The ruins of the ancient Panticapaeum are located at the foot and on the slope of Mount Mithridates in the center of Kerch. During the heyday, the territory of the Panticapaeum reached 100 hectares. It was the largest ancient city on the Black Sea, which became the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom, and then became part of the Pontus Kingdom.
Excavations on Mount Mithridates are continuing and perhaps we will still see the majestic ruins of the palace and temples of Panticapaeum, which are now hidden underground. Kerch will become one of the tourist centers of Russia, where tourists will be able to see an ancient city similar to what is in Greece or Turkey.
The history of Panticapaeum
The city of Panticapaeum was founded by ancient Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC. After that, life in the city was not interrupted, so Kerch is considered the oldest city in Russia. Russia itself did not exist at that time. The state of the Slavic tribes began to form 1500 years later, in the 8th century A.D. The oldest city founded directly by the Slavs is considered to be Old Ladoga (753).
The geographical location of Panticapaeum was very convenient for the development of trade, so Panticapaeum became the most influential Greek polis in the Crimea. In 480 BC, the kings of Panticapaeum created the Bosporan Kingdom, uniting under their rule all the Greek polises on the Kerch and Taman peninsulas. It was a time of prosperity of the ancient Panticapaeum as an independent state.
Modern artists based recreated the appearance of Panticapaeum in their pictures. The acropolis was located on Mount Mithridates, and residential quarters were located around. The fortress wall of Panticapaeum surpassed the Athenian one in its power. It was one of the richest and most prosperous cities in the ancient world. The main commodities traded by the Bosporan cities were fish and grain.
In the 2nd century BC, the Bosporan Kingdom became part of the Kingdom of Pontus. It was created on the territory of modern Turkey by King Mithridates I Ktistes. He was a descendant of Seleucus, one of the military leaders of Alexander the Great. The Kingdom of Pontus combined the culture of Greece and Persia. The capital of the Pontus kingdom during the period of its greatest power was not Panticapaeum, but Pergamum (a city on the shores of the Aegean Sea in Turkey).
The Kingdom of Pontus was very influential in the ancient world. King Eupater IV Mithridates waged several successful wars with the Roman Empire. He was even called the "King of Asia". On the territory of Crimea, he is known for helping residents of the Chersonese polis (modern Sevastopol) and Kerkinitida (modern Eupatoria) to cope with the raids of the Scythians. The city of Yevpatoria is named after him.
In 370, the city of Panticapaeum, like all other Greek colonies in the Crimea, was subjected to a devastating raid by the Huns. However, unlike Chersonesos and Kerkenitida, life in Panticapaeum continued, and in the era of Byzantine rule it was revived as a rich city on the Black Sea. At that time it was called the city of Vospro. The Genoese called him Cerchio. In the era of the Crimean Khanate - Korchev, and during the Russian Empire, the city was called Kerch.
Attractions of Panticapaeum
At the foot of the northern slope of Mount Mithridates in the 19th century, archaeological excavations began on the site of the ancient acropolis of Panticapaeum. At the very bottom of the slope you can see the ruins of the Prytaneum with two columns. All tours of the Panticapaeum begin here. The foundation of the Prytaneum and two columns near it became a symbol of the ancient city. All tourists are photographed near it. The Prytaneum in the ancient world was a place for government officials and judges location.
Above the Prytaneum, higher up the slope, you can see two antique wells made of tightly fitted stones and a stone platform where a stone drain goes down. 30 meters from the wells, you can see the foundation and ruins of the northern tower of the Acropolis of Panticapaeum. This is a very impressive structure made of powerful stones perfectly processed and fitted to each other. Higher up the slope are the ruins of two wine distilleries.
The most extensive excavations of Panticapaeum are located near the top of Mount Mithridates. There was the Palace of the Bosporan kings, a round-shaped Tolosa building, an antique arch, ruins of defensive towers and a fortress wall. Some buildings were restored by archaeologists so that tourists would have an idea of how the ancient structures looked like.
There are no ancient buildings on the top of Mount Mithridates. Now there is an Stele of Glory dedicated to the events of the WWII, as well as a round building similar to a chapel. There is an Eternal Flame on its roof. The viewing point offers a beautiful view of the terminals of the Port of Kerch, as well as the Kerch Embankment and Lenin Square. You can go down the Great Mithridates Staircase to the city center.
