Moving along the route Simferopol-Bakhchisaraj, near the village Novopavlovka need to turn in the direction of the village of Science, where the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
For Rocky rural dirt road will turn left, pass through a small forest, and bring to the crest of one of the heights of the second mountain range, where are the remains of medieval settlement Bakla. Peer closely and you will see traces of houses, streets and alleys. The settlement was protected by a defensive wall, in times of danger residents fled in a small strengthening of the feudal castle, which was built around the VI century. In the fortress garrison was recruited from local tribes.
In the southern cliff settlement can be found vinodavilni, household caves, tombs and chapels. On the western edge of the cliff Buckley, archaeologists discovered the remains of a large church and underground vaults. In the crypt are stone steps carved into the rock. From the porch, you can get into a small room. Directly opposite the entrance to the wall is a niche-arkosoly, in its lower part is preserved Greek inscription - an appeal to the saint. The inscription dates from the IX century. Perhaps he was buried in the crypt of a local saint, venerated in Tauris. Above the crypt of a church was built in his honor. At the feast day the priest was coming down and committed service in memory of this saint.
far from the settlement, about 500 meters to the west, there was once a small monastery. It survived more than a dozen caves-cells, a small temple and crypts. In X-Hee centuries, the monastery was formed around the cemetery. In the cliff below the burial ground, archaeologists found a cave with numerous graffiti on the walls are incised with Christian symbols: crosses in a circle, fish, ships, figures of the holy martyrs. A number of preserved inscriptions in Arabic characters, and a crescent moon. It is still unclear, it is a religious building or defensive. The top of the precipice built a chapel in the apse, and it remained the image of crosses on the walls. And below, at the foot of the Cape cut down the cells with low passage, the walls are arranged grooves for the lamps. In one of the cells was found a large burial of adults and children.
In the valley, visible from Buckley, in ancient times, the village. Here, in the 1970's was found a cemetery and the temple, under the floor of which have survived burial. The walls of the underground tomb were made of slabs of limestone and Alma are painted red, blue and black paint. In one of the walls cut down a deep niche in which to plate the inscription: "For the sake of memory and eternal rest of God's servant, Theodore and me, his wife built qal, truly." Khazar Turkic name or DSL suggests that the settlement Bakla living representatives of different tribes. Above the tomb in the X century built a fairly large temple, which was shaped in terms ravnokonechnogo cross. The structure apparently was richly decorated. Portal and frieze - all that remains of the ancient temple - covers carvings: top and bottom of twisted vine, in the bends of intersecting palmettes, stylized leaves of the plant. This temple was rebuilt in-XIII century, making it more simple in form and decoration. Scientists believe that the mound Bakla died in the XIII century by the invasion of Mongol-Tatar troops.
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