Bahchisaray Palace
Artikel auf Russisch (Übersetzung in Arbeit).
The Khan Palace has been built and re-built during three centuries from the 16th to 18th centuries. You can judge of the original appearance of the palace from the small number of erections of early construction period: Demir-Kapu (Iron Door), Counsil and Judgement Hall, Small Palace Mosque. Other buildings of the Palace reached present time either distorted because of repairing, rebuilding, restoration or were erected later.
Acquaintance with the Palace starts with sightseeing of the Iron Door of Demir-Kapu, called Aleviz Portal as well. This is the earliest part of the Palace and is dated 1503. Khan and his confidants discussed internal business affairs, elaborated plans of predatory raids onto neighbouring lands, tried famous prisoners in the Counsil and Judgement Hall.
The Counsil and Judgement Hall is dark evey during summer sunny days. There is the Basin Garden near it. A lot of sunshine, many flowers, grapes, twining along a high stone wall, a cascade fountain, a basin with water and red fishes - everything here captures visitors of the Palace. On we go from the Basin Garden into the Summer Pergola which was a place of rest for Khan and his confidants. Close to the Summer Pergola there is a Small Palace Mosque and the Fountain Yard. There are two fountains in the yard: the Golden one and the Fountain of Tears - a unique architectural memorial of small size, glorified by Alexander Pushkin and Adam Mitskevich. The Fountain of Tears was made in 1764 in accordance with the order of Khan Krim-Gyrei as a memory of his early departed wife Dilare-Bikech.
From the Fountain Yard you can go to the internal garden fenced in high stone wall. There is a Harem building in the garden. So far the inspection of the expositions of the first floor of the palace is finished. Of all the rooms of the second floor the most interesting are the Coffee Room and the Ambassadorial Hall, the Fruit Pergola as well as the Heir's room and the dining hall where there is an exposition dedicated to the stay of Alexander Pushkin in Crimea in 1820.