The forested Iosofatova Valley beneath the Chufut-Kale plateau hides a breathtaking and spooky sight. Thousands of moss-covered gravestones covered in Hebrew script stand, lie upturned or lean at precarious angles in the shade of ancient oak trees. For over a millennium the Karaites brought their dead to the sacred grove, which they called Balta Tuymez, meaning Axe-Don't-Touch in ancient Turkic. The scene is straight out of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and at sunset it's hard to escape the chilly sensation of being watched by thousands of empty eye sockets.
