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Questions about Taman Peninsula

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Where is the Taman Peninsula located?

The Taman Peninsula is located in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is bordered by the Sea of Azov to the north, the Kerch Strait to the west, and the Black Sea to the south.

What does the name Taman mean?

One explanation traces the name "Taman" to the Circassian word "temen," meaning swamp, which matches the marshy, reed-covered terrain of the area.

What ancient Greek cities were on the Taman Peninsula?

The Pontic Greek colonies of Hermonassa and Phanagoria stood on the Taman Peninsula in ancient times. Greeks called the peninsula Sindike chersonesos, meaning peninsula of the Sindi.

Who were the Guizolfi family and how did they rule the Taman Peninsula?

The Guizolfi, also spelled Ghisolfi, were a family founded by the Genoese Jew Simeone de Guizolfi. For most of the 15th century they ruled the Taman Peninsula on behalf of Gazaria, the Genoese colony in Crimea.

When did Russia permanently gain control of the Taman Peninsula?

Russia permanently gained the Taman Peninsula in 1828. It had briefly held control in 1791 during the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-92 but ceded it back to the Ottomans in 1792.

What ancient musical instruments were discovered on the Taman Peninsula?

In 2018, archaeologists discovered the remains of a harp and a lyre while examining a necropolis near the Volna settlement on the Taman Peninsula. The find confirmed a Greek polis existed there from the second quarter of the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD.