The Old Town is the sacred pearl of Evpatoria

If you got acquainted with the atmosphere of Evpatoria on the ancient streets, go outside the city. In the vicinity of the resort you will find salt lakes, vast steppes, intoxicating with the smell of herbs, wonderful white beaches and the continuation of the story of Ancient Greece. Some of them - the pink lake Sasyk-Sivash, the picturesque shores of Tarkhankut and the Belyaus spit "Crimean Maldives" - can rightfully be classified as the most important attractions of Crimea.

Many interesting places in the Evpatoria region are scattered at greater distances from each other than in other parts of Crimea, often outside villages, and transport links are limited. Nevertheless, everything that can be seen near Evpatoria can be visited on your own, by car or bus. Tourists without a car will always find it convenient to organize excursions.

This advice provides options for where it is possible and where it is more convenient to go from Yevpatoria, since the path passes through it, and Sevastopol, Bakhchisarai and Balaklava are omitted, although they are quite probable. Other pages will help you get acquainted with their capabilities:

What to see in 1 day in Sevastopol, Balaklava, Bakhchisarai

When going to the surrounding areas, be sure to take sun protection and water: the Evpatoria region is a steppe region, where high vegetation is found only in villages.

Halt on Tarkhankut Photo: © Egor Vlasov

Historical sketch, or Turkish fortress

But the indicated boundaries are purely for convenience. In fact, the point is that these quarters have retained the features of the old, “pre-automobile” buildings and are located within the boundaries of the Turkish Gezlev fortress. It was a medieval defensive structure with five gates and low but strong walls.

3D panorama of the Old Town

However, time conquers everything. Today only the gates left from Gezlev, and even those are not historical, but a reconstructed replica. But residential buildings and a huge number of religious buildings of different religions, concentrated in a relatively small area, have been preserved.

The route through these religious centers is known in Evpatoria as Little Jerusalem. He recalls that in Sultan Turkey and the lands subordinate to it, contrary to popular misconceptions, there was a high level of religious tolerance, and it was not only Islam that was allowed to be practiced there. Our contemporaries would do well to learn this from the sultans. But not only churches and mosques are interesting in the Old Town.

The development of these quarters allows you to vividly imagine what Evpatoria was like 100-150 years ago. In recent years, large-scale restoration work has been carried out here, but taking into account the spirit and color of the area, so it has only become more interesting for tourists. You need to walk around it on foot and preferably with a city plan or a navigator on your phone - the ancient layout is akin to the legendary Labyrinth.

Where to rent accommodation in the Old Town

That's what the old city doesn't have - modern hotels. It is simply criminal to build them here - they will immediately destroy the entire historical flavor (and already some nouveau riche have managed to distinguish themselves with luxurious palaces “a la Rublyovka”). This does not mean that renting a home here is impossible. The old city is a residential area and the residents of Evpatoria are accustomed to renting out rooms and apartments, like all the natives of the resorts of Crimea. There are also small guest houses.

But the conditions will not be the best. Old houses are good to examine from the outside; living in them is somewhat more difficult. No, most buildings have long been supplied with water supply and sewerage, and bright yellow main pipes, which greatly spoil the architectural ensembles, help ensure the presence of gas. But the layout of the premises remains old and, from a modern point of view, inconvenient.

There is one more difficulty - motorist tourists should not live in the Old Town. These local extreme sports enthusiasts easily fly through the streets intended for Tatar carts. It will not be easy for a person from a modern metropolis to get used to roads made of puddles and the fundamental absence of crossings and sidewalks. But for the rest, you can look for offers from private owners; the prices will probably be low.

Where can you eat delicious food?

But the food situation in the Old Town of Evpatoria can be considered brilliant. There are many catering establishments here. However, the historical quarters have their own specialization - stylish ethnic places flourish here. Accordingly, you can visit them on the same basis as historical attractions, but you need to be prepared to pay a lot.

It is clear that in the former Turkish fortress there are several establishments of Tatar cuisine. But this won’t surprise anyone in Crimea. But here you can find a Karaite cafe - perhaps the only one in Crimea. And near the existing synagogue Yegie-Kapai there is an establishment with the anecdotal name “Yoskin Kot”, offering authentic Jewish cuisine.

