Bahchisaray, Simferopol and Toplovsky monastery

Hi, everyone! I didn't forget about you, my dear, i just didn't have any opportunity to tell about my trips: yesterday i returned late, todayi was in Simferopol and Toplovsky monastery. If you don't mind, i'll tell you about Bahchisaray first and after that - about Simferopol.

Part I. "Bahchisaray"

We departed from Feodosia early in the morning, took some passengers in Koktebel and went to Bahchisaray - a very ancient town. It's very small, but has a rich history.  We had many stops, but our first stop was near "The spring of eternal youth". Our guide let us know beforehand not to drink too much water for not to become babies...

Then we went to an ancient stone town and fortress Chufut-Kale. For getting there you should get over 2 kilometres uphill and the same down. Of course the back way was easier. We went on the stones, but i wasn't tired. We passed the Monastery of the Holy Dormition, then i went inside and i'll tell you later. We just kept "climbing" and saw this church of All Saints - here the monks have requiem services:

After our trip up we at last saw the stone town and fortress. The warriors were very expensive and clever: they did everything not to let their enemies to be inside. For example in the next photo you can see an entrance, but it's not the original entrance to the fortress. After passing some metres you'll see "the secret goats", but even in case the enemies could go inside they'll find themselves in a "stone trap" - very narrow corridors, where - if you're an enemy - the warriors will kill you, because they're above you, on the stones and can't see them.

In the photo below you can see defensive caves:

So, our trip was becoming more and more interesting and in this picture you can see our target: the mountain peak:

Just some minutes before the mountain peak (in the left picture i'm in one of defensive caves):

 

Hurrah! I'm on the top of the mountain!

This way is the direct road to the town and fortress Chufut-Kale:

In the territory of the ancient town:

This is the tomb of Janikeh-khanym, a daughter of Khan Tokhtamysh. She died in 15th century. There're a lot of legends about this place, but they are not real. One of the legends tell us that Janike felt in love with a poor guy, but her father when he knew about it ordered to execute the guy. Janikeh was very sad and with grief she threw herself down this mountain...

A very beutiful veiw behind the tomb:

This is a small cave of the town. Generally there're about 160 caves.

When we climbed down i went to the church of the Monastery of the Holy Dormition. It is in the cave:

Well we kept our way and after lunch made our way to Bahchisaraykiy palace:

This is a mosque of the Palace, still working:

This is "Divannaya" ("A room of sofas"). Here the khan and noble people received all his visitors:

This is the same room. These are the windows through those the mother of khan could supervise everybody and all businesses. She was very influential, but she couldn't influence the khan.

This is a small mosque for the khan:

This is one of the most famous fountains - "The fountain of tears". A.S. Puskin wrote 2 poems about it after his visiting Bahchisaray.

This is the territory of the harem. Here we can see a bride before her wedding:

It is  again abride before the wedding. She is preparing.

This is a sitting-room of the harem:

These are the musical instruments. The Khans' wives played them:

This exposition demonstrates "one  year after the wedding". Wives had to be able to do many things themselves:

This is the territory of the kitchen. The right door (you can't see it) isthe way to the male half of the palace, the left door - to the female. This tree is 400 years old...

Part II. "Simferopol and Toplovsky monastery"

Well today i decided to visit Simferopol with the only target: to visit the monastery where the relics of saint Luke Voyno-yasenetskiy are located. He is very famous not only in Ukraine, but in Russia as well. He was a surgent and received a Stalin's bonus for his work "Sketches about contaminated surgery". He was imprisoned many times, because he became a priest and then an archbishop, but he didn't abandon Jesus Christ. Saint Luke was the only man in ex Soviet Union who was allowed to read lectures in the frock. Even when he blinded before his death he kept reading lectures and help people. His relics are in the Convent of the Holy Trinity in Simferopol:

 

Visiting saint Luke i went to Toplovsky monastery. It was founded due to prayings of saint Paraskeva Bolgarskaya who lived in a cave in the forest for 7 years and prayed about the foundation of the monstery in honour of venerable Martyr Paraskeva. This is the  way to the small cave:

and this is the entrance to the cave:

The cave:

It was cool inside, but very cosy...

In the picture below you can see an image of the Most Holy Mother of God "Consolation of All the Afflicted" on the wall of the church of the same name:

This is the spring of venerable Martyr Paraskeva:

This is a church of the Life-Giving Trinity. Here are the relics of saint Paraskeva who was a Mother Superior of the monastery in the 19-20 century:

Well, this is in short my story about my trips. Thanks for being with me. See you!