On July 11, 2026, a group of Crimean guides and friends made a day trip to Bakhchysarai. Once the capital of the Crimean Khanate, it is a place where history still breathes in the narrow streets and the views of the towering mountain cliffs.
Its heart is Hansaray — the only surviving palace of the Crimean Khans. For centuries this was the political and cultural center of the Giray dynasty. Today it stands as a living museum of Crimean Tatar architecture and history.
We spent three hours on a guided tour of the old city — tracing the paths of merchants, scholars, and khans through quiet lanes that still hold the rhythm and feel of another era.
The next stop was the Gasprinsky Museum. Here the story continues — through the life and work of Ismail Gasprinsky, the great Crimean Tatar enlightener, and the enduring culture he helped shape.
Ismail Gasprinsky, was a prominent Crimean Tatar political and public figure, educator, and publisher.
For his work at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he gained fame and recognition among the entire Muslim population of the Russian Empire.
There was once a printing house and Gasprinsky lived here. This is one of the oldest museums in Crimea, it was founded in 1921.
The exposition presents family photos, documents, awards, books, textbooks, and a restored study with furniture of the 19th century. What was most interesting for our group was the history of his work and life enthusiastically told by the curator of the museum.
At the end, we were given copies of the Terziman newspaper which was published in this house for Muslim all over Russia 100 years ago.
Our next stop was to the well-known Lavender fields of the Backchisarai district.
Lavender fields stretch across the Bakhchisaray valleys like carpets of purple flowers. The fields here have become so popular that they are visited by approximately 10,000 people per week.
There’s no need to go to Provence or Italy to see splendid fields of lavender.
Lavender is a magical plant with a wide range of uses and properties. Today, modern herbal medicine recognises its sedative, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Some studies show that it can help alleviate allergies, and it is excellent for treating insomnia, anxiety, nervousness, migraines and asthma. Applied externally, it provides relief from insect bites, wasp stings and bee stings.
These Lavender fields are also a popular venue for summer concerts and for photo ops.
On the way home we stopped at a TES gas station on the Tavrida Highway for a long-awaited lunch. On these trips, everyone brings something to share — These picnics are always a very jovial and fun break before heading home.
Like so many places in Crimea, Bakhchysarai doesn’t just show history. It lets you walk through it.