Khan's Palace in Bakhchisarai is a whole complex of buildings: a palace, two mosques, harem, stables, baths, pavilions, fountains. It was formed since the 16th century. Then Bakhchisaray became the new capital of the Crimean Khanate. Now it is a museum, which tells about the history of the khans and the life of the Crimean Tatars up to the present time.
Crimean Khanate
After the Golden Horde broke up, a separate state was formed in the south (now - Krasnodar Krai, Azov and Crimea). It existed until the end of the 18th century. At first viceroys from the Horde ruled here, but quite quickly the khanate gained independence.
Crimean Khanate fought with the Ottoman Empire, raided Russia, Poland and Lithuania, the Zaporozhian Cossacks, in turn, made raids on Crimean lands. In 1571 Khan Devlet Geray (in our tradition he is called Girey) organised a great campaign against Moscow. The city squares were almost completely burnt down, only the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod survived. As a result, until the 17th century, the Moscow state paid tribute to the Crimean Khanate. Later, in the 18th century, the balance of power changed. Already Russia attacked Crimea several times in order to establish control over the peninsula. During the wars of 1735-1739 and 1768-1774. Crimea was devastated. From 1783 Crimea officially became part of Russia, and a few years later the Ottoman Empire recognised this.
Bakhchisarai
Bakhchisaray began to be built in 1532 as a new residence of the khan not far from the old capital - Salachik (now this place became part of the modern city). The main fortification was a small fortress Kyrk-Er, and in the city itself a palace was built for the khans. It stood for about 200 years, until during the next war with the Russians was not burned. In 1736 the troops of Minich entered the Crimea. There is little left of Bakhchisarai.
In the middle of the 18th century, the city begins to rebuild anew. The complex, which is now available for inspection - it is the Khan's palace, built just then, after a big fire in place of the old one. Only a few buildings have survived from the 16th century.
The khans built the khans with magnitude. Palace buildings occupied an area of just under twenty hectares. The very word "Bakhchisaray" means "garden-palace". Here completely organically combined residential buildings and park elements: a lot of fountains, courtyards, open galleries, pavilions. The new palace turned out to be larger and more luxurious than the old one.
After Crimea became Russian, Empress Catherine the Great made a great journey to inspect her new possessions. By the time of her arrival, the palace had been renovated and decorated. The interior decoration was brought to a "European" look, more familiar to the empress. For example, a crystal chandelier was hung in one of the rooms - of course, there was nothing of the kind here under the khans. Catherine spent three days in the palace. In memory of her stay was left "Catherine's mile" in the courtyard. Such signs marked the whole way of Catherine in the south of the empire, now there are only five of them. There are several memorabilia about Catherine I in the exposition - for example, her work table.
During the 19th century the palace was open for inspection. During his southern exile, Alexander Pushkin visited here. The imperial family came here very rarely: in 1818 was Alexander I, and in 1837 - the heir to the throne Alexander Nikolaevich. During the Crimean War in the building of the former stables arranged a barracks, and then an infirmary. During the 19th century the palace buildings were repaired several times, the paintings were renewed and changed.
In 1908 a museum was opened here - it was one of the first museums in Crimea.
Soviet times
After the revolution, historian, artist and ethnographer Usein Bodaninsky became the "commissar of the former khan's palace". Thanks to his efforts, the museum was not ruined, but remained the National Museum of Crimean Tatars. The Divan Hall was even used for its intended purpose - it was here that the Crimean Tatar Kurultai proclaimed independence in 1917.
Several other palaces and ruins of old Tatar fortresses - Mangul-Kale, Cherkez-Kermen and others - became branches of the museum. The museum co-operated with the Oriental Museum in Yalta: ethnographic expeditions were conducted in the neighbourhood, a collection of rare manuscript books was collected from the libraries of madrasas and mosques.
In 1934, both museums suffered: the staff, who cared about the preservation of Crimean Tatar heritage, were declared bourgeois nationalists. Both the director of the Oriental Museum, Yakub Kemal, and the director of the Crimean Tatar Museum, Usein Bodaninsky, were arrested. In 1938 Bodaninski was shot.
In the 1930s, another renovation of the palace was carried out and the exterior paintings were painted over. In 1944, the Crimean Tatar Museum was closed and Crimean Tatars were deported from Crimea. The place was now considered simply the "Bakhchisarai Museum". Most of the ethnographic collections were lost.
In the post-war years, the museum already in a new capacity continues to work: the collections are again replenished, excavations of cave cities are made. In the 70-80s there is a large-scale restoration of all the buildings of the complex. At the beginning of the 21th century, the collections began to be replenished with returned valuables: things that were once taken from here back in 1945 were transferred from Vienna.
