Sudak or Sudaq is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated 57 km (35 mi) to the west of Feodosia (the nearest railway station) and 104 km (65 mi) to the east of Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. Today it is a popular resort, best known for its Genoese fortress, the best preserved on the northern shore of the Black Sea.

It is believed that the city was founded in 212 AD by Alani settlers on the territory of the Bosporan Kingdom. Sudak is rich for its long and bright history. Over the centuries it has been known by several names - Soldai, Sugdei, Sugdag, Surozh - but the name Sudak is the most common. The first written record of a fortress on the site dates from 212 AD. In the middle ages, the Genoese engaged in international trade via Sudak, and documents dated from approximately the year 1270 mention the city. The Sudak stone fortress was built by Venetians in the 12th century. The Venetian consul was based in Sudak which denotes their strong interest in trade in the region. In some 13th century documents, the Black Sea was even called the "Sudakski Sea".

The high importance of the town in international trade and in the development of cultural connections with a variety of countries was such that in 1282, the head of the Surozh Eparate (bishopric) ranked as a metropolitan. In the mid-thirteenth century the population reached 10 -15 thousand. There were Russians, Greeks, Armenians, Tatars, Italians and other nationalities present. Then the Genoese and Byzantines conducted a ferocious war for the Black Sea ports and coastal areas, and won; by the end of the 13th century they had control of Kaffa. Despite this, for a long time Sudak was able to secure its independence.

The Genoese period lasted until the late 14th - early 15th century. At Sudak, the Genoese constructions with their substantial defenses show well-preserved evidence of the Black Sea Italian occupation, and the fortress's stone gateway is simply monumental. The citadel is aligned east-west, and comprises a vallum with three military towers, four curtains, and a complex which includes the consul's tower and a dungeon.

On the excavation site, a church area and an cemetery have already been uncovered, as well as areas for keeping cattle, storage pits, and granaries. Also, several housing rooms with open fire ovens and chimney fireplaces were excavated inside the citadel. Close to the fortress itself, a Turkish bath site was uncovered. The Roman layer has not yet been reached, and though not numerous, some finds from the Roman period indicate the presence of a Roman settlement.

During the Genoese period, Sudak was dominated by Kaffa and was a secondary port for the Genoese; the city must have been both important and wealthy to them - otherwise, why would they have expended so much time, money and effort in constructing such an elaborate fortification system? Thereafter, the role of Sudak declined significantly .

Towers, walls, complex of city gate and other defensive constructions, compose a unique, well-preserved fortification system, which skillfully harmonizes with a natural relief. The basic material of masonry is local dense sandstone the extraction of which was carried out not far away from a city. The masonwork of the walls, merlons and parapets, construction of loop-holes and other architectural elements enable to study the building techniques applied at their creation, tactical methods of defense and also stages of fortifications construction.

The remains of early, mainly fortification architectural buildings according to the latest researches of the 3d - 7th centuries, which are located in port part of ancient city, testifL to the existence of settlement here. Till the second half of the 8th century Byzantine Sugdeia (Sudak) was a fortress, which guarded anchorage, the place of repair and wintering of ships. In the 8th - 10th centuries, Sugdeia became one of the largest city centers of Taurida. Not later than in the 9th century, there appeared powerful defensive constructions on the north slopes of the Kriposna mountain, which protected the territory of an area about 20 ha. In the 11th - 12th centuries the city turned into one of the most important international trade centers of Byzantine Empire in a region. This circumstance became the main reason of permanent disputes for the dominion of the city. From the middle of the 13th century, Sugdeia as well as all the Crimea was under Golden Horde dominion, remaining one of the largest ports of the North Black Sea region.

Since the end of the 13th century, a military confrontation between the Italian city republics of Genoa and Venice has begun, for the exclusive right to trade in Sugdeia. In 1365, Genoa gained a victory and had control over the city until 1475. Most of the architectural buildings of the Sudak Fortress, which have survived till nowadays, date from the Genoese period. That's why the fortress is also called "the Genoese". At present, they constitute the unique complex of fortification buildings of the times of Italian colonization of the North Black Sea region.

After accession of the southern coast of the Crimea to Ottoman Empire in 1475, Sudak didn't lose its significance. At the early 17th century, began the decay of the city and at the time of the Russian troops invasion (1771), it was a small, but picturesque settlement.

The integral defensive system of medieval city has been preserved in all the details, organically harmonizing with a surrounding natural landscape. The territory within the limits of fortress walls is the entire, unique archaeological sight, a place for medieval city's constructions, early fortification and cultic buildings research.

Since 1958, the Sudak Fortress has acquired the museum status. On its basis, archaeological and monuments protection researches are conducted.

Up to now, the Sudak Fortress has preserved its integrity and authenticity. It is included into the State Cultural Heritage List as a branch of the National Conservation Area "St. Sophia of Kyiv". The basic documents, which guarantee the preservation of integrity and authenticity of the Sudak Fortress complex are the Law of Ukraine "On conservation of cultural heritage" (of June the 1st 2000) and regulatory acts concerning the historical and cultural monuments protection.

The Genoese Fortress in Sudak occupies an important place in the Italian strong points system in the Black Sea region. Analogues to the Sudak fortification constructions of the 14th - 15th centuries are located in Balaklava (the Chembalo Fortress), Feodosiya, Constantinople, Trebizond. At present, the above mentioned monuments have been only fragmentary preserved and do not represent their authentic state. However, the Sudak Fortress territory avoided modern building, and due to exceptional safety, remains the unique integral example of fortification architecture of the genoese times. As to the quantitative and qualitative state of the monuments, the Genoese fortress in Sudak has no analogues among the medieval Italian colonies in all Mediterranean basin. You can get there by direct flight to Simferopol or through Kiev or Odessa.