Kerch can rightfully be considered one of the most ancient cities in Russia. In addition, this city keeps many ancient secrets - there was also the Bosporus kingdom, and the great Scythian peoples. In our time, many archaeological excavations take place here. Who knows what the local scientists have yet to unearth. There is also a no less mysterious place - the famous Mithridates mountain.
From ancient documents, researchers managed to establish that in the 7th century BC, the legendary city of Panticapaeum was built on this very mountain. It must be replaced that this city was far from the first here, because many Greek settlements existed on this mountain for a long time, but in the end they were united by this very Panticapaeum.
If you believe the chronicles, then in those distant times it was one of the most powerful and developed ancient cities. At the very top of this mountain was the acropolis, which was an impregnable citadel. Inside which was a temple to the Greek god Apollo.
Nowadays, it is also possible to get to Mount Mithridates - for this you just need to climb the stairs known throughout Crimea, and then go to the other side of the mountain in order to see this grandiose spectacle - the excavation sites of the ancient Panticapaeum. In our time, scientists have already managed to unearth a large number of foundations, buildings, stairs and walls. And a little lower, practically at the foot of the mountain, Pritaney is located - this is such a platform where city councils gathered in ancient times.
An arch has been preserved here, as well as several columns, where you can see a large number of people who like to take pictures. This is understandable - after all, you will not find such ancient Greek columns in central Russia.
It is believed that this mountain got its name from the great Bosporus king Mithridates the Fourth Eupator. He was an experienced military leader, but in the history of Crimea he became famous as a person full of contradictions. There are many fairy tales and legends around his name. One of these legends tells that all his childhood, young Mithridates, by order of his mother, took a drop of poison every day - the mother was very much afraid that his son would be poisoned and in such a cunning way tried to instill in him immunity to the poison.
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Researchers believe that he lived to be 69 years old - at that time it was a very respectable age. Maybe the poison he received had such an effect on his body? Who knows. Also, one of the legends says that Mithridates was eventually betrayed by his own son, who seized power in the kingdom. Mithridates wanted to commit suicide and took poison. But, unfortunately, the poison did not work on him. But Mithridates was not taken aback and ordered his guard to pierce him with a sword. If you believe this fairy tale, then this is how the great ruler of the Bosporus passed away.
Some legends ascribed to Mithridates downright magical abilities. For example, according to one of the versions, as a child, lightning struck his bed, after which the bed caught fire. However, the fire did not do any harm to the little ruler at all, except for a scar on his forehead, which remained with him for life.
You understand that practically no king, according to fairy tales and legends, can do without a huge number of treasures. According to one of the legends, Mithridates possessed an interesting "talisman" - a life-size golden horse. Supposedly, he brought the ruler good luck and protected him from enemies, so the king constantly dragged him with him. However, after deciding to commit suicide, the ruler decided to hide this horse from his traitorous son. And, according to legend, he buried this horse somewhere on the territory of this mountain.
It was this legend that gave rise to the search for this treasure - you can still find here all sorts of black diggers. However, so far no one has found any horse. Although there is another version, according to which this horse was found at one time by the merchant Mesaksudi, who at that time was really very rich. However, supporters of the legend about the existence of the royal horse are sure that it still rests somewhere in the local land.
And the most amazing thing is that there are even reasons to believe this tale. As an example, valuable treasures of gold and silver have already been found on the territory of Kerch many times - most of them nowadays can be found in the Golden Pantry. It is also known that on the territory of Kerch there is a complex and multi-level network of underground tunnels together with Scythian burial grounds, and most of it has not yet been studied.
And who knows what may be hiding there. This famous mountain is still the center of Kerch.