Where to stay in Evpatoria

The hotel base, where any vacationer in Evpatoria can stay, consists of hotels, guest houses, sanatoriums and several hostels. The first three differ in various parameters - size, price, type of food, comfort or, for example, the presence of treatment or a swimming pool.

• Yevpatoria Hotels
• Hostels for Budget Travelers
• Flats and apartments
• Guest houses in Evpatoria

The choice of suitable accommodation is always up to the tourist, but Tourist. Ru has prepared selections that will simplify this difficult task:

• All-inclusive hotels in Yevpatoria
• Evpatoria hotels by the sea with a swimming pool
• Hotels in Evpatoria with a private beach on the first line
• Evpatoria for children

When booking accommodation on Booking.com, do not forget about cashback: Cashback promotion for Tourist. RU

Wind turbines near Chernomorskoe Photo: © Karina Remezova

Sights of the Old City

But the main thing in the Old Town is antiquity. People come here for excursions, not for nightlife or fast food. And there is something to see in the former Gezlev.

Guides usually lead groups around the sites of Little Jerusalem. But most try to bring the group into the ancient quarters through the Gezlevsky (former Horse Market) gates. This is a new building built in 2004, built on the foundation of real fortress gates.

They were destroyed in the mid-twentieth century, and the reconstruction is intended to demonstrate their appearance to tourists. Reviews indicate that it turned out well. By the way, inside there is a museum of Crimean Tatars and one of the local national restaurants.

Little Jerusalem includes places of worship of different religions and denominations. Islam is represented by the famous Juma-Jami mosque (aka Khan-Jami) and Tekiye Dervishes (something like a temporary monastery or hotel for traveling clergy).

The ideas of classical Judaism are embodied in the functioning craft synagogue of Yegie-Kapai and the Merchant Synagogue. The latter has now converted to atheism and works... as a transformer substation. However, its external architectural originality has been completely preserved.

The Karaite religion (also Judaism, but without the Talmud) is represented by a complex of Karaite kenass. They are well restored and represent the main religious stronghold of the Crimean Karaites. But tourists are allowed there without any problems.

As for Christianity, classical Orthodoxy is represented by the Elias Church and the huge Cathedral of St. Nicholas, dedicated to the victims of the Crimean War, and the Armenian branch is a church for Armenians.

But the sights of the Old Town in Evpatoria are not limited to religious buildings. In fact, every second house there is an interesting place. The houses of wealthy townspeople from the end of the century before last have been preserved (with corresponding plaques).

The Turkish baths of the 16th century, which operated until 1987 “as part of their main specialty,” are now undergoing restoration, but there is a chance that they will start working again. In recent years, ordinary residential buildings have also been put in order at an accelerated pace as part of the Crimean development program.

The genre of wall art, widely represented in the old quarters, is also interesting. Since lush facades of residential buildings were not in fashion in Turkish cities, many blank walls and fences line the streets of the Old Town. They are now decorated with reliefs and drawings. But these are not hooligan graffiti, but works of art dedicated to the history of Yevpatoria and Crimea. The souvenir trade is also widely represented here – very diverse.

Attractions

Quite conventionally, the boundaries of the ancient center of Yevpatoria can be designated by the streets of Karaev, International, Dmitry Ulyanov, Volodarsky and the Revolution Highway. Somewhere here stood the walls of a 16th-century fortress, the length of which along the perimeter was about 3 km.

This does not mean that the old houses end outside the designated area. Not at all - there are plenty of them on the embankment and adjacent streets, which were actively built up in the last third of the 19th - early 20th centuries.

But it was inside the now defunct ring of fortress walls that the heart of the Tatar-Turkish city once beat. It is whose aura and atmosphere that tourists, who are happy to immerse themselves in the history of Evpatoria, want to feel first of all.

With a guide, of course, it will be “juicier” and easier. But it’s quite possible to walk around Little Jerusalem on your own!

By the way, you can go inside the former fortress perimeter wherever there are passages. But the “front entrance” is located at the intersection of Matveev and Karaev. Which in fact is rather a small area.

What should you visit in Evpatoria?

Odun-bazaar kapus

“The gate of the wood market,” as the name clearly implies, has never been the main one in Gözlev. And - we'll disappoint you - they didn't survive!

The remains of the original building were completely and with gusto destroyed in 1959. Not only demolishing the structure, but also removing the foundation. That is, as archaeologists sadly note, having destroyed the entire cultural layer.