Twenty-first century
Now the palace complex is a branch of the Bakhchisarai Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve. Visiting it, it is worth paying attention to the most ancient buildings on the territory.
The Great Khan Mosque dates back to 1532, and is one of the largest and most beautiful in the Crimea. It is built in the classical traditions of Ottoman architecture: two minarets twenty metres high, a high inner hall, lancet arcades. There were two entrances to the mosque - general and separate, khan's, which led to a special khan's box on the balcony. The modern look of the mosque is the result of reconstruction of the 18th century: before that the roof was decorated with domes. During the Soviet period, the building was used as a museum exposition, now it is a functioning temple again.
Bathhouse Sary-Gyuzel ("yellow beauty") is the second building that has survived from the earliest times. The two-storey Turkish bath is interesting not so much for its external appearance as for its internal structure: it was so well equipped and carefully thought out that it operated until 1924
Cemetery with khan's burials. Here, in one of the mausoleums, is buried the very Devlet Gerai (or Girei) who once burned Moscow. In another almost the same is Islam III Gerai. The tomb of Khan Mengli II Gerai is interesting - it is decorated with a rotunda with a colonnade.
In the palace itself it is worth paying attention to the front entrance to the palace - Portal Demir-Kapa. This is the earliest construction, dating from 1503-1504. The portal was moved from the previous capital. According to legend, it was made by the same Italian architects who later built the Archangel Cathedral in Moscow. In any case, it was created not in the Oriental, but in the Italian style.
The State Council of the Khanate, Divan, met in a long hall, on one side of which was installed the khan's throne, and on the other - a carved balcony, from which the khan could "eavesdrop" on the meeting of the council unofficially. Paintings of the 19th century, created during the next renovation, have been preserved here.
The Golden Cabinet of the Khan is the most cosy and beautiful room of the palace. It is here that the crystal chandelier of the 18th century brought for Catherine hangs. The windows are decorated with multicoloured glass, the ceiling with wooden carvings and mouldings. The living quarters of the palace - now there is an exposition devoted to the life of Crimean Tatars.
Small mosque and golden fountain. The second mosque was also built in the 16th century, and decorated in the 18th. The rich ornamental paintings here are interesting. In the inner courtyard is a gilded and also ornate fountain, which was used for ablutions.
Harem, of which only one wing has survived. The main building was dilapidated at the time of Alexander I's arrival and was demolished at the same time. Now here you can look at the later interiors, 19-20th centuries, here is a reproduction of a rich Tatar house.
Tower "falcon mountain". Once the tower was used to keep hunting falcons for khan's hunting. Later it was connected by a gallery to the harem so that the harem inhabitants could observe the life of the rest of the palace from there.
Numerous courtyards were arranged for resting in the coolness. Embassy, Fountain, Pool-all of them available for inspection. For walks of wives and concubines of the khan there was a closed garden, which also had fountains, pools and arbours - Persian Garden.
The most famous attraction of the palace is Pushkin's Bakhchisarai Fountain or "fountain of tears". It dates back to 1764. It is a fairly common type of wall fountain, where water flows from one bowl to another. After Pushkin published his poem, such "fountains of tears" often began to be placed in parks. In Crimea, such a fountain is located in the Lower Park of the Vorontsov Palace.
According to legend, the fountain was installed by Khan Kyrym-Girey in memory of his favourite concubine Dilara. In 1820 Pushkin saw this fountain, and four years later he published the poem "Bakhchisarai Fountain", which made this place famous throughout Russia. According to the poem, the Khan's beloved was actually named Maria, and she was a captured Polish woman. In Soviet times, a bust of A. Pushkin appeared next to the fountain.
Interesting facts
Pushkin himself wrote that his poem was dedicated to some woman he loved in the 20s. Literary scholars and historians still argue, who was she? One of the most romantic versions - the poet meant young Maria Raevskaya. The very one who would marry Decembrist General Sergei Volkonsky and follow him to Siberia.
There is another memorial on the territory of the museum. This is an eternal flame dedicated to the soldiers-defenders of the Crimea in the Great Patriotic War.
On a side note
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Location: Bakhchisarai, 133 River Street
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Official website: http://handvorec.ru
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Opening hours: a complex ticket for all expositions of the Khan's Palace - 500 rubles, without benefits. The cost of visiting individual expositions: from 100 rub. to 300 rub. adult and from 50 rub. to 200 rub. discount.
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Tickets: from 9.00 to 17.00..
