Sudak is one of the most popular beach resorts in the eastern Crimea. Here is the largest medieval Genoese Fortress in the Crimea. The coastline of Sudak is formed by reef mountains and this has created in the area of Sudak and the Novy Svet a very beautiful relief of the coast, as well as a unique Mediterranean landscape.
In the Mesozoic era (about 200 million years ago) these places were covered by the waters of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Coral and compressed skeletons of mollusks formed reefs that rose during tectonic shifts. Fortress Mountain in Sudak, where is the Genoese fortress, is a reef mountain. The same mountains, including the high Falcon Mountain, are located near the Novy Svet resort.
Junipers and Stankevich’s pines have grown on these reef mountains. The local lands are quite arid, but the curved century-old junipers and pines create an amazingly beautiful landscape. It differs from the mountainous regions of Yalta or Foros, as well as the steppe regions of Sevastopol or Yevpatoria. There are many hiking trails in the local mountains, and there are interesting places for diving in the area of Cape Meganom.
The embankment of Sudak stretches for 2 kilometers between the Fortress Mountain and Cape Alchak. There are many cafes, restaurants and places for entertainment on it. There are wide sandy beaches along the embankment. The entrance to the sea is flat, so there are many vacationers with children in Sudak.
Sights of Sudak
The most interesting historical landmark of Sudak is the Genoese Fortress, which towers over the city on the Fortress Hill. However, the most interesting in Sudak are natural attractions and numerous hiking trails in the local mountains.
Most of the most interesting sights are located in the bays of the Novy Svet Resort. This village is located 7 kilometers from Sudak. The only road there leads from Sudak, so the two resorts can be called a single whole.
The coastline from Sudak to Mount Karaul-Both form the reef mountains of the ancient Tethys Ocean. In the Novy Svet, you can walk along the Golitsyn Trail, visit the relic Juniper Grove. The most interesting excursion will be a hike to the Valley of Heaven and Hell, as well as a climb to Cosmos Peak. In these places, relic junipers and pines on the rocky shore look especially beautiful.
Cape Meganom is located 10 kilometers east of Sudak. It is called one of the driest places in the Crimea, but this nature has its own charm. Only two colors prevail on Cape Meganom: gray grass and brown rocks. The blue color of the sky and the sea contrasts with this. Here you can see beautiful sandstone formations that have weathered in the form of narrow jagged ridges. These crests are called "Penitent Monks". Cape Alchak rises from the eastern side of the Sudak Embankment. There are paths for walking along it, and from the side of the beach there is a through grotto, which is called the Aeolian Harp.
History of the Sudak
Some scientists call 212 the probable date of the foundation of the Sudak. Then there lived a tribe of Alans. They occupied the coastal zone near the Crimean Mountains, and the steppe areas belonged to the Scythians. There is no documentary or archaeological evidence of this foundation date. Perhaps a more likely date of the foundation of the Sudak is the 6th century. At that time, the Byzantines and Khazars owned Crimea, and the first fortifications appeared on the Fortress Hill.
In the Byzantine era, the city was called Sugdea, but for several centuries it remained a small village. The real heyday of the city occurred in the period from the 11th to the 15th century, when important trade routes of the Silk Road passed through the Black Sea. The Venetians and Genoese fought for the right to control them, but the Genoese won.
According to the Nymphean Treaty of 1261 with the Byzantine Emperor Michael Palaiologos, the Genoese received the right to duty-free trade in the Black Sea. In return, the Genoese provided the emperor with their military fleet to fight the Latin states in Byzantium itself.
The Genoese founded several colonies on the Black Sea coast. The main city of the Genoese became Kafa (modern Feodosia). Sudak became a military base with a powerful fortress. The Genoese also built the Fortress of Chembalo in Balaclava.
At the time of the Genoese, the city was called Soldaia. In 1453 Constantinople fell, and already in 1475 the Turks captured the Crimea. The city of Soldaya was renamed Sudak, but its strategic importance has completely disappeared. It began to fall into disrepair.
