One of the most important historicalsights of the Crimea is the Genoese fortress. Sudak attracts a large number of tourists, but if it had nothing interesting, except this building, still this city would beckon thousands of visitors. Genoese fortifications are a unique medieval architectural monument. It is worth to visit the temple, built in the fortress. According to historians, at first it was a mosque erected by the Seljuk Turks. Then it was rebuilt into an Orthodox church. Time passed - and the Italian colonialists converted it into a Catholic church. The fourth time this structure was rebuilt, when the Genoese fortress was captured by hordes of Turkish janissaries.
So, this defensive structure waserected on a giant petrified coral reef, and not on a mountain, as many believe. This place in the Tatar language is called Dzhenevez-Kaya, the older name is Kyz-Kulle-Burunu. It is also known as the Fortress Mountain. Here was once the colony of Genoa, an Italian city-state. But long before this in this place there were outposts of Scythians, Alans, Taurians and other peoples who inhabited the Crimea. Defensive objects were built almost half a century. Finally, in 1414, most of the work was done - and the Genoese fortress became the stronghold of the colonists. In the future, on the instructions of the consuls, some buildings were improved. In fact, it was a city fairly densely populated, whose life was rarely peaceful due to
frequent attacks. The Genoese fortress was considered impregnable and played the role of a base for Italian merchants. But in 1475 a huge Turkish army defeated the few defenders led by the last consul, Cristoforo Di Negro, distinguished by honesty and courage. For this, an assault was conducted from the north side. After a grueling battle, a small detachment led by Di Negro retreated to the temple. The Turks, in order to avoid further losses, decided not to take the building by storm, but set it on fire from all sides. A handful of defenders of the outpost burned down with the temple, which the invaders recovered after a while. He became a mosque.
The Genoese fortress is divided into two main tiers- Consular and protective. The first consists of massive walls up to eight meters high with archery towers. The consular tier is higher, represents the residence of the ruler. At the very top of it is the Watch Tower, or, as it is also called, the Tower of the Virgin. An interesting tradition is associated with it. One chief of the fortress had a beautiful daughter who fell in love with an ordinary shepherd. To prevent an unequal marriage, the father arranged the death of the latter. He ordered him to board the ship, giving some insignificant commission, and the captain of the ship ordered to get rid of him. The daughter of the ruler recognized the death of her dear one. Then, in desperation, the girl jumped off the same tower, shouting: "You do not know the power of love!". From this building, once formidably overhanging all the fortress, now there are only ruins.
The Genoese fortress in Sudak was seriously damagedduring the Great Patriotic War from the bombing. In our time, work is still underway to reconstruct and restore it. There was a tradition to hold in these walls every week the event "knight tournament".
