Плато Эски-Кермен возвышается в 6 километрах южнее с. Красный Мак (Бахчисарайский район), в юго-западной части Второй гряды Крымских гор. Первое упоминание о «древнем городе и крепости», расположенной «недалеко » от Мангупа, содержится в описании «пещерных городов», составленном Мартином Броневским в 1578 г. По его словам, уже в то время имени города не знали ни турки, ни татары, ни даже сами греки.
The defense of Eski-Kermen was studied in 1928, 1929,1931,1933 and 1937 (Fig. 1,6,e). N.l. Repnikov thought that the defense system had been created according to the project of an experienced military engineer who managed to use the topography of the place. «Cave towers» cut in rock massif and walls erected between many capes played an important role in the defense system. They were discovered along the southern edge of the plateau as well as on its western and eastern edges. Unfortunately, the expedition under N.l. Repnikov investigated many parts of the defense walls with the help of excavation trenches (width - up to 2.5 m). Judging by the reports and publications only outer facing and upper surface of the walls were cleaned. Inner facing of the western wall and stratigraphy of accumulated layers were studied only in one excavation trench. Graphic fixation of the eastern defensive wall discovered in 1937 was not done.