Calais ( Calais in Ukrainian Crimea . Çufut Qale, Karaite . Dzhuft Kale ) - a medieval fortress city in the Crimea (Ukraine) , located in the Bakhchsarai area of 2.5 km to the east of Bakhchisarai. The name translates from the Crimean Tatar language as a \Karaites called city Dzhuft -Calais (from the Karaite language \Karaimy nazyvayut gorod Dzhuft-Kale (v perevode s karaimskogo yazyka \u0026laquo;dvoĭnaya (párnaya) krepostʹ\u0026raquo;, dzhuft \u0026mdash; para, kʺale \u0026mdash; krepostʹ).Ranyee gorod byl izvesten pod nazvaniyami Kyrk-Yer, Kyrk-Or, Gevher-Kermen.
Istoriya.
The town was founded probably in the V-VI centuries as a fortified settlement on the border of the Byzantine possessions. It is likely that in those days it was called Fulla . A city with such a name appears in various sources , but historians can not uniquely determine which of the currently known settlements he meets .The city's population during this period consisted mainly of Alan.
In an era of dominance in the Crimea Kypchaks city came under their control and became known as Kirk- Ep.
In 1299 Kirk- EF was stormed and plundered by the army of the Emir Nogai Horde .In XIII-XIV centuries the city was the center of a small principality , who was a vassal of the ruler of the Crimean Yurt Golden Horde. From the XIV century the town began to settle the Karaites and by the time the formation of the Crimean Khanate , they probably already made up most of the city's population.
Er Kirk was the residence of Khan's first independent Crimea Hajji Giray I . After the foundation in Mengli I Giree Bakhchisaray Khan capital was moved there. At the time of the Crimean Khanate fortress was a place of detention of senior prisoners housed in the same state and mint.It was during this period the city received its current name Calais (the Jewish fortress ) as inhabiting the fortress Karaites professed a particular form of Judaism. Karaites themselves that the city Dzhuft Calais (in Karaite Dzhuft Kale - \
After entering the Crimea to the Russian Empire began to leave the fortress of the Karaites and resettle in other Crimean cities. By the end of XIX century, Calais has been completely abandoned the residents. The castle was left to live a family caretaker .
Archaeology .
At present, most of Calais is in ruins.In the west , the oldest part of it survived numerous caves carved into the business premises , the ruins of the mosque and the mausoleum of the Golden Horde Khan 's daughter Tokhtamysh Dzhanyke Khanum 1437 building. Also well-preserved two kenassas ( Karaite Temple) and a residential estate consisting of two houses.Kenassas now restored the Karaite community, a residential estate located in the exhibit depicting the culture of the Karaites . In the eastern part of the city was not extant Mint, where coins were minted Crimea and many homes.In one of the estates , built in the 18th century lived until his death the famous Karaite scholar Abraham Samuilovich Firkovich ( 1786-1874 ).
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