Yevpatoria Crimea Russia-Ukraine
Russia
Frequently Asked Questions
No, not since 2014: international maritime calls to Crimea have stopped. This guide describes Yevpatoria as it was visited, for travellers following the region and wanting to understand what this coast offers.
Because an Ottoman minaret, an Orthodox bell tower, a synagogue and the paved courtyards of the Karaite kenesas share a few hundred metres of lanes. Few districts anywhere gather so many religious traditions in so small a space.
At the Gezlev Gate, the only surviving piece of the 15th-century walls, which houses a lit model of the old Ottoman city. Past the archway, the maze of whitewashed lanes tightens: limewashed walls, vine trellises, the smell of Turkish coffee.
The city's most imposing monument: grey domes and two slender minarets facing the sea. Construction began in the mid-16th century and tradition attributes it to Sinan, architect of Istanbul's masterpieces.
Yes, outside prayer times, with head and shoulders covered. The interior is plain and full of light, and the caretakers gladly answer questions. It is the most moving building in town when evening light gilds the stone.
The houses of worship of a Turkic-speaking people of Mosaic faith, for whom Yevpatoria was a major centre. Their vine-covered colonnaded courtyards come with a small museum devoted to the community.
Yes, and that is rare on this coast: long fine-sand beaches slope gently into shallow water that warms quickly. That is what built Yevpatoria's reputation as a resort for families and children's health cures.
Particularly so. Fine sand, shallow water, the old tram rattling along shaded avenues and golden chebureki on the terraces make for a simple, cheerful call with no pretension.
The old town first: Gezlev Gate, Juma-Jami Mosque, the kenesas, the dervish tekke, the Yegiya-Kapay synagogue and St Nicholas Cathedral all sit within a few streets. Then the seafront and the tram to finish.
Chebureki, those golden fried turnovers served on the seafront terraces, and grilled corn from the beach kiosks. Turkish coffee in the old town extends the walk through the lanes nicely.
