The Imperial Mound of Kerch

The Imperial Mound of Kerch

A frequent question among tourists is to visit in Kerch. The interesting places in Kerch are varied, so today we will focus on the Imperial Mound, so how to get to the Imperial Mound of Kerch, this and much more we will show you below.

What to visit in Kerch

During your trip from the top of the Mitrídates mountains on a clear day you can see two large hills covered with vegetation. They hide the legendary burial mounds, tombs of the former rulers of the Bosphorus – Melek-Chesmensky and Imperial. The latter attracts the attention of tourists, as it is a silent witness to the past glory of Panticapea; the eastern part of the mound which is the one with the most titles in the Crimea; and, in addition, it is one of the few available for your visit. The place is mystical and even creepy, but definitely worth a look.

Presumably, the imperial burial mound was built in the second half of the fourth century BC. This is a fairly large structure, the length of the perimeter is 250 m; and the height of the mound is almost 18 m; which consists of a long corridor, burial mounds and other spaces. The blocks that form the corridor are ramp-lined walls on both sides of the weft entrance to the mound.

The mound is covered with an earth embankment from the top, this is composed of three layers of stone, clay and fine stone and the mixture of earth. The complex structure is protected against landslides and erosion caused by rain.

During the archaeological excavations, no graves were found in the royal tumulus. According to one version, at the time of the excavations it was sacked; but another version indicates that for some reason there were no burials in this place.

From the height of Mount Mithridates, in clear weather, two large hills covered with vegetation are visible. They hide the legendary mounds, the tombs of the former rulers of the Bosphorus: Melek-Chesmensky and Tsarsky. The latter attracts the special attention of tourists, because it is a silent witness to the ancient glory of Panticapaeum, the most titled truck in the eastern part of the Crimea and, in addition, one of the few available for inspection. The place is mystical and even creepy, but it certainly deserves attention.

Presumably, the Royal Mound was built in the second half of the fourth century BC. C. e. This is a fairly large structure, the length of the perimeter reaches 250 m, and the height is almost 18 m. The mound consists of a long corridor, a funeral room and an embankment. The blocks that form the corridor are arranged in the form of walls with shelves that frame the entrance to the mound on both sides.

The royal mound attracts the special attention of tourists, because he is a silent witness to the ancient glory of Panticapaeum, the most titled mound in the eastern part of the Crimea.
The mound of earth, with which the mound is blocked from above, consists of three layers: stone, clay and a mixture of small stone and earth. Such a complex structure of the embankment protected the mound from landslides and erosion caused by rains.

During the archaeological excavations of the tsar’s mound no burials were found in it. According to one version, at the time of the excavation, the mound was looted, for another, for some reason, the burial did not take place.

Burial room

Although the construction of the burial room is quite simple, it looks very impressive. The walls of the burial chamber gradually decrease upwards, eventually forming a dome. This is not a coincidence: the ancestors believed that the soul of the deceased to another world, ascending through a narrow corridor to the sky, is cleaned, and at the end of their journey, completely thinned, they can infiltrate eternity.

The burial chamber of the Tsar’s mound sometimes acted as the setting in Soviet science fiction films.

The severity and perfection of the architectural appearance of the tsar’s burial mound, of course, delight, but even more surprising is the fact that no binding solution was used when placing the limestone blocks. The entrance to the Tsar’s mound is decorated with stone statues of people, a bowl carved from a giant block of stone and a sign that inscribes that history cannot be rewritten.

The burial space

Despite the fact that the design of the funeral room is quite simple, it looks very impressive. The walls of the burial chamber gradually narrow upwards, forming a dome. It is no accident: the ancestors believed that the soul departed to another world, climbing the conical step to heaven, cleansed, and at the end of the trip, it would be able to reach eternity.

The royal burial room sometimes acted as a decoration in Soviet science fiction films.
The rigor and perfection of the architectural appearance of the Imperial Mound, of course; It is fascinating, but even more surprising is the fact that no solution was used for the connection in the placement of the limestone blocks. The entrance to the Royal hill is decorated with stone sculptures of the population; carved in a huge stone block with an inscription and the plaque that history cannot rewrite.

How to get to the Imperial Mound of Kerch – useful information

The Imperial Mound is located on one of the slopes of the hill ridges on the edge of the settlement of Adzhimushkay. If you do not know these places it is a bad idea not to go if you are close; so you must prepare for the trip and record the GPS coordinates of the mound: N45.3745, E36.5258. From the Kerch bus to the Imperial Mound you can get there by taxi № 4 (the last stop).

For a visit to the mound it is convenient to combine it with a visit to the Museum of history of the defense of the Adzhimushkay Quarry, which is nearby.

You can see the Imperial Mound alone or with a guided tour. For those who wish to explore the attractions of history, there are information panels and a museum, where more information can be obtained.

There are many interesting places in Kerch, so we invite you to contact us for more information.

Useful information

The royal mound is located on one of the slopes of the crest of the hills on the outskirts of the village of Adzhimushkay. If you do not know these places and have a bad idea of ​​where it is located, it is likely to happen, so you must prepare for the trip in advance and write down the GPS coordinates of the mound: N45.3745, E36.5258. From Kerch bus station to Tsarsky Kurgan, you can take a minibus n. 4 (until the final stop).

A visit to the mound is conveniently combined with an excursion to the Adzhimushkaysky Quarry Defense History Museum, which is nearby.

You can explore the Royal Mound on your own or as part of a tour group. For those who want to familiarize themselves with the history of places of interest, there are information booths and a museum where you can obtain additional information.