At the bottom of the Taman Gulf discovered the remains of ancient settlements.

Perhaps it is about the ancient city Apatur, culminating be around V century BC. In any case, such a hypothesis in a conversation with Interfax-Russia.ru suggested senior scientist fieldwork Krasnodar Historical-Archaeological Museum-Reserve to them. ED Felitsina Alexander Kondrashov. Kondrashov – a famous archaeologist-diver, underwater expedition chief, leading research in the area of ??Taman, in the place where in ancient times was one of the two capitals of the Kingdom of the Bosporus – Hermonassa.

“We were asked one of the residents of Taman, who enjoys scuba diving – said Kondrashov. – During a dive diver found about a kilometer from the shore at a depth of 4-4.5 meters unique finds – processed blocks of stone, traces of ancient buildings and fragments of pottery . It is possible that the remains of the sanctuary of Aphrodite, which was in Apature – the city, the exact location of which is still not known. ” According to scientists, because of rising sea levels Apatur, like other cities of the Bosporus kingdom, was flooded.

Translated from the Greek “apatur” means “deceptive.” This epithet is the ancient inhabitants of the Taman Peninsula (above is an archipelago of islands in the group) was given to the goddess Aphrodite. The myth of her tricks told us the Roman geographer Strabo and the traveler. “According to legend, the lady with the help of Heracles dealt with the giants, who threatened her – says marine archaeologist Vitaly Latartsev. – Aphrodite hid in a cave of Hercules, and then there lured the giants alone. Hercules was waiting with a club. So with the help of female treachery and perfidy Aphrodite saved this land of giants, for which her revered Bosporan kings and ordinary citizens. ” Sanctuary of Aphrodite there was also a Apatury Phanagoria – the second Bosporus capital. There were celebrations Apaturii dedicated to the goddess of love savvy.

To the place where found valuable discoveries in early 2009 is planned to equip special scientific expedition. Krasnodar Museum im. ED Felitsina – the only country that regularly conducted underwater archaeological research. Led an expedition Alexander Kondrashov, who gave the study of the bottom of the Azov and Black seas for more than 20 years. During this time he picked up on the surface of about a hundred fragments of amphorae, dozens of ancient anchors, the remains of sailing ships and modern, fossilized prehistoric plants and animals. Some of these finds were a scientific sensation. So, a few years ago, a group under his leadership, not far from the Cape Tuzla has found an ancient anchor, which turned out for a thousand years older than the traditional history of navigation includes the shores of the Black Sea.

The find at the bottom of the Taman Gulf is not the first. Excavations carried out with Phanagoria the last century. Preserved under the water area of ??the city occupies 17 hectares. In the 20s of the XIX century, fishermen raised their networks with two-meter depth of the magnificent sculptures of lions, made of gray marble (now the lions adorn the entrance to the National History Museum of Feodosia). And in the Hermitage and other museums are stored remarkable works of ancient art found in the Black Sea: container shaped in the form of a sphinx, a relief from the nymphs and so on.

Today, the most valuable treasures of ancient culture as it is stored in the deep sea. On land, these monuments over the centuries were destroyed. Local residents, not having at hand a stone, dismantled the remains of ancient buildings. So the search must be under water. A search is which. “In this amazing land intertwined myths of all peoples who have ever lived here – says local fan of local history, the former head of the rural district of Taman Gennady Mike. – It Taman land with its raging volcanoes appeared to the Greeks underground realm of the dead – Hades. Bosporus in Greek means “cow-ford”; it is connected with the myth of the wanderings of the river god’s daughter Inaha – Io beautiful that Zeus turned into a white cow. She crossed the Kerch Strait and got on the territory of the present Tammany. According to legend, somewhere in here and were Symplegades – two rocks that shifted when passing by the ship, turning it into splinters. Argonauts, sailing to Colchis for the Golden Fleece, had succeeded in deceiving them, let the dove forward and slipping when somknuvshiesya rocks parted. “

Public long fought for the provision of Taman Peninsula status protected historical and archaeological areas. According to local lore, that any construction is causing irreparable damage to the unique complex of historical monuments Taman. Phanagoria Hermonassa, Pantikopeya, Ahily, Mirmeky, nymphs, Kitey, Korokondama, Tirithaca, Kepy, Tiramba, Acre – that’s what a lot of cities and settlements existed on the shores of Pontus Euxine (Black Sea) within the Bosporus. Today, many of them are on the bottom.

Suffice it to recall only the most significant findings only in recent years. In 1995, marine researchers have found underwater remains of the ancient Greek city Patreya. Were retrieved a few pitchers and entire set of fragments of amphorae. In the summer of 2004, a group of the Institute of Archaeology under the guidance of Professor Vladimir Kuznetsov, a hundred meters from the shore found fragments of four ancient buildings, one of which dates from the VI century BC. Scientists suggest that this ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite fanagoriyskogo. “Trophies” of archaeologists began the sculpture pedestals and some with texts. One of them says that the king of the Bosporus has dedicated a statue of Aphrodite Aspurgus Urania. Another find – half meter marble pedestal with bas-relief of a bull, a well-preserved inscription above: “The great king Sauromates, son of King Remetalka, the great priest, a friend of Caesar, the Roman one” … Sauromates, ruler of the Bosporus state of Rome, lived about 1,800 years ago. Later blooming Phanagoria wave destroyed the Hun nomads, and a devastating earthquake lowered the ruins on the seabed.

In 2005, underwater archaeologists are generally antique Phanagoria discovered an ancient library in marble: the tombstones and fragments of columns from the text, engraved in ancient Greek. When worn on the lines of one of the plates was compared with Plutarch’s story of King Mithridates, and concubine Gipsikratii, it became clear that for the first time outside Greece recorded the ancient source, in fact, not previously known record of Bosporus. In addition, it is found and the earliest silver coins on the territory of Russia, who walked in the ancient Black Sea countries and dating back to V century BC. Moreover, according to Academician Gregory Bongard-Levin, has been studied only one percent of the territory Phanagoria.

Another finding in 2008 is valuable because this time the scientists have to deal not with the monuments have become accustomed to them Phanagoria, but with another Bosporus settlement. Latest discovery of this kind was done several years ago at a depth of 2.5 meters in the Kerch Strait. Archaeologists suggest that there have found a settlement Korokondama. Now it can be added to Apatur.

In general, an archaeologist’s dream-submariner Kondrasheva – to find traces of the legendary Atlantis. A lot of researchers are inclined to think that this name is hidden in the ancient myths it is the kingdom of Bosporus, who went to the abyss of waters.