Cave City Mangup Kale, Russia

From series “ Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization”

4 out of 15 - The Catacombs of San Sebastiano, Italy

5 out of 15 - Inkerman Cave Monastery of St. Clement, Russia

7 out of 15 - Cave City Mangup Kale, Russia

9 out of 15 - Tsandripshsky Temple, Abkhazia

10 out of 15 - Bedia Cathedral, Abkhazia

Height: 600 meters above sea level.

A very unusual religious attraction is the cave city of Mangup-Kale that was the capital of the ancient Christian principality of Theodoro. This city is located in a remote rocky terrain at an altitude of 600 meters above sea level. It was built on a large rocky plateau. For hundreds of years, natural rocky cliffs protected the city from intruders. In the 6th century, Goths settled in Mangup Kale. The Gothic diocese was founded there in the 8th century.

Many magnificent palaces and temples were built on this rocky plateau. The ruins have the main historical value today. The Orthodox principality of Theodoro was formed in 12-13 centuries. The thriving city was declared a capital of the principality. An active development of a religious and cultural sphere continued until 1475, when, after six months of continuous siege, the city finally surrendered to the Turkish conquerors. The once thriving and rapidly developing city was totally deserted in the 18th century. Since then the rocky plateau is peaceful and quiet.

Tourists visit this place for the sole purpose - to admire the ruins of majestic palaces and ancient Christian churches, and stroll through the narrow survived streets of the city. Not long ago, Crimean monks took the initiative to restore the ancient Christian monastery and the monastery church at Mangup Kale plateau. A few years later, the ambitious project was put into action. Today there is a functioning monastery of the Annunciation, where only one person, the abbot Iakinth, resides.

Next - Miussera Temple

Gorge Maryam-Dere, Russia

Miussera Temple, Abkhazia

Back to the start “ Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization”

Cave City Mangup Kale - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Банкомат ПриватБанка' located in 17 km (

check the route on the map).

Car rental office: 'Омега-Прокат' is located in 21 km (

on the map).

Fuel station: 'AZK OKKO' in 15 km

Supermarket: 'ATB-Market' in 16 km

Parking: 'Skalistyy' in 17 km

Apotheek: 'Цілодобова Аптека №5' in 17 km

Police station: 'Nakhimovskoye ROUMVD' in 20 km

Cafe/restaurant: 'Кафе Мангуп' in 3.21 km

Railway station: 'Verkhn'osadova station' in 13 km

Nearest airports:
» Simferopol Airport SIP - in 52 km

» Sinop Airport SIC - in 303 km

» Nikolaev Airport NLV - in 311 km

Photo gallery: Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization

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Cities nearby

» Guide to Sevastopol

» Hotels in Sevastopol

» Car rent in Sevastopol

Nearest unique sightseeing spots to visit

6 km - The Temple Of Donators

From the series 'The Most Remote Monasteries and Temples in the World'

The Temple of Donators is one of the most important sights of the Crimea. It’s located in an incredibly beautiful place, in one of the caves of Eski-Kerman mountains. It’s incredibly difficult to find this amazing cave storing priceless religious artifacts. …

15 km - Inkerman Cave Monastery of St. Clement

From the series ' Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization'

One of the oldest and most unusual Christian monasteries is in Russia. The Inkerman Monastery of St. Clement is located on the Crimean peninsula, near the town of Inkerman. This monastery is carved in the rock. According to a legend, St. Clement was its founder. He …

18 km - Balaclava Naval Base

From the series 'Famous Abandoned Military Bases and Forts'

In Crimea, fans of unusual excursions will have an opportunity to visit the once secret submarine base, which is located in Balaklava. In the days of the USSR, this base was one of the largest military facilities of the state. Its scale is so large that 14 submarines …

25 km - Gorge Maryam-Dere

From the series ' Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization'

In the immediate vicinity of the Crimean city of Bakhchisaray there is the valley is named after Mother Mary - Maryam-Dere. Adherents of the Christian religion know the gorge because of the old Assumption Monastery that was founded in the 8th century. According to …

27 km - Mishor AI Petri

From the series 'The Longest Ski-Lifts and Cable Trams in the World'

Mishor AI Petri certainly stands out among the most prominent attractions of Crimea; it was opened in 1988. It originates in the foothills of the picturesque village of Mishor and takes passengers to the top of Ai-Petri. The cable car is 2,980 meters long. The …

31 km - Swallow Nest

From the series 'The Most Wonderful Castles and Palaces'

The castle with the romantic name 'Schwalbennest' is located in one of the most picturesque districts of Crimea, not far from Gaspra town. One of the main characteristics of the castle is its location. Swallow's Nest was built on the summit of Avrorina …

Top destination around Cave City Mangup Kale - Sevastopol

The unique religious monument here is Inkerman Cave Monastery located in the immediate surroundings of the city. The exact date of its construction is unknown. The first written references to it date back to the 8th century. In the middle of the 19th century, the monastery fell into decline and was reconstructed not so long ago. The historic building has been recently reconstructed but it is located in the picturesque natural area.

In the territory of the city, there is the Cathedral of Protecting Veil of the Mother of God that is the most religious construction in Sevastopol. It was built in the 19th-20th century but was closed after the Revolution in 1917. It gained its religious status back in the period of the Great Patriotic War. At that time, the building was partially destroyed. It started to be reconstructed in 1947 and then served as a gym. Masses were resumed here only in 1994.
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