Mount Mithridat was named after
Mithridates VI of Pontus, ruler of the
Kingdom of Pontus and a long-time antagonist of the
Roman Republic via the
Mithridatic Wars, until he was deceived by his son. After a long siege of
Panticapaeum, he tried to kill himself several times, until finally he was killed by the leader of his own guardsmen. The Great Mithridates Staircase leads to the top of Mount Mithridat, in a series of flights and balustraded terraces. It was built in 1833–1840 by the Italian architect Alexander Digbi. In the present day, a road also goes to the top of the mountain. In the 19th century, a museum was erected on the top of the mountain in the form of a Greek temple, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. In 1944, a memorial
obelisk was built at the summit to commemorate the soldiers that defended Kerch in
World War II. The landmark mountain was one of the nominees for the
Seven Wonders of Ukraine. ==References==