For millennia, the Crimean peninsula has been the scene of armed conflict between different states. In order to strengthen their positions in this strategically important corner of the planet, people built fortresses, many of which have survived to this day.
Today, in Crimea, tourists can explore the Genoese, Byzantine and Roman citadels. Turkish fortifications also survived. Among them, the Arabat fortress occupies a special place.
The uniqueness of this defensive structure is due to the fact that it is located between the Sea of Azov and Sivash on a narrow strip of land, and therefore at one time reliably protected the peninsula from attacks from the north.
Title
According to some researchers, the word “Arabat” is of Turkic origin and means “suburb”, and literally - “something located in front of”. There is also an assumption that the name comes from the Arabic language and means "strengthening". In any case, the mighty Arabat fortress, which was surrounded by a high rampart and a deep moat, also gave the name to a geographical object - a picturesque and long sand spit that separates the Sea of Azov from Sivash Bay.
The history of the citadel before the annexation of Crimea to Russia
Reliable information about when the Arabat fortress was founded was not preserved. However, the first written mention of the citadel near the Ak-Monai Isthmus in the book Description of Ukraine, written by the Frenchman G. Boplan, dates back to 1651, therefore, most likely, the fortification was built at the beginning of the 17th century. Records of the famous Turkish traveler Evliya elebi, who during his travels through the Ottoman Empire visited Crimea and described Arabat as “a large and powerful stone tower of a round shape”, which served as a defense of the peninsula from Kalmyks and Zaporozhye Cossacks, were also preserved . He also points out the founder of the citadel, Mehmed Gerai Khan, apparently referring to the son of the ruler of the Crimea, Saadet.
Fortress and Cossacks
The Turkish citadel defending Crimea from the north-east did not remain impregnable for long. In 1668, the Cossacks, commanded by Koshevoy Rog, took the fortress by storm and destroyed its garrison. Since the purpose of the operation of the Cossacks was to scare the Turks, they did not linger in the citadel, which was restored by the Ottomans.
The second time, the Arabat fortress was subjugated to the Cossacks in 1737, when the regiment of Onisim Biloy, taking advantage of the falling water level due to the wind drive, crossed Sivash and captured the fortification. The success this time was not final either: soon the Cossacks were knocked out of the citadel, and the Turks returned there.
Fall of Arabat
Finally, the fortress was conquered by Russian troops under the command of V. M. Dolgorukov, after which there was constantly a military garrison. He played an important role during the Crimean War, preventing the allies from landing and the capture of the Arabat arrow, which would lead to the encirclement of Russian troops.
In 1860, the fortress lost its strategic importance and began to collapse. In addition, residents of neighboring villages began to dismantle the walls and use the stones from their masonry to build their houses. Since then, the citadel was practically not restored, so at the moment it is in a rather poor state.
Arabat Fortress: Description
The citadel was designed by Turkish engineers in accordance with all the rules for the construction of fortifications of that period. In photographs taken from the satellite, even in a dilapidated form, it clearly resembles a huge pentagon.
The Arabat citadel was protected by a moat filled with water supplied from the Sea of Azov. From the fortress were excavated passages that allow the Turks in the event of a siege from the sea to quietly get to the shore and attack enemy ships at night. A zindan was built inside - a pit where prisoners were kept, who were supposed to be there until a ransom was paid for them.
The Arabat fortress had two entrances and was divided into 5 bastions with gun loopholes, which were arranged so that the citadel could defend from several sides simultaneously.
Current state
Many tourists specially come to Crimea to see the numerous military monuments of architecture located there. The Arabat fortress is one of them.
At the moment, only a small part of the once formidable bastions remained. These are fragments of powerful walls with loopholes and the entrance arch on the south side. Especially noteworthy is the shaft, which in some places reaches a height of 7-8 meters. The modern appearance of the walls is different from what it was during the time of Turkish rule, since in the early days of the Crimean War they were faced with limestone brick. Near the fortress several German pillboxes, which remained from the time of the brief occupation of these places during the Second World War, also survived.
Legend
The fortress on the Arabat Spit has been desolate for over 150 years. Locals have many legends about this place. For example, they say that even before the revolution, the young man Memet worked in the salt fields located near the ruins. He dreamed of saving money for the wedding, so he worked tirelessly. Soon the young man became seriously ill. He asked the owner to pay the honestly earned money and let him go home. He refused and demanded that Memet continue to work until the end of the term for which he was hired. Soon the irreparable happened, and the young man died. Then on his grave, located next to the walls of the fortress, salt stains began to appear, resembling inscriptions in Arabic. According to local residents, so the unfortunate Memet is trying to convey to the living his indignation at an evil fate and curses the evil master.
Rest on the Arabatsky arrow
More recently, these places began to attract beach lovers, especially since the walls of the citadel reach the sea at a depth of 2 m only at a distance of 100 meters from the coast. Due to this, the water warms up quickly - its temperature can reach 30 degrees. In addition, the air on the Arabatsky arrow contains a pair of iodine and bromine, therefore it is extremely useful for children and those who suffer from pulmonary diseases.
Not so long ago, thermal springs of mineral water were discovered at Arabatka, which help in the treatment of diseases of the nervous system and various problems of joints and bones. There are also huge reserves of brine and healing mud.
The Arabatsky arrow is also suitable for organizing fishing, as there you can catch flounder, mullet, bearing and bull-calves. Shrimps are also found in the Sea of Azov.
Arabat fortress: how to get
The geographic location of the citadel is characterized by coordinates 45 ° 17 ′ 44. 38 ″ north latitude and 35 ° 28 ′ 41. 83 ″ east longitude.
By car, you can get there on the interstate highway Moscow - Simferopol. You should reach the turn to Genichesk, then turn off according to the sign and continue driving to the gas station (20 km from the turn). From there you need to proceed in the direction of the sea and then go in a straight line to the fortress. You can get to Arabatka by train, which goes to Genichesk, Arabatskaya Strelka or Novoalekseevka. At any of these stations you can take a taxi that will take you to the fortress.
Now you know what is remarkable about the Arabat fortress in the Crimea, as well as what events have occurred in this citadel for centuries.