All about Karadag (Crimea)

Karadag is a huge volcano, part of which, due to a natural cataclysm, sank under water, and part of it remained above water and became a mountain. Karadag is the most unique place, as it is the only extinct volcano in Europe that has preserved traces of eruptions thousands of years ago. It includes the coastal cliffs that stretch along the coast, as well as the Holy Mountain in the form of a dome. On Karadag there are coastal rocks of bizarre shapes, such as Devil's Finger, Ivan the Robber and the Golden Gate.

Mount Karadag or Kara-Dag in translation from the Tatar - "black mountain" is located not far from Feodosia and is part of the volcanic massif of the same name. Karadag is the remains of a volcano that was active in the mid-Jurassic period, approximately 160,000,000 years ago. The volcanic origin of the mountain was discovered by the Crimean explorer and scientist Prozorovsky-Galitsyn in 1881, and later in 1985 the first geological and geographical map of the area was compiled. Later, a biological station was located at Karadag.

On the basis of this station, at the end of the 70s of the last century, the Karadag reserve was created, the total area of ​​which is 2875 hectares. It includes a mountain range and sea area adjacent to Karadag. The territory of the reserve is divided into 3 zones: steppe belt - up to 260 m above sea level, from 260 to 450 m - a forest of fluffy oak, hornbeam forests grow over 450 m.

The flora of this area numbers over 2400 species, 79 of which are included in the Red Book of Ukraine. Among the many plants, species of the postglacial period have survived.The fauna of Karadag is no less diverse and contains 5250 species, 13 of which are in the Red Book. The most striking representative of the animal world is the dolphin., these mammals are shown to tourists without fear and accompany excursion yachts.

This arch-shaped rock is located near the town of Koktebel and is its hallmark. In the past, the rock was a single whole with the mountain range, but under the influence of natural factors, the piece broke off and moved into the sea. The hermit rock, as many call it, is still moving and receding further and further into the sea. The height of this miracle of nature from the bottom to the peak is 15 meters, and the above-water part reaches 8 meters. The depth in some adjacent areas reaches 43 meters, the water is crystal clear and the visibility is maintained up to 25 meters.

In the past, it was called Shaitan-Kapu, which in translation from the Crimean Tatar means "devil's gate". It has an arched shape and is the most famous rock of an extinct volcano. The old name was given for a reason, because according to legend, it is believed that it was through these gates that Odysseus and Hercules descended into the kingdom of Hades. The Golden Gate got its current name because of the yellow lichens that grow here.

There are not only legends, but also signs about this place. One of them says that if you swim through the arch, then your most cherished desire will come true. Tourists always throw a coin into the sea right here, so the bottom around the cliff is dotted with them. In the warm season, when sailing on an excursion to the rock, you can swim. Also, the Golden Gate is of interest to researchers of the paranormal, they believe that this is the entrance to another dimension.

From time immemorial on the Crimean peninsula there has been a legend about a monster living in the depths of the sea. It is believed to be a prehistoric snake that eats dolphins and drags divers into the sea. Even Herodotus described a certain creature living in the waters of the Black Sea, and in the 16th century in medieval documents, evidence of a monster similar to the Kraken appeared. The artist and poet M. Voloshin wrote that he personally observed how a company of Red Army men, by order of Peter I, caught the Karadag snake off the local shores. Fishermen talk about dolphins being bitten in half and strange bites on their bodies.

Some even claimed to have seen the snake in person as it sailed under the ship. There are other legends:

• Karadag ringing;
• Kemal-Babay;
• Chershambe.

The most famous painter who depicted Karadag is IK Aivazovsky. In the Otuz region he had his own mansion, it was there that he painted the picture “Spring. Sunrise in the coastal valley, 25 versts from Feodosia, overlooking the Kara-Dag. " There is also an image made with a pencil from graphite "Koktebel, Kara-Dag, Tupryuk-Kaya". The painting of the painting teacher V. Russen "Armenian Church on Mount Karadag near Feodosia", painted in 1845, is also of historical importance for the city of Koktebel.

Ekaterina Fedorovna Yunga created a series of landscapes dedicated to Karadag: "Silhouette of Mount Karadag", "Coastal Stones of a Volcano", "Syuryu-Kaya Bay of Koktebel", "Toprakh-Kaya", and this is just a small part of her works. Beautiful views of Karadag have been depicted by many more artists. Fascinating views of the volcano could not be ignored by both artists and writers and poets.

The rock Ivan the robber leaned over the sea, it is located in the southern part of the Black Mountain, its height reaches almost 62 meters. Ivan the robber consists of several parts. The main one is formed by lava, and the second pointed one is a huge boulder stuck in one of the volcano's craters. The Rogue got its name from the bay behind it. According to legend, the corsairs of the Crimean Sea hid here and from this shelter attacked passing ships, and hid their belongings in the same bay.

The Dead City is nothing more than a multitude of petrified peaks that have frozen over the centuries, like a royal guard guarding their king Karadag. Hundreds of meters of the basalt wall and many peaks have become impregnable heights for many climbers, since it is impossible to hammer hooks into the rocks. Black Mountain has many more beautiful places:

• rocks "King and Queen";
• rock "Gingerbread Horse";
• rock "Devil's finger";
• frog bay and others.

Recently, NASA institute staff performed a full scan of the earth and found places of energy activity. Places of accumulation of energy capable of influencing a person are scattered all over the world. The strongest streams are observed in the Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, the Old Town in Prague and in the Kara Dag. Research experts believe that the mountain gives out a huge amount of energy waves that have attracted people for centuries.

Between the city of Koktebel and the village of Kurortny there is a mountain-volcanic ridge Karadag. You can get here only as part of an excursion group, since the extinct volcano and the adjacent territories are considered a protected area and are behind a fence and under protection. There are several routes in Karadag: walking and sea. Rest here can be varied.

Tourist groups most often start their journey from the village of Kurortnoye from Biostation, buses go to the station that leave from Koktebel or Feodosia. The length of the path is about 7 kilometers through difficult terrain.

A walk will take about 5-6 hours, this is a great opportunity to feel all the magnetism of the mountain, inhale its smell, touch the centuries-old history. During the tour, you can find semi-precious stones such as agate, jasper and chalcedony. All these are gifts from the mountain for the people who visit it.

The excursion on the sea starts from the sea pier of Koktebel and runs along the entire coast of Karadag. The length is the same as the walking route - 7 km, but it takes only 1.5 hours. Tourists will have the opportunity to see all the beauty and grandeur of an extinct volcano from the sea, all its rocks and bays, as well as Koktebel's business card - the Golden Gate. During the excursion, the boats are accompanied by dolphins.

In good weather, the boat lingers at the arch for about 20 minutes so that tourists can swim in the crystal clear water off the coast of the volcano. There is an opportunity to go on a mixed excursion to Karadag by boat, and on the way back on foot. Whichever route you choose, an extinct volcano will leave the best memories of itself, its beauty will forever remain in your memory.

Types of tourist routes in Karadag:

• trail "Big Kara-Dag" - land route;
• ecotrail named after Vyazemsky;
• natural history museum of Karadag;
• dolphinarium.

For information on how to get to Mount Karadag, see the next video.