Since time immemorial, the shores of the sunny Crimea have been inhabited by people, so many cities of the peninsula are thousands of years old and even more. One of these ancient settlements is Balaklava. Hidden from prying eyes in a picturesque bay, this town has existed for about two and a half thousand years, and, together with other advantages of such a wonderful place, it attracts tourists from all over the world.
In the picturesque Balaklava Bay you can relax, being both near the sea and, at the same time, in the famous Crimean mountains. Here tourists simultaneously enjoy the dizzying mountain scenery, high mountain air and all the advantages of vacationing by the sea. But the amazing location and unique climate is far from the only reason for the popularity of this ancient village among tourists. It has an interesting history, which goes back thousands of years and exceeds even the period that is called our era. Evidence of such a rich past of the village, preserved in the form of historical and architectural monuments, beckon all those who are interested in beautiful sights or just want to get as many impressions from the rest.
Balaklava was first mentioned in written sources by Homer himself in his famous «Odyssey»! This is a surprisingly interesting fact: it was here, in the bay, which the ancient Greeks called Simbolon Limne (Harbor of Omens), as believed by the legendary ancient Greek figure, lived Lestrigon — giant cannibals. And this mention is considered to be the very first mention of Crimea in literature! Of course, we will never know whether the cannibal giants actually lived here, but what is known for sure is that already in the VIII -VII centuries BC the Taurians lived here, which were then replaced by the Greeks, then by the Romans, then by the Byzantines.
Until the I century AD Balaklava was a small fishing settlement. It was always very comfortable to live here: in the bay, which does not know strong storms, winds and waves because of the winding narrow and long strait, caught a lot of fish, and its peculiar position, making it invisible from the sea, and the proximity of high mountains protected the inhabitants from enemies and dangers. The very name, which from Turkish translates as «Fish Nest», speaks of the main trade of the inhabitants of Balaklava. With the arrival of the Roman legionaries in the 60-ies of the I century here begins a more lively life, evidence of those times today are the remains of Roman buildings — one-story building and the temple of Jupiter Dolichena, as well as hoards of ancient Roman and Chersonese coins found in the vicinity of the city. Well, and then the fate of Balaklava is not much different from the fate of other cities of the Crimean south coast: with the collapse of ancient empires begins the medieval history of the village, associated with the rule of the Genoese, which then displaced the Tatars, those — the Turkish conquerors, and then the Crimea with all its cities in the XVIII century passes into the possession of the Russian Empire.
Each historical period left its traces in Balaklava. Thus, the Genoese gave the city its main attractions today — the fortress Cembalo and the Temple of the Twelve Apostles XIV century, and the Turks it owes its current name, formed from the Turkish «Balyk-Yuve». The British, who lived here during the Crimean War, gave the city an embankment, which today gives the city aristocratic notes, and the Soviet authorities — various top-secret objects, one of which is a factory for repairing diesel submarines, which today houses a museum of the Cold War. In total, there are 46 historical monuments in Balaklava! And if you add to them the natural beauty, such as Cape Fiolent and Aya with mysterious grottoes, picturesque beaches with crystal clear water, etc., and the beneficial effect of climate on the health of vacationers, it becomes clear that this is one of the best places in the Crimea!
There are many more interesting facts about Balaklava. For example: in its honor are named in England, Turkey and France boulevards and subway stations, as well as settlements on the island of Mauritius and Australia, this village — one of the main diving centers of the Crimea, there are cult monuments of the Taurians about 3m high (menhirs), here was built the first on the peninsula railroad with steam traction, etc. To enumerate interesting information about this wonderful place can be very long, the best thing — just come here for a few days or in general stop here for the whole time, if you choose where to spend your holiday in the Crimea — Balaklava is not exaggeratedly considered one of the really best places of the southern coast of Taurica!