In Antiquity

Athenaion
Al'ma-Kermen
Bulganak
Gurzufskoye Sedlo
Dandake
"Ancient Chersonesos"of Strabo
"Another Harbor of the Chersonesites"
Eupatorion
Kalos Limen
Kara-tobe
Kerkinitis
Kermen-kyr
Kermenchik
Ktenous
Lagyra
Lampas
Napites
Neapolis
Palakion
Roman strongholds
The Sanctuary on the Isthmus of the Saki Lake
Symbolon Limen
"Walls"
Ust'-Al'ma
Chabaioi
Charax

In the Middle Ages

This site of ancient Scythian town is located 6 km to the north from Simferopol on the outskirts of Mirnoye village. Nowadays on the top of the hill towering over the valley of the Salgir river you can see ruins of the Late Scythian fortress which in antiquity was called Chabaioi, or Neapolis, or Palakion, or, who knows, Napites.

This fortress was similar to other Late Scythian sites in many respects. The Late Scythians carefully searched for a place for their settlements. Fear for their lives and properties impelled them to choose a hill protected with a river valley from one side and with deep hollows from two other sides. From the field side where there were no natural redoubts the Scythians built double defensive line. The outer line cut the hill off the plateau. There a strengthened with towers (what is more correct, with "tower projections" because according to the Scythian tradition there were no interior rooms in these constructions) stone wall was raised above the ground rampart. The inner stone wall separated a small part of the settlement on the edge of the hill. The acropolis was probably located precisely at this place.

Misfortunately, the site has not yet been investigated to the more or less considerable degree, which is why one can only underline the most important episodes in its history. This fortress was probably founded on the turn of the III and II centuries BC. It survived the triumphant campaign of Diophantos and the invasions of the Sarmatians, combats with the Bosporians and conflicts with the Chersonesites. It was not fated, however, to withstand the invasion of the Goths...