Kerch, one of the most ancient cities in the world, has a lot of architectural treasures that impress even the most unimpressed tourists. One of these treasures is the ancient Church of St. John the Baptist, an outstanding piece of world architectural heritage that is over 1200 years old. This attraction is worth coming to Kerch just for its sake.
The church is located in the heart of the city on Tavricheskaya Square at the foot of Mount Mithridates. Sheltered by a canopy of tall trees, the monastery is one of the oldest churches in Crimea, the oldest functioning Orthodox church in Eastern Europe, one of the oldest early Christian churches in the world. It is called a miracle of Greco-Byzantine architecture. There is a legend according to which the very first church here was erected back in apostolic times with the blessing of Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
The first basilica temple on the site of the present church, then still near the coastline, was built in the 6th century. Not far from the small basilica was a baptistery for baptism. During the Turkic invasion of 576, the baptistery was destroyed, and whether the basilica survived is not known. Nevertheless, in the VIII century, the same place was already adorned with a high church in the name of the Holy Apostles. This is evidenced by the records of the Byzantine monk Epiphanius and the inscription of the year 757 preserved on the north-western column of the ancient part of the temple, which can be seen on this column even today. Thus, the date of the foundation of the Church of St. John the Baptist is considered to be 757, although some historians dispute this, attributing the foundation of the temple to the IX century. Be that as it may, unknown architects erected a real architectural masterpiece, decorating the sea facade of Kerch for more than a thousand years.
Today the temple complex is divided into several parts. It is a single-domed ancient church, which is attributed to the VIII century, attached in the XI-XIII centuries three-nave basilica, adjoining it from the west, three-nave side chapel, attached to the temple in 1834 and a stone extension with a two-story bell tower in 1842.
The expansion of the church complex in the early XIX century was led by architect A. Digby. The Church of St. John the Baptist was erected in the Byzantine style, two architectural methods were applied at once during its construction — basilical and cross-domed, which is also its uniqueness. During further expansions the architects strictly adhered to the architectural methods of Byzantine temples, decorating all additions with pediments, cornices-sandricks and niches.
The ancient temple-basilica is characterized by extraordinary effect due to the beautiful combination of red brick and white stone blocks, smoothness and layered forms. Not inferior to the ancient part of the temple in beauty and added later elements: 
dark stone, high narrow windows of the side chapel and bell tower create a sense of that enchanting antiquity, fascinating and romantic. The ancient part of the temple can be called more colorful and opulent, and later additions — more monumental and austere. Nevertheless, the whole temple ensemble looks harmonious and amazingly beautiful.
The interiors of the Church of St. John the Baptist are characterized by laconism, there are no unnecessary details, everything is kept in cool colors. From the walls of the ancient part of the temple, which are more than a thousand years old, there is a smell of age-old wisdom and eternity. Here you can feel the calm atmosphere, which can be felt only in such ancient places. This invaluable attraction of Crimea managed to survive a millennium, and for all those coming to holiday in Kerch its visit will be a unique, unforgettable experience that will leave deep, vivid impressions.