Taman Peninsula

Taman Peninsula

:"Taman links here. For other uses, see Taman (disambiguation)"

The Taman Peninsula is a peninsula in the present-day Krasnodar Krai of Russia. It is bounded on the north by the Sea of Azov, on the west by the Strait of Kerch and on the south by the Black Sea. In ancient times the Pontic Greek colonies of Germonassa and Phanagoria were located on the peninsula, as was the later city of Tmutarakan.

The peninsula was settled by Maeotae and Sindi from ancient times. In the classical period it became part of the Bosporan kingdom; its inhabitants included Sarmatians, Greeks, Anatolian settlers from Pontus, and Jews. In the fourth century CE the area fell to the Huns; it was later the capital of Great Bulgaria and fell to the Khazars in the mid-seventh century. Following the breakup of the Khazar Khaganate in c. 969, the peninsula was part of a Khazar Jewish successor state under a ruler named David. By the late 980s it was largely in the possession of the Kievan Rus and the Russian Principality of Tumutarakan before falling to the Kipchaks c. 1100. The Mongols seized the area in 1239 and it became a possession of Genoa, along with Gazaria in Crimea, in 1419.

For most of the 1400s the peninsula was ruled on behalf of Gazaria by the Guizolfi (Ghisolfi) family, founded by the Genoese Jew Simeone de Guizolfi. The rulership of the region by Jewish consuls, commissioners or princes has sparked much debate over the extent to which Khazar Judaism survived in southern Russia during this period. Ultimately, the Taman peninsula was seized by the Khanate of Crimea in 1483 and by the Ottoman Empire in 1783. In 1791, during the Second Russo-Turkish War, it passed into the control of the Russian Empire. Russians went back it to Ottomans in 1792. It finally passed to Russians in 1828.

For much of the succeeding century, the area was sparsely populated. The largest settlement was a Cossack town called Taman, succeeded by the port town of Temryuk in modern times. The peninsula contains small mud volcanoes and deposits of natural gas and petroleum.

Mikhail Lermontov describes the town in his novel, "A Hero of Our Time".

Taman peninsula was occupied by the Germans in 1942 and taken back by the Red Army in 1943. The story of the motion picture "Cross of Iron" revolves around conflicts that arise within the leadership of a Wehrmacht regiment during the German retreat from the Taman Peninsula.

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Península de Tamán — (Таманский полуостров) Localización administrativa País   …   Wikipedia Español

  • Taman — may refer to: * Taman peninsula in southern Russia, bounded by the Azov and Black Seas and the Strait of Kerch, of which the chief city historically has been Tmutarakan * Taman Stanitsa on the above said peninsula, with 9,297 inhabitants and the… …   Wikipedia

  • Taman Negara — IUCN Category II (National Park) View of Sungai Tembeling from atop the Canopy Walkway …   Wikipedia

  • Peninsula Hotel — (Джакарта,Индонезия) Категория отеля: 3 звездочный отель Адрес: Jl. Mangga Besar Ray …   Каталог отелей

  • Taman Negara National Park — Infobox protected area | name = Taman Negara National Park iucn category = II caption = View of Sungai Tembeling from atop the Canopy Walkway locator x = locator y = location = Malaysia nearest city = Kuala Tembeling lat degrees = lat minutes =… …   Wikipedia

  • Taman' — geographical name peninsula S Russia in Europe in Ciscaucasia between Sea of Azov & Black Sea …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Taman — Ta·man (tə mänʹ) A peninsula of southwest Russia projecting westward between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It is rich in petroleum deposits. * * * …   Universalium

  • Peninsule de Taman — Péninsule de Taman Pour les articles homonymes, voir Taman. 45°11′08″N 36°47′28″E / …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Péninsule de Taman — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Taman. Péninsule de Taman Carte de la péninsule de Taman vers 1870. Localisation …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Péninsule de taman — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Taman. 45°11′08″N 36°47′28″E / …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”