Devlet-Saray


The site where Crimean Tatar khans originally settled in Bakhchysaray now consists of a modest museum, ruins of a public bath, a mausoleum where 18 members of the khan dynasty were buried, and the main highlight – Zyndzhyrli (Chain) Medrese. The eponymous chain is hanging at the school's entrance, placed here to ensure that even the khan humbly bows his head when entering the house of god. To get here, bear left shortly after the parking lot on the way to Uspensky Monastery.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Uspensky Monastery

0.29 MILES

Stop for a moment and say 'aah!' at possibly the cutest little church in a country absolutely jam-packed with them. Part of the small Uspensky Monastery,…

2. Iosofatova Valley

0.81 MILES

The forested Iosofatova Valley beneath the Chufut-Kale plateau hides a breathtaking and spooky sight. Thousands of moss-covered gravestones covered in…

3. Chufut-Kale

0.83 MILES

Rising 200m, this long and bluff plateau houses a honeycomb of caves and structures where people took refuge for centuries. It's wonderful to explore,…

4. Khans' Palace

1.37 MILES

When she was busy ordering the mass destruction of Bakhchysaray's mosques in the 18th and early 19th centuries, Catherine the Great spared the Khans'…

5. Usta

1.46 MILES

Ten years ago Crimean Tatar handicrafts were on the verge of extinction, but Ayshe Osmanova resolved to rescue her people's culture from the precipice…

6. Taurida Central Museum

16.52 MILES

Crimea's largest museum consists of three main sections. The first is a collection of golden artefacts, produced by Hellenized Alano-Goths in the…

7. Kebi-Djami Mosque

16.86 MILES

The restored 16th-century mosque dates back to the Tatar town of Ak-Mechet (White Mosque), a predecessor of Simferopol.

8. Eagle Column

21.04 MILES

The Eagle Column commemorates Russian ships deliberately scuppered at the mouth of the harbour in 1854 to make it impossible for enemy ships to pass.