Church of St. Elijah in the Sunny Valley

In the very center of the village of Sunny Valley is the oldest of all active cathedrals of the Crimean Peninsula, the Church of St. Elijah. It was built between the 9^th and 11^th centuries. It is believed that the builders and first parishioners of the Church were Greeks, after their departure from the Crimea, the care of the temple passed to the local residents.

In August 1771, when Russian troops under the command of Prince Dolgoruky captured Kafu the Turks retaliated by killing the Orthodox priest of the Church of St. Elijah Father Peter, and then fled. Believers buried the body of the murdered priest at the entrance to the temple. A smooth stone slab was placed over his grave, and a bench was placed next to it. Father Peter was revered by local Christians as a Martyr and miracle worker, and was also revered by Muslims. On a bench near the grave sick people are brought for healing.

The main relic of the temple is an ancient marble font of the 4^th-5^th centuries, which was brought to the Sunny Valley from Constantinople.

Location : Crimea