The small town of Anapa is located in the northern part of the Black sea coast, where steppes of Taman meet foothills of Greater Caucasus.

Humans settled here in Paleolithic age and still live here. Indigenous people of the North Caucasus coast of the Black sea were Meotes, Sinds and other Iranian-speaking tribes, which were ancestors of modern Caucasian population.

In VII century BC Meotes founded the Sind harbor, settlement and seaport. In VII century BC Greek colonists arrived to the Black sea coast and founded powerful ancient state – the Bosporan kingdom in year 486 before Crist. About 380 BC Gorgippia, Greek settlement, became on of the largest cities of the kingdom. Gorgippia was heaven for craftsmen and trades; famous Silk Route went through it. The city minted its own coins.

The brightest pages of long Anapa’s history were three centuries between VI century and III century BC, when Gorgippia, town of ancient Greeks, flourished on its future place. Anapa’s lands contain countless archeological remains of the ancient civilization: ruins of once majestic temples, houses, tombs and burial mounds. Archeologists keep finding items of distant past for almost 150 years, since first diggings were started in this area. Last days of the ancient city were no less bright that its life – Gorgippia was destroyed during an immense fire in year 240 BC. People left their belongings and ran for their lives – many items today are found in the same positions as they were left hundreds of years ago.

In 14th century Genoese merchants selected territory of former Greek polis to build a colony, called Mapa. In 15th century the Turks conquered territories of the Black Sea coast, and two centuries later future Anapa became an important outpost of the Ottoman Empire. Between 1790 and 1828 Russians won six bloody battles for the fortress, and on July 12, 1828 the town finally became subject of the Russian Empire. All fortifications, except eastern gates, were destroyed. Remained gates were named “Russian Gates” during celebration of the 25th anniversary of Anapa’s release from the Turks.

In 1846 Anapa gained the “town” status, and in 1990 the town became a resort. First sanatorium “Beregovaya” was opened on June 15, 1900.

In 1913-1914 Anapa was awarded a gold medal for “perfect equipment and organization of sanatoriums”. Eminent medics emphasized that the town was a perfect resort for children, since climate and wonderful sandy beaches allowed taking sea baths to two-year-old children. Such point of view gained it followers – sanatoriums for children were actively built in Anapa since early sixties. In 1979 the resort welcomed over 63 thousand kids for rest and health improvement. Now the resort grew bigger and developed a lot.

Anapa carefully develops the sphere of family vacation – millions of Russian and foreign guests received necessary treatment and had a good time at the resort. Excellent network of diagnostic and treatment centres offers therapy for vast range of diseases by means of natural components – healing mud, seawater, mineral waters and many more.