The church is located at the foot of the Mitridatskaya steps (there are 432 steps), which rises to the Mitridat Hill where there are a series of ancient sites. St John's Baptist Church is one of the oldest
Christian churches built in the Byzantine architecture style; it was built during the
Khazar era in the 8th century. An inscription in the older part of the church reads: "Here lies the servant of God Kyriakos, a son of George, a grandson of Vindira. He died on the month of June 3, induction 10th, in the year 6265 from Adam". This has been interpreted as the year 757 AD. During the period of the
Soviet Union, the church was used as a gem museum. Following the restoration works carried out in the 1980s, church services have been resumed since 1990. In 1982, Tatjana Ivanovna Makarova published an article,
Archaeological dating of the John the Precursor church in Kerch. ==Features==