Feodosia is located on the northeastern coast of Crimea. It is a fairly large city. It is interesting to come here with a short excursion, or you can stay for a few days. In the center of Feodosia there are beaches covered with small pebbles, and to the north of the city there is the famous sandy Golden Beach.
In the Middle Ages, Feodosia (then it was called Kafa) was one of the largest cities in Europe and had powerful fortifications. It has not survived to this day. The Genoese Fortress in Sudak, which was their main military base in the Crimea, has been much better preserved.
Feodosia remained the main commercial port of Crimea for centuries. Over time, the port infrastructure in the city center expanded, and in the 19th century the city authorities decided to demolish all the fortifications of the Middle Ages. In 1892, a railway was laid from the Dzhankoy station to the Feodosiya port. It passed directly along the beaches of Feodosia and now it hinders the development of the resort infrastructure of the city.
Sights of Feodosia
Most of the attractions are concentrated near the Embankment of Feodosia. In the Middle Ages, the Genoese Fortress of Kafa had a double line of fortifications. In the center was a citadel surrounded by a wall with 14 towers. The entire city of Kafa was also surrounded by a fortress wall with 30 towers. The length of this wall reached 5.5 kilometers.
Only 2 towers of the southern wall have survived to this day: the St. Clement`s Tower and the Tower of Crisco, as well as fragments of the fortress walls near these towers. Three 14th-century churches have been preserved near the towers. The large Church of the Iver Icon of the Mother of God was built in 1348. Nearby there are two small Church of St. John the Theologian and Church of St. George. There was an Armenian quarter on this place, so the temples belonged to the Armenian church.
The main sight that attracts people to Feodosia from other resorts is the Aivazovsky Art Gallery. It was created in the artist`s native house in 1845, during his lifetime. Here you can see a huge collection of paintings by the great Russian marine painter.
There are two more interesting museums in the neighboring houses. In the Museum of Antiquities of Feodosia, you can get acquainted with the history of the city and the whole Crimea. The Alexander Grin Museum is open in the house where the writer lived in the 1920s. There are several beautiful parks near the port. In the Park of the 40th anniversary of the Victory, the ruins of the Tower of St. Constantine have been preserved. It was the corner tower of the outer fortress wall of Kafa. There is also the Aivazovsky Fountain, as well as the Mufti-Jami Mosque.
1.5 kilometers north of the city center, on the seashore is located the Stamboli Villa, an architectural masterpiece of Feodosia. This neo-Moorish style house was built in 1909 by the rich Karaite merchant Joseph Stamboli. Inside the Stamboli cottage there is a museum where you can see the preserved interiors. On the second floor of the house there is a Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
The history of Feodosia
Feodosia was founded by the Greeks in the 4th century BC, simultaneously with the Tauric Chersonesos (modern Sevastopol). During the invasion of the Huns in the 4th century, the city was destroyed. For several centuries, Feodosia existed as a small village on the territory of the Golden Horde.
In 1260, the Genoese concluded the Treaty of Nifei with the Byzantine Emperor Michael Palaiologos. They provided him with their navy to fight the Latin states, and he gave them the right to duty-free trade in the Black Sea, where important routes of the Great Silk Road passed at that time.
The Genoese bought Feodosia from the Khan of the Golden Horde at the end of the 13th century. The city developed rapidly, became rich, and by 1320 became the capital of the Genoese possessions. The trade turnover of the Black Sea route was so significant that Genoa surpassed its eternal competitors, merchants from Venice, in wealth.
To protect their possessions in 1340, the Genoese began the construction of powerful fortresses on the Black Sea coast. In the period from 1340 to 1343, the citadel of the Kafa fortress was erected. At the same time, the Genoese fortress was built in Sudak, which became the main military base. The Chembalo Fortress was built on the eastern coast of Crimea in a convenient bay of Balaklava.
In 1343, the fortress of Kafa was besieged by the Golden Horde Khan Janibek. He besieged Kafa for a long time but unsuccessfully. During the summer heat, an epidemic of plague began in his army, which originated in the Gobi Desert (Mongolia). Realizing that his troops did not have the strength to storm the Kafa, he ordered to put the bodies of people who died of the plague on catapults and throw them into the Kafa. An epidemic also broke out inside the city and some Genoese decided to flee by ship to their native Genoa.
On these ships, the plague reached Western Europe, and in 1343 the worst plague epidemic in Europe began, which was called the "Black Death". The epidemic lasted until 1356. According to various estimates, from 30 to 60% of the population died in Europe.
Despite the plague epidemic, Kafa continued to develop. By the 15th century, it had become one of the largest cities in Europe. In terms of population, Kafa surpassed Constantinople. In 1475, the Turks seized Crimea, after that the value of Kafa (Feodosia) began to fall sharply. During the Turkish rule, Kafa became one of the largest slave markets in Europe.
