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Coordinates: 44°45′0″N, 33°52′0″E

Bakhchisaray
Бахчисарай, Бахчисарай, Bağçasaray
Region:	Bakhchisaray raion
Coordinates:	44°45′0″N, 33°52′0″E
Altitude:	300 m
Area:	? km²
Population: — Density:	33,800 (2001)  ? /km²
Postal codes:	98400 — 98408
Phone prefix:	+380-6554
Time zone:	EET: UTC+2
Former name(s):	---

Bakhchisaray (Ukrainian: Бахчисарай, Russian: Бахчисарай, Crimean Tatar: Bağçasaray) is a town in Central Crimea, centre of the Bakhchisaray raion (district), best known as the former capital of the Crimean Khanate. Its main landmark is Hansaray, the only extant palace of the Crimean Khans, currently opened to tourists as a museum.

Located in a narrow valley of the Çürük Suv river which is known as an old local center of civilization (the first artifacts of human presence in the valley date up to the Mesolithic). The settlements which existed in the valley before Bakhchisaray was founded—Qırq Yer fortress (modern Çufut Qale), Salaçıq, and Eski Yurt—are nowadays incorporated into the urban area of the modern Bakhchisaray.

Bakhchisaray, first mentioned 1502, was established as the new khan's residence by the Crimean Khan Sahib IGiray in 1532. Since then, it was the capital of the Crimean Khanate and the center of political and cultural life of the Crimean Tatar people. After occupation of the Crimean Khanate by the Russian Empire in 1783, it was turned in an ordinary town, having lost administrative significance. However, it remained the cultural center of the Crimean Tatars until the "Sürgün" (deportation on 18 May 1944).

There are various ways to spell the town's name: original Crimean Tatar: Bağçasaray, Turkish: Bahçesaray, Russian: Бахчисарай - Bakhchisaray, and Ukrainian: Бахчисарай - Bakhchysaray. The name comes from Persian باغچه‌سرای (UniPers bâqce sarây) and means the Garden Palace.

The town is best known among Russian speakers for its Romantic associations with Alexander Pushkin's poem The Fountain of Bakhchisaray (1822). Adam Mickiewicz dedicated some of the finest poems in his Crimean Sonnets (1825) to the landmarks of Bakhchisaray.

• (English)/(Ukrainian)/(Russian) Official site of the Palace
• (Russian) History and monuments of Bakhchisaray

	Administrative divisions of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
	Raions: Bakhchisaray raion • Bilohirsk raion • Chornomorske raion • Dzhankoy raion | Kirovske raion • Krasnohvardiyske raion • Krasnoperekopsk raion • Lenine raion • Nizhnyohirskyi raion • Pervomayske raion • Rozdolne raion • Saky raion • Simferopol raion • Sovetskyi raion
	City Municipalities: Alushta municipality • Armyansk municipality • Dzhankoy municipality • Eupatoria municipality • Feodosiya municipality • Kerch municipality • Krasnoperekopsk municipality • Saky municipality • Simferopol municipality • Sudak municipality • Yalta municipality
	Cities and towns: Alupka • Alushta • Armyansk • Bakhchisaray • Bilohirsk • Chornomorske • Gaspra • Gurzuf • Dzhankoy • Eupatoria • Feodosiya • Foros • Kerch • Koktebel • Koreiz • Kirovske • Krasnohvardiyske • Krasnoperekopsk • Lenine • Livadiya • Massandra • Nizhnyohirskyi • Nikita • Novyi Svet • Partenit • Pervomayske • Perekop • Rozdolne • Saky • Scholkine • Simeiz • Simferopol • Sovetskyi • Staryi Krym • Sudak • Yalta