Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora
The site features the remains of a city founded by
Dorian Greeks in the 5th century BC on the northern shores of the Black
Sea. It encompasses six component sites with urban remains and
agricultural lands divided into several hundreds of chora, rectangular
plots of equal size. The plots supported vineyards whose production was
exported by the city which thrived until the 15th century. The site
features several public building complexes and residential
neighbourhoods, as well as early Christian monuments alongside remains
from Stone and Bronze Age settlements; Roman and medieval tower
fortifications and water supply systems; and exceptionally
well-preserved examples of vineyard planting and dividing walls. In the
3rd century AD, the site was known as the most productive wine centre of
the Black Sea and remained a hub of exchange between the Greek, Roman
and Byzantine Empires and populations north of the Black Sea. It is an
outstanding example of democratic land organization linked to an ancient
polis, reflecting the city’s social organization.