei Volkonsky and follow him to Siberia.
There is another memorial on the territory of the museum. This is an eternal flame dedicated to the soldiers-defenders of Crimea in the Great Patriotic War.
On a note
- Location: Bakhchisaray, st. River 133
- Official website:
- Opening hours: a complex ticket for all expositions of the Khan's Palace - 500 rubles, no discounts. The cost of visiting individual expositions: from 100 rubles. up to 300 rubles. adult and from 50 rubles. up to 200 rubles preferential.
- Tickets: from 9.00 to 17.00.
