Gelendzhik is a
resort town in
Krasnodar Krai,
Russia, located on the
Gelendzhik Bay of the
Black Sea, between
Novorossiysk ( to the northwest) and
Tuapse ( to the southeast). Greater Gelendzhik sprawls for along the coastline and covers an area of , although only fall within the boundaries of Gelendzhik proper. Population:
History
In antiquity, the Gelendzhik Bay was the site of a minor Greek outpost, mentioned as
Torikos in the
Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax. It is unknown to Hellenistic sources, but reappears in Roman ones under the name of
Pagrae in 64 BCE. The colony was wiped out by the invading
Huns, which were succeeded by the
Zygii soon after. During the Middle Ages, the bay was of some mercantile importance to the
Genoese traders who referred to the seaside village as
Maurolaca.