Chufut-Kale

Çufut Qale
Чуфут-Кале
Historic settlement
Chufut-Kale cave city
Chufut-Kale cave city
Çufut Qale is located in Crimea
Çufut Qale
Çufut Qale
Location of Chufut-Kale in Crimea
Coordinates: 44°44′28″N 33°55′28″E / 44.74111°N 33.92444°E / 44.74111; 33.92444
Region Crimea Crimea
RaionBakhchysarai Raion
Established6th - 10th century
Time zoneUTC+4 (MSK)
Map

Chufut-Kale (Crimean Tatar: Çufut Qale Tatar pronunciation: [tʃuˈfut qaˈle]; Russian and Ukrainian: Чуфут-Кале - Chufut-Kale; Karaim: Кала - קלעה - Kala[1]) is a medieval city-fortress in the Crimean Mountains that now lies in ruins. It is a national monument of Crimean Karaites culture just 3 km (1.9 mi) east of Bakhchysarai.

Its name is Crimean Tatar and Turkish for "Jewish Fortress" (çufut/çıfıt - Jew, qale/kale - fortress), while Crimean Karaites refer to it simply as "Fortress", considering the place as a historical center for the Crimean Karaite community.[2] In the Middle Ages the fortress was known as Qırq Yer (Place of Forty) and as Karaites to which sect the greater part of its inhabitants belong, Sela' ha-Yehudim [3][4] (Hebrew for 'Rock of the Jews').[dubious – discuss]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shapshal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Efetov was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Beim was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Энциклопедический словарь Ф.А. Брокгауза и И.А. Ефрона— С.-Пб.: Брокгауз-Ефрон. 1890—1907 ст. Чуфут Кале;