Cembalo Fortress, Balaklava

temporarily unavailableas of 2026-09-271343Crimea

Photo: В.С.Білецький · Public domain · source

A Genoese fortress above Balaklava Bay. Under occupation.

The ruins of Cembalo stand on Mount Kastron above Balaklava Bay. According to the ESU, the fortress was built in the 13th century together with the Genoese colony; according to “Krym.Realii”, in 1343. In 1433 the town came under the rule of the Principality of Theodoro, in 1434 the Genoese recaptured it, and in 1475 the Ottomans took the bay. The north-eastern part with four towers is the best preserved; the 21-metre donjon tower partly collapsed after a downpour in 2008. On 25 October 1854, in the valley between Balaklava and Sevastopol, the British Light Brigade, celebrated by Alfred Tennyson, made its charge. Crimea has been occupied since 20 February 2014; in 2014–2021 specialists from the russian Hermitage excavated here, and, according to “Holos Krymu”, in 2017 alone they illegally removed 8,360 fragments of plate armour. In January 2022 the wind brought down scaffolding that had been waiting almost ten years for repairs; in June 2026 the construction sites of the Rotenbergs' hotels were pressing against the foot of the mountain.