On the Crimean peninsula there is a small oldest town - Naples Scythian (Simferopol). The description and history of this place will be described in this article. Here is a unique royal fortress. The settlement itself was once the capital of a Scythian state. People call it “New City”. The mention of this truly historical place was long before our time.
The city of Naples Scythian (Simferopol) is a valuable find of the past. The ruins are presented as an ancient historical and archaeological reserves, but also as a memorial museum located in the open. This attraction of the current Simferopol makes an indelible impression on tourists and guests of the capital. Also, academics and archaeologists are constantly interested in ruins.
Historical information
As early as 1827, in Crimea, an eccentric who liked to explore all kinds of ancient buildings met a barge littered with stones, which the inhabitants later used to build their houses. His attention was attracted by two plates of unknown origin with relief traces on their surface. On one was an image of an ancient horseman, on the other - an inscription in the ancient Greek manner. When excavations were carried out, a lot of historical values were discovered at the local quarry: a piece of marble stone with a rock profile of two men (old and young), coins of Greece and Rome, an inscription about Scythian kings who lived many years ago.
The name of one of them was known from the descriptions of the historian of the city of Olbia. After comparing the drawings found on marble and coins, it was found that this is an image of the ruler of Skilur. Thanks to these comparisons, an ancient state was discovered - Naples Scythian. Simferopol - its location. The location for the city was very well chosen. One side looks to the north, to the east there is a steep cliff of the Peter Rocks, and in the west you can see a defensive wall and an impassable beam. The Scythians for a long time waged war with the main competitor - Chersonesos. Later the city was attacked by the Goths and completely defeated Naples Scythian - Simferopol still remembers those events.
Excavations continue
Initially, the city occupied a huge territory. For a long time, local historians and archaeologists worked on the excavations. They managed to conquer only 1/20 of the entire area, so there is still a lot of interesting things for history.
Important exhibit
Archaeologists have managed to find such a value as the tsar’s mausoleum. This was a real event. This is the only and very valuable monument of the burial of the leader of the Scythians, who survived and was not defeated by local thieves. Even time didn’t hurt him at all. In the tomb they found a huge amount of valuable items and jewelry made of gold. Most of this stuff is stored as museum exhibits in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
This mausoleum is the only historical find, as residents buried their relatives in crypts and barrows. The people who lived here many millennia ago were engaged in agriculture and trade. This is evidenced by numerous finds.
origin of name
Naples Scythian (Simferopol) is considered one of the royal fortresses of the Crimean peninsula. Perhaps in this city was the residence of Scythian overlords. Translated from Greek, the word "Naples" means "the newest city." Of course, the Greeks were just uncomfortable pronouncing such a long name. Therefore, without thinking twice, they renamed it to a more convenient and understandable name - Naples.
This is not the only case in the history of the Crimean peninsula when other peoples revise and rename the original name. After the war, many other cities suffered the same fate. Even small rivers and Tatar villages were renamed . According to the ancient Greek geographer, the fortress was built in order to defend itself in a war against the Greek people. But this is not yet proven.
Visit Features
For any tourist, for a general acquaintance with history, one must visit Naples Scythian (Simferopol). Address: st. Archaeological, 1. A visit to the reserve costs money. But the fee for visiting is purely symbolic - 70 rubles. For this price you will not only visit the beautiful and memorable territory, but also enjoy a fascinating and informative tour.
You can also visit this beautiful place for free, but only privileged categories of residents can take this opportunity and only on certain days of the week. Others definitely should not spare money. At the first opportunity you need to go to Naples Scythian (Simferopol).
How to get there?
Getting to the reserve is very simple. Minibus No. 4 goes from Simferopol train station, and from the city center you can get by minibus No. 24 and 85. Bus No. 108 runs from the central city market to Naples. Bus stop - Terebukina street.
The main historical attraction in the capital of Crimea is the Naples Scythian Nature Reserve (Simferopol). A photo cannot convey the atmosphere that prevails here. Therefore, it is better to go to an amazing open-air museum ourselves.
Since archaeologists are currently digging in it, every year more and more historical exhibits appear in the museum. Therefore, even if you visit the museum every year, it will not cease to amaze you with new historical finds of that time. For a more realistic reproduction of Naples Scythian, the reserve workers use only natural materials: stones, wood, clay.