Simeiz is the prettiest village of all the resorts located on the Southern coast of Crimea. It’s also one of the oldest. This place between the Crimean mountains and the Black Sea was first favored by the Taurus tribe. The ancient people so aggressively defended their «piece» of the coast from the colonizers from Hellas that they even got into Homer’s «Odyssey».
And though the Greek poet-storyteller spoke about our Taurians very negatively — they are robbers and murderers, but they can also be understood. These people appeared here before our era, built the fortress Limen-Kale on the mountain Koshka, strengthened. Over time, a necropolis was formed under the mountain. By the way, local tile dolmens are no worse than those that today lure tourists to Sardinia, the western Caucasus, the Urals or Ireland. And most importantly, the sanctuary of the Taurians was located on the Diva rock. It was from it that they threw their captives — potential Greek colonists — into the abyss of the Black Sea. Why did they throw them off? Deva was the name of their favorite goddess. It was the name of their favorite goddess.
Naturally, the most beautiful and original rock on the territory of the present Simeiz became a natural temple of the goddess, and at the same time — the Taurian sacrificial ground. Over time, Mount Deva turned into Diva, and its ritual value was replaced by contemplative and aesthetic. Any tourist who climbs the rock, will be able to admire the endless rounded horizon line, the Black Sea, overhanging over the city of the Main Range of Crimean mountains and its spurs — Koshka and Panea. From the Diva rock you can perfectly see all the city sights — villa «Mechta» and «Xenia», a magnificent seven sanatoriums and a row of cypresses forming Avenue of Apollons.
The rock Diva itself has a height equal to 51 meters. Its pride is its distinct triangular shape, magically acting on the first Taureans. The mountain is composed of rather soft clay shale and quartzite sandstone, so it was both higher and «fuller» at the beginning of our era. You can climb the rock by concrete and 260 steps carved in the rock. On it there is a viewing platform — a former altar. Both the platform and the steps are fenced with intimidating-looking iron handrails.
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In some places they have failed or sagged, so climbing Diva in high winds or storms is not recommended for anyone. By the way, this very staircase and rock were used in the Soviet film adaptation of «Ten Negroes». Therefore, if you climb Diva on a cloudy, non-summer day, you will easily catch the energy that the former «sacrificial stone» spreads around you.
To the left under the rock is one of the best beaches of Simeiz. It is equipped with changing rooms, showers and a toilet. During the day the diving center works here, at night the night club «Fregat» «lights up».
Choosing holiday in Simeiz, a tourist can enjoy everything that the Crimean peninsula is rich in — luxurious nature and impressive history, playful sea and gentle sun. Visit Crimea is to get into a fairy tale turned into reality. The more so that the current guests of their peninsula descendants of the Taurians have stopped throwing off the Diva into the sea, but only work on creating the most comfortable conditions for recreation.