Nymphaeus translated from ancient Greek means "sanctuary of nymphs".
Instructions
Step 1
17 km south of the center of Kerch, near the modern village. Eltigen (Heroevskoe), the ruins of the ancient city, identified with the Bosporan city of Nympheus, are still visible. The settlement occupies a plateau on the shore of the Kerch Strait (in ancient times - the Cimmerian Bosporus), to the west of which there are burial mounds and a ground necropolis. Among the cities of the Bosporus, Nympheus occupied one of the leading places. Its location, like most other ancient Greek cities on the Black Sea, is determined by the descriptions of the coast, compiled for sailors and travelers, as well as the works of ancient geographers and historians.
Step 2
During its heyday, the city was a well-fortified settlement. In the city there was a settlement, a necropolis, a complex of residential and public buildings with a system of transport and hydraulic communications, as well as individual settlements and estates. Like most of the Bosporan cities, Nymphaeus fell into decay in the III-IV century AD.
In the IV century BC, the city was annexed to the Bosporus kingdom and became one of its most important cities. A significant part of the ancient city is flooded by the sea, covered with sand and soil. After that, the city was not rebuilt or built up, which makes it possible to accurately restore its appearance and dimensions from the preserved foundations. In the middle of the 19th century, archaeological excavations on the territory of the city uncovered many valuable artifacts, including jewelry, weapons, gold coins and ceramics.
Step 3
To date, the remains of residential and public buildings, sections of a defensive wall, pottery kilns and wineries, as well as a number of religious structures, including the ruins of a sanctuary dedicated to the goddess of fertility Demeter, one of the most ancient in the Black Sea region, have been found on the territory of the Nymphaeums. All this makes Nymphaeum a unique place where many monuments of antiquity are concentrated in a relatively small area. Most of the archaeological finds from Nymphaeus are now in the Hermitage. The archaeological complex is open for free visits.
