Chersonesus

Chersonesus was an ancient Greek colony founded c. 421 BCE by settlers from Heraclea Pontica on the southwestern coast of Crimea, near modern Sevastopol. It operated as a Greek democracy, became the Black Sea's most productive wine centre, and later served as a Roman garrison and Byzantine stronghold. Its defensive wall stretched 3.5 km, and structures include a Roman amphitheatre and Greek temples spanning 2,500 years of occupation. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, it preserves approximately 140 structures and has remained uninhabited since the 14th century.