Arabat Fortress

Fortress in Ukraine

Arabat Fortress

Crimea

Arabat Fortress. Painting by Carlo Bossoli, 1856 (the last year of the Crimean War)

A corner of the fortress, 2010

Site information
Open to
the public| yes
Condition| ruins
Location

Arabat Fortress

Coordinates| 45°17′45″N 35°28′42″E﻿ / ﻿45.29583°N 35.47833°E﻿ / 45.29583; 35.47833
Site history
Built| second half of the 17th century
Materials| Stone

The Arabat Fortress, built in the 17th century by the Ottoman army,[1] stands at the southernmost part of the Arabat Spit.[2] Its purpose was to guard the spit and Crimea from invasions.[3] It was in use, with intermissions, until the Crimean War of 1853–1856.

## Name

[edit]

The name of the Arabat Fortress originates from either Arabic "rabat", meaning a "military post", or Turkic "arabat" meaning a "suburb",[2] and is the origin of the name of the Arabat Spit.[4]

## History

[edit]

### Background: classical antiquity

[edit]

There is information about a fortification that stood at the site during the times of the Bosporan Kingdom (the kingdom existed between the 5th century BCE – 4th century CE).[5]

### Ottoman fortress

[edit]

The 1475 Turkish invasion of Crimea rang the death knell of the Genoese colonies there, leading to the destruction of the Genoese fortresses on the peninsula.[5] The Turks built or rebuilt fortresses in all strategically important points of the peninsula, their main fortresses being Or Qapi at Perekop, Arabat, Yeni-Kale on the Kerch Strait, Gözleve, and Kefe.[5]

The fortress was probably built in the second half of the 17th century by the Turkish army and was first depicted on a map compiled by Jacob von Sandrart in 1651.[1] This map was based on material collected by French military engineer and cartographer, Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan, author of the 1651 book Description d'Ukranie.[1]

The fortress had a relatively advanced military design, is octagonal in shape with 3-meter thick stone walls, and was surrounded by an earthen wall and a moat. It contained five towers and two gates. Several rows of embrasures faced east, north and west and were designed for various artillery types. Whereas the fortress was hard to conquer when properly defended, its remote location from Turkey meant that its garrison was often understaffed, allowing Russian troops to bypass it in 1737 and to take it by storm in 1771.[5] Prior to that, it was plundered by the Zaporozhian Cossacks in 1667.[6]

### Russian Empire

[edit]

After Crimea became part of Russia in 1783, the fortress was abandoned, but was later refurbished and used by Russians during the Crimean War of 1853–1856 to defend the Crimean coast.[3] After the war, the fortress was again abandoned and its walls were used by the people of the nearby small village of Arabat as a source of stone.[3]

### Soviet Union

[edit]

The Arabat Spit saw again heavy fighting between the Soviet Red Army and the White Army in 1920 and the German Army during World War II in 1941–1944.[5]

In 1968, some scenes of a famous Soviet film, Two Comrades Were Serving, were shot there.[2]

### Ukraine

[edit]

Google Earth satellite imagery shows the fort has been occupied by military forces since the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014.

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arabat Fortress.

1. ^ a b c Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan (1660). Description d'Ukranie (in French).
2. ^ a b c Arabat Foretress Archived 2014-03-23 at the Wayback Machine (in Russian)
3. ^ a b c Semenov, p.111
4. ^ Shutov, Introduction Archived 2013-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ a b c d e Shutov, Part 1 Archived 2013-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ В. Смолій; В. Степанков (2011). Петро Дорошенко: Політичний портрет (in Ukrainian). НАН України. Інститут історії України. p. 143\. ISBN 978-617-569-051-2.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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Castles in Ukraine

Surviving|

* Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Fortress
* Chortkiv Castle
* Dubno Castle
* Genoese Fortress
* Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle
* Khotyn Fortress
* Kyiv Fortress
* Lubart's Castle
* Medzhybizh Fortress
* Olesko Castle
* Olyka Castle
* Palanok Castle
* Pidhirtsi Castle
* Popov Manor House
* Radomysl Castle
* Skalat Castle
* Starokostiantyniv Castle
* Svirzh Castle
* Swallow's Nest
* Ternopil Castle
* Uzhhorod Castle
* Yahilnytsia Castle
* Zbarazh Castle
* Zhovkva Castle
* Zolochiv Castle

In ruins|

* Arabat Fortress
* Berezhany Castle
* Brody Castle
* Buchach Castle
* Budaniv Castle
* Chernelytsia Castle
* Chervonohorod Castle
* Chufut-Kale
* Eski Kermen
* Hrymailiv Castle
* Khust Castle
* Kerch Fortress
* Klevan Castle
* Kremenets Castle
* Kryvche Castle
* Kudryntsi Castle
* Letychiv Fortress
* Lviv High Castle
* Mangup
* Mykulyntsi Castle
* Nevytske Castle
* Novosilka Castle
* Okopy Castle
* Or Qapi Fortress
* Ostroh Castle
* Pidzamochok Castle
* Pomoriany Castle
* Sataniv Castle
* Skala-Podilska Castle
* St. Elizabeth Fortress
* Stare Selo Castle
* Sydoriv Castle
* Tarakaniv Fortress
* Terebovlia Castle
* Toky Castle
* Tustan Fortress
* Vysichka Castle
* Yaniv Castle
* Yazlovets Castle
* Yeni-Kale
* Zaliztsi Castle
* Zolotyi Potik Castle

Entirely destroyed|

* Bavoriv Castle
* Bila Castle
* Bilhorod-Kyivskyi Castle
* Bohorodytska Fortress
* Borky Castle
* Borshchiv Castle
* Borysohlibska Fortress
* Butsniv Castle
* Cherkasy Castle
* Chortkiv Castle (old)
* Horodok Castle, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
* Horodok Castle, Ternopil Oblast
* Horozhanka Castle
* Husiatyn Castle
* Khadjibey
* Kodak Fortress
* Korets Castle
* Kotsiubyntsi Castle
* Kozova Castle
* Lychkivtsi Castle
* Perevolochna Fortress
* Pidhaitsi Castle
* Shmankivtsi Castle
* Shumsk Castle
* Staryi Zbarazh Castle
* Strusiv Castle
* Zavaliv Castle
* Zbryzh Castle

Also See: Castles in Ukraine

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Tourist attractions in Crimea

Mountains|

* Ai-Petri
* Ayu-Dag
* Chatyr-Dag
* Demir-Kapu
* Kara-Dag
* Koshka
* Roman-Kosh

Passes|

* Angarskyi Pass
* Baydar Gate
* Laspi Pass

Landforms|

* Arabat Spit
* Grand Canyon
* Kazantyp
* Marble Cave
* Uchan-su (waterfall)

Palaces|

* Bakhchysarai Palace
* Dulber Palace
* Livadia Palace
* Massandra Palace
* Vorontsov Palace

Fortresses|

* Arabat Fortress
* Chufut-Kale
* Eski Kermen
* Genoese fortress
* Mangup
* Yeni-Kale

Churches|

* Foros Church
* Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery
* Inkerman Cave Monastery
* Saint Vladimir Cathedral
* Surp Khach Monastery

Ancient cities|

* Charax
* Chersonesus
* Kalos Limen
* Myrmēkion
* Nymphaion
* Pantikapaion
* Scythian Neapolis

Others|

* Aivazovsky National Art Gallery
* Artek (camp)
* Big Khan Mosque
* Juma-Jami Mosque
* Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
* Nikitsky Botanical Garden
* Tarkhankut Lighthouse
* Swallow's Nest
* Staryi Krym

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