Eski Kermen

Ukraine, Ukraine

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Eski Kermen in Crimea, Ukraine, is a remarkable 6th-century Byzantine cave fortress and medieval town carved into a high plateau surrounded by sheer 30-meter cliffs, established as a defensive outpost against Göktürks and later serving as capital of Crimean Gothia with around 350 caves used for homes, temples, granaries, and siege wells.

Flourishing from the 10th-13th centuries as a trade and craft center with surface buildings, streets, and fortifications including southern gates and northern patrol complexes, it housed thousands amid Gothic, Alan, and Pecheneg populations before Mongol khan Nogai's devastating 1299 raid and final abandonment by the 14th-15th centuries under Tatar rule.

Today, the UNESCO tentative site's extensive cave network, basilica remnants, and panoramic views preserve its layered history as one of Crimea's largest rock-hewn settlements, accessible via trails for explorers.