Monthly Archives: August 2016

The mysterious mountains of KARA-DAG Part 2 of 2

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGKaradag called a fossilized fairy tale of nature because of the abundance of more than 100 minerals. As a result of volcanic activity veins of quartz, calcite and other minerals were formed. In this range one can find, milky white quartz, opal, rhinestone, purple amethyst, yellow citrine, smoky bluish chalcedony, agate, a bluish emerald green apple and chrysoprase. In the Garadagh brocade jasper mineral, you will see lots colors with amazing natural patterns in autumn giving an illusion of seascapes.

Pink and orange carnelian predominates in the bay named Serdolikovaya meaning “pleasing toThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG the heart” in Russian. This mineral is attributed with magical The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGproperties and often worn as an amulet. One can get to the Serdolikovaya bay from the Sphinx by a wide gorge named Guyar-Bach ( “Garden infidels”). This is a most beautiful bay, framed by bizarre rocks, divided into smaller bays. From the sea you can see a wall called Lagorio (named after the first volcanologist, who investigated the Kara-Dag), the base of which resembles an elephant.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGSail Rock is after carnelian bay, where many swifts live. The Lion bay is guarded with rocks that look like lions. They call this the entrance to Hades. Behind the Lion 100 meters from the shore lies a rock archThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG in the sea, about 30 meters in height and a width of 11 meters. The old name of this rock is the Shaitan-kapu “Shaitan fall,” according to a translation it is the Devil’s Gate. On this point sailing ships often used to flounder. They say that during the passage through the arch, you can hear the dull rumbling sound at intervals of a few seconds, as if the heart of Kara-Dag is beating. According to Greek legend, this is where the gods allowed Odyssey to go into another world and come back alive.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGTo pass through the arch is difficult but a small boat can do it and that is when you can make a The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGwish mentally and throwing a coin into the sea. The Golden Gate (“Zolotye Vorota”) is the Russian name given to this arch, due to it’s golden glow in the rays of the bright evening sun. In the calm weather the arch is reflected in the aquamarine water and the picture is simply fantastic. The Golden Gate of the Crimea is a symbol of the peninsula.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGRock Ivan Rogue at a height of about 60 meters resembles a man up to his waist in water, the rock protects the little harbor, this is where the slave trade flourished and where during the Russian-Turkish war The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGCossack boats hid and attacked the Turks, freeing the Slaves from the slave brothels in Feodosiya. The Turks named the Cossacks “hartsyz”, which translates as “a terrible thief”, whence came the name of Razboinichya Bay ( “Robber”).

In the Kara-Dag every turn and twist on the trail offers a new surprise, one landscape is replaced by another and as if rising from the earth mysterious stone figures appear. These The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGsculptures made by nature were created over millions of years, made of soft rock from volcanic eruptions, which has been eroded and washed away. One of the most beautiful places is Dead City on a ridge called Hoba-Tepe, where the outline of the mountains look like alien landscapes. Here you can see the shape of a horse, Pyramids, a King and Queen on a throne and a man with a hat.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGAmong the unsolved mysteries of Kara-Dag is the story about a monster that appears from the sea near the Kara-Dag. Reports of theThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG monster and documentary evidence is still there.
Kara-Dag is unique not only because of its natural beauty, but also because of its flora and fauna, where there are more than landscape zones: steppe, forest and sea. The flora includes about The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG2782 species, 46 of which are endemic to this area. Among the animal world there are many endemic species, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth. For example, a rare white stone marten-belodushka, a peregrine falcon is only found on Kara-Dag.

A visit to these wonderful mountains should be much longer than a day in order to appreciate their awesome beauty, clean air and vistas.

Main page

Russian version

The mysterious mountains of KARA-DAG Part 1 of 2

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGWhen contemplating the beauty of nature, the human soul is reborn. A feeling of elation fills one’s heart with lots of memories, never to be forgotten. If you ever get the chance to have a walk along at least one the trails of Karadag, the desire to return there will be irresistible.
Each new mound and hill, opens up unexpected fabulous views but the strangest thing, is this feeling of having stayed into another world. On Kara-Dag a sense of the mystical and the unexpected seems to appear for a moment but when you try to unravel these mysteries of the volcanic mountains formed The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGmillions of years ago, there is a good chance you will also become a mystic in this life.

