▁( tri be ▁of ▁H uns ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁Kh az ars ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁Bos por , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁named ▁K arch a ▁from ▁Turk ic ▁" kar ş ı " ▁meaning ▁' opp os ite , ▁facing .' ▁The ▁main ▁local ▁government ▁official ▁during ▁Kh azar ▁times ▁was ▁the ▁tud un . ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁religion ▁in ▁Ker ch ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁Kh azar ▁rule . ▁Ker ch ' s ▁Church ▁of ▁St . ▁John ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 7 1 7 ; ▁thus , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁church ▁in ▁Ukraine . ▁ ▁The ▁" Ch urch ▁of ▁the ▁Apost les " ▁existed ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 8 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 9 th ▁centuries , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁" Life ▁of ▁the ▁Apost le ▁Andrew " ▁by ▁E pi phan ius ▁of ▁Sal am is . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁Kh az aria ▁to ▁K ie van ▁Rus ' ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁Ker ch ▁became ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁a ▁Kh azar ▁successor - state . ▁Its ▁r uler , ▁Georg ius ▁T z ul , ▁was ▁de posed ▁by ▁a ▁By z antine - R us ▁expedition ▁in ▁ 1 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁a ▁S lav ic ▁settlement ▁named ▁Kor chev , ▁which ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁T mut ar ak an ▁princip