In Feodosia, as in Kerch, one of the highest points of the city is a mountain called Mithridates. Kerch’s Mithridat is much more famous than Feodosia’s, but the latter is just as interesting for all those who want to touch the city’s past, enjoy the beautiful panoramas that open to the eye, admire the sunrises and sunsets over the Theodosia Bay.
Mytridat Mountain in Feodosia is located in the old part of the city and is its highest point (height — 55m). Well, the old town itself is the southern part of Feodosia. Mithridates is one of the spurs of the Tepe-Oba mountain range, and from the mountain it offers a beautiful view, as well as all the other neighborhoods. Standing facing the sea on the top of the mountain it is easy to orient yourself in the panorama unfolding in front of your eyes. Blue waters stretching ahead, as far as the eye can see — it’s Theodosia Bay, behind you — the same ridge Tepe-Oba, in the west passing into the picturesque Bald Mountain, which is rounded from the east by the highway Feodosia-Simferopol. In the north, the steppes open to the view, to the east begins the Kerch Peninsula, and in the south among the hills distinguish the cape of St. Elijah. It is worth climbing the mountain at least for the sake of this stunning view!
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The name «Mithridates» was given to the mountain by the most famous native of Feodosia — painter I.K. Aivazovsky in honor of the Pontic king Mithridates IV Eupator. He was born in a cottage very close to this place and probably often visited it since his childhood, which explains the artist’s love for it. Perhaps it was the views from the mountain that contributed a lot to the development of his sense of beauty, which made him one of the most outstanding painters of the world of all time. It is not difficult to find the house where Aivazovsky was born — there is a commemorative marble plaque in Armenian on the fountain near it.
The observation deck was opened on the mountain in 2012, since then this corner of Feodosia is increasingly popular among residents and tourists. It is also noteworthy that on the western slope of the mountain are the ruins of the tower of St. Thomas, which was part of the fortification system of the fortress of Kafa. If you look closely, you can see that from the ruins of the tower there is a moat — this is the same moat that once surrounded the outer defensive walls of the fortress, and if you follow its path, it will lead to the ruins of another tower — the round tower of Giovanni di Scaffa. The moat was much deeper in ancient times, and its walls were lined with stone, along which ran the walls and towers that bounded the territory of the city, which the Genoese called Caffa.
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Exploring the city from the height of Mount Mithridates, you can learn a lot about its attractions. Look for the port — it is clearly visible from the mountain, and pay attention to the Port Square: in the Middle Ages there was a large Catholic church in Gothic style, and later — under Ottoman rule, baths and a mosque were built here, in the XIX century there was an Orthodox church here, and now there is only a square — time has taken everything away. And here in another park — the City Garden, part of the ancient buildings rises to this day — these are the ruins of the Consular Tower fortress Kafa. All you see at the foot of the mountain and to the south of it is the Old Town, which has preserved the medieval layout of the streets. In this part of Feodosia there are many ancient fountains, as well as an ancient bridge across the moat, and the remains of towers and defensive walls of the fortress. Another invaluable architectural attraction — the Mufti Jami Mosque, erected in 1623, can be seen from the mountain.
A walk to Mount Mithridates will be interesting to all those who spend their holiday in Feodosia, it is worth making it and those who came to the city for a short time — so for a relatively short time with it and its attractions can get acquainted closer.