The mountain group called Karadag forms the edge of the mountainous and the steppe part of Crimea, this ridge to the south-west of Crimean mountains extends all the way to Sebastopol. The Karadag mountain consist of a group of several ancient extinct volcanoes in Cimmeria near the village of Koktebel, presumably dating back to about 160 million years. These mountains are made up of a variety of volcanic rocks and tuffs, formerly lava flows.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGScientific studies of the volcanos have been under way for many years. Many legends tell of hidden valleys and peaks, all trying to solve the mysteries of this mountain. The poet and artist Maximilian Voloshin on the Cimmerian land of South-Eastern Crimea wrote almost a hundred years ago. “This land has something to remember and her lips are sealed over a century of silence”. This mystical figure of our time, spent the last few years of his life in Koktebel.

A mystery of this mountain is a natural wind made sculpture on the rock Kok-Kaya ( “blue The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGrock”) of a profile of Voloshin. The world is not aware of another similar case, when nature displayed on a rock the outline of an artist who worked in this area. Lush hair, a straight upturned nose and a massive beard of clay layers to the hill known as Cape Malchin.

According to testimonies of local residents, there was an earlier profile of Alexander Pushkin on this place but in 1912, the rock collapsed and formed the present profile of Voloshin. Over the years, the profile loomed clearer and clearer and after the Crimean earthquakes in 1927 outlines of Voloshin have become more recognizable.

In 1979, Kara Dag was declared a Nature Reserve. To walk along its 50 km trails, you will require to be accompanied by a guide or go with an organized tour.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGAccording to legend, the name Kara-Dag originated when this place was an ancient sanctuary, where people were taught the commandments of heavenly teachings. Such places on earth are located by sacral geography. In these nature reserves people cannot hunt, build a home or fight. The ancient Tauri people who descended from Indo-Aryans, inhabited Crimea in the 6th century BC, named these mountains Calitri. They believed, the top of the mountain was the sanctuary of the goddess Kali , who was the symbol for destroying the old and building the new world. Kali is translated from the Indo-Aryan and means Black.

There are many names derived from the word “black”, this also is another mystery. The BlackThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG Sea, the black goddess, the black mountain… The Venetian port city in the 14th century on the site of Koktebel bay was called Kaliera. Eventually Kaliera was renamed Kara-Dag, as the lands were conquered by Turkic-speaking tribes.

The highest point of the Karadag Mountains is 577 meters above sea level on Mount Svyataya, meaning holy and stands to the right of mount Kok-Kaya. The cone of this mount was the crater of a volcano, the very solid rock on the mountain slopes was formed as a result of sintering lava and ash. Holy Mountain was once called the Kara-Dag and in the ancient sources translates as “Black Forest”. According to legend, a Saint was buried on the Holy Mountain and his tomb was visited from different places by the sick with the hopes of being healed.

The mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAGNear the Holy mountain there is a mount named Syuryu-Kaya, meaning “sharp rock” which resembles a sleeping tiger. The whole mountain range is made up of peaks and rocks spouting bizarre shapes and all with appropriate names. From the Holy Mountain a Magnetic mountain rises, where the compass needle often deviates in the wrong direction. A 42-meter high rock called the Devil’s finger (or Karadag Sphinx). This Magnetic ridge is visible from many points of Koktebel bay. They say that If you lean on the Sphinx and make a wish, your wish will come true. Why the devil’s finger nobody knows.

There are numerous bays around these mountains, some of them are named because of theThe mysterious  mountains of KARA-DAG predominance of certain minerals. The name Bay Frog comes from the small frog like stones, which have a matt surface with bubbles caused by the minerals. In the same bay there is a rock that looks like a frog. It is home to the black crested cormorant, a very rare bird, listed in the International Red Book. Gravel Bay is dotted with volcanic pebbles. In the Pozzolan bay the pozzolana dominates, this mineral is found only in the Kara-Dag and on the Vesuvius volcano.

To be continued…

Main page

Russian version