Crimea is, besides the sea and the sun, also ancient castles, and modern masterpieces of architecture, and a variety of natural beauties from waterfalls to the world-famous Crimean mountains. But quite rightly among the attractions of the peninsula the most mysterious and amazing are considered the most mysterious and amazing ancient cave cities and monasteries, which are here are several dozen. Many of them are already more than a thousand years old.
Chelter-Koba Cave Monastery is one of the oldest Crimean monasteries, for which the peninsula is famous. In such places you feel a special calmness, joining something light and big, which is not surprising, because in the monastery everything disposes to this — from the venerable age to the strikingly beautiful landscapes surrounding the monastery.
The monastery is located in a gorge at the foot of Cape Ai-Todor (St. Fedor) in the valley of the Belbek River, one kilometer from the village of Tash-Basty (Malosadovoye). It is literally between heaven and earth, which is very symbolic. Thanks to this location from the territory at the entrance to the monastery opens the most beautiful panorama: shines its beauty picturesque Belbek valley, proudly demonstrate their majesty Crimean mountains, and from above the boundless ocean spreads the blue sky. The way to the monastery and the views opening from its territory will be long remembered by everyone who had the opportunity to see this splendor with their own eyes.
The history of the Chelter Koba Monastery is mysterious. It is still not clear when exactly it was founded. 
The supporters of one version suppose that in XIII-XIV centuries, and the other — that in VIII-IX centuries. Confirmation of the second are archaeological finds — amphorae V-VIII centuries, found on the slopes under the monastery. However, it is known for sure only when the history of the monastery ended — in the XV century. It was destroyed by the Turks who invaded Crimea, and since then only a few hermits who renounced the worldly life have lived here.
In good times for Chelter-Koba it was a spiritual home not only for the monks who lived here, but also for the inhabitants of many surrounding villages, and even for the soldiers from the nearby fortress of Suireni. The main services were held in the cave temple, a natural grotto with an area of more than 150 square meters. There were a total of 23 caves in the monastery, each of them also formed naturally, and the monks only cut passages to connect the rooms.
In the XIII-XV centuries the monastery was part of the Grand Duchy of Theodoro and was located on the territory of its northern border, in 1475 together with the principality under the onslaught of the Turks fell and the monastery.
Chelter-Koba received its folk name, which translates as «lattice-cave», from the Tatars because of the passages and ladders of wood that once connected all the caves and resembled a lattice. In fact, the monastery was named in honor of St. Theodore, as evidenced by an inscription preserved in the rock.
The clergy of the Crimea, in 2001, again breathed life into the monastery, the newly founded monastery was named after St. Theodore the Great Martyr Stratilat. Metropolitan Lazar of Simferopol and Crimea, inspired by the local atmosphere, thought that the monastery created by nature itself for prayers should live, and today Chelter-Koba is one of the few cave monasteries in the Crimea with a thousand-year history, fulfilling its purpose and nowadays.
A visit to this attraction of Bakhchisarai gives the most vivid impressions, contemplation of the surrounding beauty leaves unforgettable memories, and the walls that absorbed the prayers said within the walls of the monastery for many centuries, charge with unique positive energy.