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Феодосія (Feodosiya, Feodosiia, Feodosija or Feodosia), sometimes called Theodosia in English, is located along an eponymous gulf's west coast, on the south shore of the Krym (Crimean) Peninsula.
It rose to prominence as a Genoese1 trading center called Cafà (spelled Caffa or Kaffa in English), with slaves the leading commodity. It was briefly taken by the Serenìsima Respùblica de Venexia (Republic of Venice). When it was conquered by the Devlet-i 'Aliyye-yi 'Osmâniyye (Ottoman Empire) in 1475 the population was deported to İstanbul, but the city continued on as كفے (Kefe). In 1784 it was conquered by Russia and renamed Феодосия (Feodosiya or Feodosija). It took on its current spelling in 1991 when it became part of Україна (Ukrayina).
Today's city has just under 69,000 residents,2 and is a modern resort town with pebble beaches. The remains of old Genoese fortress are a tourist attraction.
Year | Population | Political entity |
1300 CE | 40,0003 | Serenìsima Respùblica de Venexia (Republic of Venice)4 |
1400 CE | 75,0003 | Repúbrica de Zêna (Republic of Genoa) |
1500 CE | 35,0005 | Devlet-i 'Aliyye-yi 'Osmâniyye (Ottoman Empire) |
1600 CE | 30,0005 | Devlet-i 'Aliyye-yi 'Osmâniyye (Ottoman Empire) |
1700 CE | 23,0005 | Devlet-i 'Aliyye-yi 'Osmâniyye (Ottoman Empire) |
2000 CE | 75,0006 | Україна (Ukrayina) |
ruins of Genoese fortress at Feodosiya
1. Repúbrica de Zêna in Ligurian.
2. World-gazetteer.com, accessed 8/2/2012.
3. Tertius Chandler, Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth, 2nd ed. (The Edwin Mellen Press, 1987), "Tables of World's Largest Cities".
4. Venexia is spelled various ways.
5. Chandler, Ibid., "Cities of Europe" tables.
6. Rounded from world-gazeteer.com, 2001 census (city proper), accessed 11/10/2012.