Church of the Twelve Apostles in Sudak

In the Temple of the Twelve Apostles in Sudak, until the second half of the 19^th century, an ancient fresco depicting Jesus Christ and the twelve apostles at the Last supper was visible on one of the walls of the Church. Hence the modern name of the temple.

The Church of the Twelve apostles in Sudak is one of the oldest churches in the city. It is located in the historical and architectural complex “Genoese fortress”. The Church is located outside the city gates, from the Port tower and at the foot of the mountains of Sudak Palani.

The temple was built by architects from Armenia for the Greek community of the multicultural Sudak. In medieval times, it was called the Temple of the Prophet Elijah and had a more impressive size. The exact date of construction is difficult to determine. Historians call the period from the 13^th to 15^th centuries. It is in this place that the city of Sugdea (Sudak) and the Lower port originated in the medieval period.

The next stage in the history of the temple, which was recorded is in the 17^th century. The Church of the Twelve apostles was destroyed twice in a century by Turkish raids. As a result, the Greek community abandoned the temple, and it passed into the possession of the Armenian Church. The temple was never fully restored — what has survived to this day is only a small part of it.

In 1987-1988, repair and restoration works were carried out in the Church, and in 2009 an attempt was made to recreate the lost frescoes. As a result, the walls of the Church were stylized with an ancient fresco painting on the theme of the Holy Eucharist.

Now the Church of the Twelve apostles in Sudak is active. You can view the interior every day, from 14: 00 to 19: 00. Every Wednesday, at 14:00, services are also held as per system.

Location : Crimea