Tepe-Kermen, Mountain fortress in Bakhchysarai Raion, Ukraine

Tepe-Kermen is a mountain fortress in the Bakhchysarai region with a flat-topped plateau surrounded by steep limestone cliffs. The plateau contains over 200 artificial caves and passages distributed across its surface.

The settlement was founded in the 5th century under Byzantine influence and flourished most during the 12th century. After that, the site gradually declined as the region's political and economic conditions shifted.

The caves reveal how different religious communities and everyday activities coexisted within the same settlement over many centuries. Visitors can observe distinct spaces for storage, gathering, and prayer, showing how residents organized their lives in these carved chambers.

The only historic entrance was a 2.5 m wide road cut into the rock at the northwest tip of the plateau; the other sides are bounded by cliffs up to 12 m high. No wells exist on the summit and all springs lie at the foot of the mountain, so carry all the water you need. The site is 7 km southeast of Bakhchysarai and 1 km northeast of Qız-Kermen.

In the western part of the plateau stands the so-called Church with a Baptistery, about 11 m long and 5 m wide. Its cruciform font, cut into the floor and reached by two steps, sits beside rock-cut tombs, and three columns with carved capitals survive of an original six. Local Christians still called it the church of Saints Constantine and Helena in the 18th century.