The basilica in the basilica is a medieval temple on the territory of
Chersonesus, a city founded by the ancient Greeks on the southwestern coast of Crimea (currently on the territory of the national museum-reserve "Chersonesos Tauride). The temple got its name due to the fact that two temples were built in one place - the second was built on the ruins of the first of its fragments.
The first temple (“great balizika”) was built in the 6th century, around the time of the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. The basilica had three naves. The floor of the basilica was completely covered with mosaics. In all rooms, the mosaic pattern had its own characteristic feature. The mosaic in the narthex and the eastern outbuildings of the side aisles depicted intersecting red circles on a white background. In the middle nave, mosaics were made of geometric lines and figures, as well as Christian symbols: cantharos (bowls - a symbol of communion) and birds (a symbol of the soul), In the font there was a mosaic image of a peacock (a symbol of resurrection) made of marble, multi-colored limestone and dark green smalts. The peacock was depicted in front and with a loose tail, and on both sides of it were mosaic images of doves (a symbol of the holy spirit), enclosed in round medallions. One could get into the font through a long and narrow corridor, which adjoined the northern nave. There were also other symbols in the mosaic drawings - a rhombus with rings put on it (a symbol of eternity), an anchor (a symbol of hope), etc. Before entering the central hall, on the floor there was an inscription in Greek "Let every breath praise the Lord" . The columns of the temple were made of marble and weighed about 350 kilograms. They had carved crosses.
The great basilica was destroyed. In the 10th century, a new basilica (“small basilica”) was built on the ruins of the old basilica. The new temple was made from the ruins of the first temple. It became smaller and was located on the site of the central nave. The throne in the new church was built from the columns of the old church. During construction, part of the mosaic floors collapsed.
In the 12th-13th centuries, storage and commercial premises, as well as a covered gallery, were added to the temple from the north. From the south, a chapel was added on the lower floor of which there was a tomb. In the 14th century, the temple was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt. During the excavations of the temple, archaeologists installed the throne and columns in their places. During the creation of the Tauric Chersonese Museum-Reserve, mosaics were preserved in the basilica in their original places, but later most of them were removed to the museum premises.
On May 9, 2007, vandals overturned the columns of the "basilica within the basilica", some of the columns split, and the mosaic floor was damaged.
