Crimea: an emerald on the Black Sea

Crimea is actually a peninsula, a spot where the Ottomans were present for 308 years, and is called the “green island.” In 1783 Russian soldiers took control of this land. And, of course, now when people hear the word “Crimea,” they often think back to May 18, 1944 and how Joseph Stalin forced tens of thousands of Crimeans to leave their homes. The peninsula has a population of around 2.5 million, with 58 percent of the population Russian, 25 percent Ukrainian, 11.5 percent Crimean Tartar and another 5.5 percent other ethnicities. It covers about 27,000 square kilometers and is the only autonomous republic of Ukraine.

The Crimean Parliament is where Crimea’s head of parliament, prime minister and state ministers work.

The capital of Crimea is Simferopol and is called “Akmescit” by the Tartars. The population here is around 340,000 and is generally made up of Russians, Ukrainians and Tartars. The most famous square is Lenin Square, where you can still find a statue of Vladimir Lenin. To the right and left of this square are the city’s Ukrainian theater and ministry buildings, respectively.

The climate in Crimea varies. A sunny morning can suddenly turn into rain, and so we set out to explore the city with hooded jackets. The people of Crimea are quite used to this ever changing weather, so they are always prepared. You see everyone walking around with umbrellas, waiting to open them and carry on with their days as the need arises.

A Turkish school. A local vendor in Bahçesaray. Fountain of Tears.

On a street corner, we see an old woman trying to sell flowers. We head over to the open markets and stores of the capital. Interestingly, the price of the “kalkan” fish, or turbot, here is much cheaper than in Turkey. We talk to some of the merchants selling their wares at the open market and learn that business is good and that customers are plenty, which is quite apparent.

Bahçesaray: the former capital

We head from Simferopol to Bahçesaray, a 33 kilometer journey. Bahçesaray was the former capital of the Crimean Khanate, between the 15th and the 18th centuries. At the Palace of the Crimean Khanate, we stop to look at the ever-popular Fountain of Tears, from which water falls like teardrops. The fountain is so well known that the famous Russian poet Alexander Pushkin even wrote a poem about it. It was commissioned in 1763 by Crimean Khan Mengli Giray in the memory of his wife, Dilara Bikeç, who died at a very young age. So the water that drops from the fountain is said to symbolize the tears shed by this leader for his young wife.

There is a mosque with two minarets that sits in the garden of this palace, where the Muslim Crimean Tartars come for Friday prayers. We listen to the imam who speaks here and have almost no difficulty understanding his words, which are quite close to Turkish.

During the Communist era, this mosque was used as an archeological museum. But now mosques in Crimea, which used to be closed to prayers, have communities that come to pray in them. In fact, the great longing for mosques that used to exist has now been replaced with religious freedom.

After prayers at this mosque, we converse with the imam, Sabri Bey, who notes how happy he is to see us. We learn from him that at one time, there were exactly 3,000 mosques in Crimea and that in Bahçesaray alone there are 36. While in Bahçesaray, we visit the tomb of Ismail Gaspıralı. Gaspıralı was a great Turkish thinker who lived between 1851 and 1914. His dream was to see the unification of the Turkish world in the realms of language, thought and business. And in fact, he devoted his life to the improvement and advancement of education and to social change.

The madrasah for new generations

The Zincirli or “chained” madrasah was a center of learning and education and where Gaspıralı hoped to see new generations inspired. He taught many students from here.

We have the opportunity to visit the home of a Crimean gentleman while in the former Khanate capital of Bahçesaray. Enver Bey and his wife, Meryem Hanım, have prepared a special national dish, “çiğ böreği,” or “raw börek,” for us. It is called this because the ground beef placed in the dough is raw, though the whole börek, or filled pastry, is fried in hot oil before being eaten. Interestingly, this is one of the most popular dishes around in the area: There are 38 different types of çiğ böreği! We are offered delicious homemade grape juice to drink along with the çiğ böreği and realize that we really feel at home here.
Later, we visit the home of Crimean Tartar leader Mustafa Cemiloğlu. Then we return to Simferopol. From here, we head to the small city of Gözleve, around 70 kilometers outside Simferopol, where we see a mosque built by the famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan in 1552. Under communism, this mosque was used as a museum of atheism, but now it is finally once again open for prayers.

All over Crimea, you will see trolleybuses used not only for inner city transport but also for getting from city to city. Interestingly, the world’s longest trolley line is located in Crimea and runs between Simferopol and Yalta. It is an 86-kilometer journey with many stops and takes about two hours. The trolleybuses are extremely popular for retired people and soldiers since they offer big discounts for these two groups.

Yalta is a beautiful city on the Black Sea. It is a green place, and a spot that was always a favorite during summer for Russian czars and Soviet leaders.

One of Yalta’s most famous structures is Livadia Palace, built in the neo-renaissance style despite the Black Sea it overlooks. Its great salon hosted guests of the czars and, of course, is perhaps most famous for hosting the Yalta Conference. Between Feb. 4-11 1945, Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill all sat in this salon, and it was here that the world was reshaped in the wake of World War II. As a result of its rich history, there are many people who have visited this palace to see this salon. We look around, noting the many photographs on the walls remaining from those days.