More than two thousand years ago, the ancient city of Gorgippia was located where modern Anapa stands, serving as the southeastern outpost of the Bosporan Kingdom. This kingdom united the territories of the Kerch and Taman peninsulas, as well as the adjacent lands of the North Caucasus. The polis was named after Gorgippus, the son of King Satyrus I, who annexed these lands, inhabited by the Sind tribe, to the Bosporan state.

Gorgippia was not only a center for trade and crafts but also a border fortress and one of the largest ports of the kingdom. Today, the ancient settlement and necropolis lie beneath the central part of Anapa. Archaeological finds indicate the existence of the city from the 5th century BC to the 3rd century AD, when it fell under enemy pressure, marking the end of its ancient history.

In 1949, archaeologist Vladimir Dmitrievich Blavatsky began exploratory work to locate the settlement. Five years later, excavations of the Gorgippia necropolis commenced. Unfortunately, in the 1950s, a significant part of the ancient city was destroyed due to construction work.

Systematic excavations began in 1960 when the Institute of Archaeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, under the direction of I.T. Kruglikova, opened a stationary expedition. Despite the dense development of the modern city, archaeologists managed to explore various sections of Gorgippia over 15 seasons and determine its layout. They recorded the cultural layer of the city extending 800 meters along the Black Sea and 500 meters inland, covering a total area of about 40 hectares.

In 1977, Gorgippia was declared a federal archaeological monument, and a plot of nearly two hectares was designated as an archaeological reserve.

The earliest finds at the site of Anapa date back to the 6th-5th centuries BC. The first Greek settlement stretched 400 meters along the sea. By the early 5th century BC, the city had significantly grown, and its market supplied goods to the surrounding areas up to 15-20 kilometers away. Remains of ancient buildings include cellars with stone or brick walls and tiled roofs. The streets were paved with cobblestones and fragments of amphorae, with visible ruts from carts, and ancient coins have been found. The city was protected by a powerful fortress, which was excavated in 1978 and 1980.

Inscriptions on fragments provide insight into the administrative structure and population of the city. Numerous artifacts have been found, indicating the economic activities and daily life of the residents. Gorgippia had iron and copper processing, glassmaking, stone carving, and woodworking crafts.

Tombs with unique frescoes and gold items from the early centuries AD were discovered. In 1975, archaeologists found a burial complex with two tombs and a rock tomb containing many gold and artistic items. The frescoes depict the feats of Hercules, who was considered the ancestor of the ruling Cimmerian dynasty in Bosporus.

Today, finds from Gorgippia are housed in museums around the world. In 1977, the Gorgippia museum-reserve was established, featuring an open-air exhibition and a permanent display of artifacts. An important part of the reserve became the Anapa museum, which received the status of an archaeological museum.

Visitors can stroll along the paved streets of the ancient city, see the foundations and walls of homes, remnants of workshops, wineries, wells, drainage systems, marble slabs with inscriptions, noble sarcophagi, and architectural details. The total area of the reserve is 1.6 hectares, of which 0.7 hectares are open for visits.

The museum halls house unique collections: epigraphic monuments, terracotta figurines, frescoes from the 'Hercules' tomb, amphorae, beads, funerary sculptures and sarcophagi, glass and black lacquer vessels, as well as ancient numismatics.