Bakhchysarai is a city in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine. It is the capital city, administrative center of the Bakhchysarai Raion (raion, district), as well as the former capital of the Crimean Khanate. Its main landmark is Bakhchisaray Palace, Hansaray, the only extant palace of the Giray dynasty, Crimean Khans, currently open to tourists as a museum. Population: Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014, it has been Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied by the Russian Federation.

Geography

Bakhchysarai lies in a narrow valley of the river, about 30 Kilometers south-west of Simferopol.

History

The earliest known man-made objects found in the valley date from the Mesolithic period. Settlements have existed in the valley since Late Antiquity. Before the founding of Bakhchysarai the Qırq Yer fortress (modern Chufut-Kale, Çufut Qale), Salaçıq, and Eski Yurt were built. These have since become incorporated into the urban area of modern Bakhchysarai. Bakhchysarai first appears in historical documents in 1502. In 1532 Sahib I Giray, List of Crimean khans, Khan of Crimea from 1532 to 1551, established his residence there. From that time it served as the capital of the Crimean Khanate and the center of political and cultural life of the Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar people. In 1675 the town was sacked by Cossacks during Ivan Sirko's Crimean Campaign (1675), Crimean Campaign. In 1736 the town was burned during the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Following the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), annexation of the Crimean Khanate by the Russian Empire in 1783, Bakhchysarai became an ordinary town, having lost administrative significance. However, it remained a cultural center of the Crimean Tatars for several decades afterward, fostered by Ismail Gaspirali (1851-1914) who founded the local newspaper ''Terciman'' in 1883. During the Crimean War of 1853–56, Bakhchysarai essentially became a hospital town as wounded Russian soldiers from the battlefield were brought in to be treated. The Battle of the Alma, one of the earliest battles of the war, took place not far from the city in 1854. But although the city was close to the front line, the Turks and their European allies never took it, as the port city of Sevastopol was their primary Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855), wartime objective. With the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917 and the unification of several socialist republics that had been part of the Russian Empire, Bakhchysarai became part of the Soviet Union (established 30 December 1922) in 1922. The ''Sürgün'', the deportation of the Crimean Tatars of 18 May 1944 in Bakhchysarai was prompted by accusations that the Tatars collaborated with the Axis powers, Axis occupiers. Although deportation of some Tatars in Crimea began as early as 1860, under the Russian Empire, the Sürgün delivered the final blow, emptying the city of Tatars. They were not to return to the city until 1989, when Soviet policies relaxed. Bakhchysarai became a part of newly independent Ukraine in 1991. However, it became a ''de facto'' part of the Russian Federation when Russian Armed Forces Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, invaded and annexed the city and the whole of Crimea in 2014.

Name and associations

Spellings of the town's name in different languages include: * Crimean Tatar language, Crimean Tatar: Bağçasaray * Turkish language, Turkish: Bahçesaray * Russian language, Russian: Бахчисарай - Bakhchisaray * Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Бахчисарай - Bakhchysarai The name comes from Persian language, Persian ''bāghche-sarāy'', which means ''the Garden Palace''. In Crimean Tatar, ''bağça'' means "garden" and ''Saray (building), saray'' means "palace".Russian language, Russian-speakers associate the town with the Romantic connotations of Alexander Pushkin's poem ''The Fountain of Bakhchysarai'' (1822). Adam Mickiewicz devoted some of the finest poems in his Polish-language ''Crimean Sonnets'' (1825) to the landmarks of Bakhchysarai (). An minor planet, asteroid, 3242 Bakhchisaraj, discovered by Soviet Union, Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1979, takes its name after the town.

Attractions

Famous attractions within or near Bakhchysarai are: * Eski Yurt * Eski Dürbe * Chufut-Kale * Bakhchysarai Palace, Khan's Palace * Orta Cami Mosque * Tahtali-Jami Mosque * Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery, Cave Monastery * Zincirli Madrasa * Tepe-Kermen There is a network of well marked hiking trails around the town. All the main attractions are connected with red-marked trail. From 2011, the town's Tourist Information Centre was supported by the Czech Government and USAID. Support was cut off in 2014 following the Russian annexation of Crimea (2014), Russian annexation of Crimea.

Demographics

In 1930 the population of the city was 10,450. The ethnic groups represented were 7,420 Crimean Tatars, 1,850 Russians, 315 Jews, 205 Greeks, 185 Ukrainians, 50 Germans, 30 Armenians, 30 Bulgarians, and 365 others. As of 2001, the town had a population of 26,700 people. Russians in Ukraine, Russians make up the majority of the population, while ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars form significant minorities.

Gallery

File:Bakhchisarai 1.jpg, File:Bakhchisarai 2.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 3.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 4.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 5.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 6.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 8.jpg, File:Bakhchisaray 7.jpg,

Education

* Crimean Federal University, College of Construction, Architecture and Design (Branch), Crimean Federal University

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Bakhchysarai is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with: * Bursa, Turkey

Notes

References

External links

Official site of the Palace

The murder of the Jews of Bakhchysarai
during World War II, at Yad Vashem website. {{Authority control Bakhchysarai, Bakhchysarai Raion Cities in Crimea Crimean Khanate Crimean Tatars Islam in Crimea Former capitals of Crimea Holocaust locations in Ukraine