The fortress of Kalamita or Inkerman is located in the estuary of Chernaya (Russian for "black") river, on the plateau of Monastyrskaya Skala ("monastery cliff" in Russian). In the 6th century, a Byzantine fortification was erected there and garrisoned with local dwellers, similarly to what happened in the other sites of the mountainous part of the Crimea.

Genoese sea maps of the 14th and 15th century are the first documents to supply this fortress name in the form of "Kalamita". In the 15th c., prince Alexios of Mangup renovated this fortress, which he intended to protect the port of his principality. It was probably the time when the Christian hermitage was established in caves in depth of Monastyrskaya Skala. One of the entrances leading to the hermitage opened from the lower part of the cliff. From this entrance, a tunnel-like corridor went forward and upward; windows and two balcony doors were carved in its right wall, though in the left wall a set of rooms was arranged: vaults for secondary burials of bones, a room with through-passage and staircase leading to the upper tier, which included cells and belfry, and three cave churches.

Apart form the hermitage described above, the rocks of Inkerman include eight Christian hermitages and twenty-seven cave churches more. When the Ottomans conquered Kalamita in 1475, they renamed the fortress Inkerman (literally "cave fortress"), and in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, they rebuild its defensive walls and towers for the use of artillery and firearms.

In the 17th century, according to Evliya Celebi's account, the fortress had 10 houses, but people did not live there. "...the guardians closed the gates with a key, and the commandant with his corps of fifty men, who served in the valley at the foothill of this mountain, lives in the garden. In case of some danger, the whole population of the suburb, neighboring and coastal villages comes to the castle seeking the guard within its walls". In the 17th century, vast trading was conducted through the port of Kalamita: one knows of it from the report of priest Jacob, who was in the Crimea in 1634-1635 with the Russian embassy. He wrote that peoples of many nations lived in Inkerman and that ships from many countries arrived to the city by the sea.

By the middle of the 18th century, the fortress and port of Kalamita lost military and commercial significance. After the Crimea was annexed by Russia, the medieval hermitage was renewed and consecrated in the name of St. Clement.

A motor-boat will bring you to the Middle Age Kalamita Fortress from Sevastopol. It goes from Grafskaya quay to Small Inkerman stop. On the right bank of Black river, on so called Monk rock, there are guarding towers of Kalamita Fortress. There is a road to the fortress after the river bridge. It goes under railway and after it you should go left and up the path along the feet of the rock with caves inside for household purposes. From the turn near to a large natural cave we go along an ancient road cut in a rock. It leads us to a plateau to the tower entrance gates.

The fortress in the Monk rock appeared in VI century BC. In historical documents there are no data about this fortress during early Middle Ages. The name of Kalamita as a port becomes known only from XIV–XV centuries from written sources and sea charts of Genuya people. That time the fortress belonged to Feodoro princedom.

This princedom, situated deep in the mainland, struggled to have an approach to the sea and before all agains the trade monopoly of Ganuya people. At the end of Northern qauy, in the mouth of Black river, a port was founded; in order to protect it Alexey, prince of Mangup, in 1427 on the site of ruined Middle Age fortress, built Kalamita Fortress. It occupied 1,5-2 hectares and was fenced by a defensive wall (8 meters high and 2 meters thick) with battle towers, it had a fortress channel cut into rock. Walls and towers with are built upon limestone solution by means of simple laying. The main gates of the fortress were under the guard of the first tower standing at the steep.

Feodoro princedom had an intensive overseas trade through Kalamita port. Tatars brought from here cattle, leather, wool and slaves, caught during predatory attacks onto Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania.

Kalamita fortress not only protected the port but was a standing point for Feodoro princedom on the Black Sea in the struggle with Genuez people. In 1433 Mangup army conquered Genuez Chembalo fortress. In a year Genuez army fighted the fortress back and their fleet under command of Karl Lomellino entered Northern Bay, approached Kalamita and landed infantry. Having besieged the fortress, Lomellino demanded its capitulation. Defenders of Kalamita responded they would give up if they would be spared but on the following day Genuez troops entered into an empty fortress: all its inhabitants fled unnoticably at night. The enemy has plundered and burned Kalamita. But soon Feodoro army restored the fortress and continued successful trade competing with Genuez people.

In may of 1475 a Turkish squadron approached eastern shore of Crimea and landed soldiers near Cafa (Feodosia). In a short while all Genuez colonies fell; tatars came under the power of Turkey; only Feodoro princedom struggled with the strong enemy. The capital of the princedom on Mangup mountain was the last stronghold in the struggle with Turkish agressors in Crimea. Kalamita fortress was occupied by Turkish army earlier (without effort) and called it Inkerman («cave fortress»). They turned Inkerman into a big port.

In 16-17 centuries the fortress was rebuilt – walls and towers increased twice from the external side. A casemate with embrasure and loopholes was made in the first tower above the gates in order to shoot from arms, and before the guarding wall a big round tower was erected and moved outside the fortress channel with the ground heap in front of it. Inkerman was a standpoint of Turkish army in south-eastern Crimea till the end of the 18th century.

After looking over the first tower with gates do not enter the fortress but go along the fortress channel to the left, to the second tower where even now you can find traces of restoring. The tower in fron of the channel, built by turkish, remained better than others. From the tower and into the fortress people walked on top of a thick wall built across the channel. Behind the tower go down into the channel. A road went into the fortress along the channel through a passage cut in rock. At the beginning of the passage there were gates. Their position was discovered while excavations in 1948-1950. Notches in the rock and a groove for a gate locking bar are seen from the internal side. It seems that here were main gates of the early fortress. During Kalamita constructing in 1427 this passway was blocked by big and cut stones and piled, and the upper part was closed by the fortress wall.
Further you go by the fortress territory to the southern steep with caves in several levels. Earlier they should be for military purposes. We do not recommend looking them over for the reason of possible landslide. Lower caves for cult and household purposes are remainders of the Middle Age monastery. You can look them over if you go down the staircase at the first tower.

The monastry at the feet of Monastry rock was founded in the end of 8th – beginning of 9th centuries and existed about 1000 years. Its appearance is connected with anti-icon struggle in Bysantium, wide penetration of Christianity into Crimea, development and strenghening of feudalism. Caves and ground buildings were part of the monastry complex. Cave temples were made very carefully; their walls were covered with fresco paintings of sacred priests or scenes from the Bible.

In 1299., when Nogai hordes passed south-western Crimea and destroyed a lot, Inkerman monastry, it seems, avoided ruining. But later it fell into decay and lost its parishioners because of christians resettlement from Crimea in 1778. In 1850-1852 it was restored by the Synod and called Inkerman monastry of Climent and Martin. That time ground buildings were constructed – churches, hostel and dwelling houses. On the territory of the fortress, occupied by the monastry, there were a dining house and St Nikolas church, erected in 1907 in memory of the Crimean war. Inkerman monastry was closed in 1926. Ground buildings on the top were ruined during the war and their remainders are covered with grass.

In order to look over cave temples you should go down the staircase in the rock. It passes through several caves of household purposes. The first premis to the left along the corridor is St Martin temple made in 1867. In the floor and walls of the church there are tombs. There is St Climent temple close by; archeologists suppose that it was founded in the 8-9th centuries. St Climent temple was a three-part basil. Two rows of colomns devided the premis into three parts. Fragments of 19 century panitings on the walls are poorly seen, they are mainly damaged by tourists. At the end of the corridor there is a premise with benches cut in the rock – probably for praying people waiting for a start of church services. You can get there by direct flight to Simferopol or through Kiev or Odessa.