But the tourist may not know all this. After all, the tower rises again, looks original and festive, and the shell rock proudly turns golden in the sun.

The trick was carried out in 2003-2007, and the gates were slightly moved to the side. So that future generations of archaeologists have something to dig into.

You can walk through the arch and past the tower without hindrance. But most people also look inside.

After all, on the second floor of the gate, one of the best cafes in Evpatoria, Kezlev kavesi, . And on the third - evaluate the marketing solution - there is a small museum. The central exhibit of which is the Gözlev model. A ticket will cost about 200 rubles.

You can also eat pasties and drink coffee on the street verandas. If you are not bothered by the attention of vacationers constantly scurrying past.

Immediately outside the gates there is a line of shops with souvenirs and, including, “hand-made” products. Here you can also buy traditional Tatar sweets... in factory packaging.

Prices are so-so. Although in general it is not much higher than in other tourist places - on the same embankment.

A little further is the stage. On weekdays it is usually empty, but on Fridays and weekends amateur groups give performances here. And there’s no crowd of holidaymakers nearby!

Karaite kenas

The well-known, if not the key attraction of Yevpatoria, actually did not find the Ottomans. Its external architecture and interior date back to the beginning of the 18th century. That is, the time when Crimea was already part of the Russian Empire.

Kenas are the name given to the prayer houses of the Karaites, today an extremely small nation - there are just over 2 thousand of them left in Crimea. They profess one of the varieties of Judaism.

You can visit the Big and Small Kenas and try - it’s not difficult - to feel an influx of calm or even tranquility in the inner courtyard, entwined with greenery. The history of the Karaites is outlined on marble slabs in the Vineyard Yard that welcomes visitors.

The entrance ticket once cost only 100 rubles. In 2022, if prices have increased, it will not be significant. You will have to pay an order of magnitude more for the services of a guide.

But in exchange you will get a coherent and fascinating story. Both about the Kenas and Karaites, and other interesting places in “Little Jerusalem” - malyiy-ierusalim-sozvezdie-pamyatnikov.

Egiya-drip

The Evpatoria synagogue is built from the same golden shell rock as many city buildings. It looks attractive and even old, although in fact it is almost a “remake”. The beginning of the 20th century, 1912 to be precise.

You can go inside absolutely free. Nearby, the Small Western Wall was created, similar to the one in Jerusalem, and it is also customary to insert notes with requests into its masonry.

On the territory of the synagogue there is an ethnic restaurant “Yoskin Kot”. Very cozy and not wasteful. But more on that below.

How to inexpensively get to Evpatoria from the airport

Juma-jami

The largest mosque is also the only well-preserved building of the 16th century here. The temple was built by the great Sinan, once the leading architect of the Ottoman Empire.

In Istanbul and Edirne you can find other works of his genius - for example, the elegant Suleymaniye. Where Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his beloved wife, the well-known Roksolana, are buried. The former, perhaps - if you believe the authoritative comments of some contemporaries - was Russian by origin.

Juma-jami is located in the middle of a small square, outside the chaotic jumble of crooked streets. You can visit it as part of a free excursion - their schedule is indicated on the information stand at the entrance.

The main facade of the mosque looks at the intersection of Demyshev and Revolution Highway. On the other side of the latter there is a green area, a Ferris wheel and a high fence. Hiding the local pain - the destroyed Tereshkova embankment, that is, supposedly being reconstructed for many years now.

St. Nicholas Cathedral

The main Orthodox church of Yevpatoria is actually located outside the old city. Naturally, this is not a reason to back up and turn around when you see an impressive building.

On the contrary, you should definitely go inside and look around one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Crimea. Built almost at the turn of the century, it was consecrated in 1899.

The architecture takes you back to the best examples of Byzantine architecture. And, in particular, the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

Tekie dervishes

For a snack, we recommend visiting the complex that was originally located outside the city walls - a Muslim dervish monastery. It is located at the very end of Karaeva Street, at its junction with the busiest city highway, International.

Theoretically, the tekie is well preserved. The walls are still standing, the tiles are present, and a number of cells have also survived. It’s a bit empty inside, and a person not too versed in the history of the 16th century has every right to get bored.

But a passionate guide, and here almost entirely positive and joyful people live, will undoubtedly fill such a visit with bright colors.

The story is included in the price of admission, tours are held every hour. The entrance ticket price for an adult is 150 rubles.