Feodosiya

Introducing Feodosiya

Feodosiya is to eastern Crimea what Yalta is to the peninsula’s west – the good-time resort with a central location and convenient transport routes around which much else revolves. Founded by ancient Greeks, it was given the name Kaffa by the time Genoese merchants purchased it from the Mongols in the 13th century. The Crimean Khanate rebranded it as Kefe after wresting this strategic east–west trading port back from the ‘interfering’ Italians in the 15th century.

As Kefe, the city spent two centuries as the Black Sea’s largest slave-trading centre. Today, anointed with the Russified version of its ancient Greek name (Theodosiya) it is more fondly remembered as the birthplace of leading seascape artist Ivan Ayvazovsky. His works are often compared to British master JMW Turner’s and fill the town’s leading museum.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009