All about Karadag (Crimea)

Karadag is a huge volcano, part of which, due to a natural disaster, has sunk under water, and part has remained above-water and has become a mountain. Karadag is a unique place, as it is the only extinct volcano in Europe that has preserved traces of eruptions a thousand years ago. It includes cliffs of the coastal ridge, stretching along the coast, as well as the Holy Mountain in the form of a dome. On Karadag there are coastal cliffs of bizarre forms, such as the Devil's Finger, Ivan the Robber and the Golden Gate.

Mount Karadag or Kara-Dag translated from Tatar - “black mountain” is located near Feodosia and is part of the volcanic massif of the same name. Karadag is the remnants of a volcano that was active in the middle of the Jurassic, 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. Subsequently, a biological station was located in Karadag.

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

The flora of this area has over 2400 species, 79 of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Among many plants, species of the postglacial period have been preserved.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 are accompanied by sightseeing yachts.

This arch-shaped rock is located near the city of Koktebel and is its hallmark. In the past, the rock was one 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 now moving and moving further into the sea. The height of this miracle of nature from bottom to peak is 15 meters, and the surface part reaches 8 meters. Depth in some adjacent areas reaches 43 meters, the water is crystal clear, and visibility in it remains up to 25 meters.

In the past, it was called Shaitan-Kapu, which is translated from Crimean Tatar means "damn 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 this gate 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 be fulfilled. Tourists always throw a coin into the sea right here, so the bottom around the cliff is dotted with them. In the warm season, sailing on an excursion to the rock, you can swim. Also, the Golden Gate is of interest to researchers of paranormal phenomena, they believe that this is the entrance to another dimension.

Since time immemorial, the legend about a monster living in the depths of the sea has been circulating on the Crimean peninsula. It is believed that this is a prehistoric snake that eats dolphins and drags divers into the sea. Herodotus also described a certain creature that lives in the waters of the Black Sea, and in the 16th century evidence appeared in medieval documents of a monster similar to the Kraken. The artist and poet M. Voloshin wrote that he personally observed how a company of Red Army men, on the orders of Peter the Great, caught the Karadag snake off the coast. Fishermen talk about dolphins, half-eaten, and strange bites on their bodies.

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

• Karadag ringing;
• Kemal Babai;
• Cheershambe.

The most famous painter who depicted Karadag is I.K. Aivazovsky. In the Otuz region he had his own mansion, it was there that he painted the painting “Spring. Sunrise in a coastal valley, 25 versts from Feodosia, overlooking Kara-Dag. " There is also an image made in pencil from graphite "Koktebel, Kara-Dag, Tupryuk-Kaya." Historical significance for the city of Koktebel is also represented by a painting by drawing teacher V. Roussen, “The Armenian Church on Mount Karadag near Feodosia,” written in 1845.

Catherine Fedorovna Junge created a series of landscapes dedicated to Karadag: “Silhouette of Mount Karadag”, “Coastal stones of the volcano”, “Syuru-Kaya Koktebel Bay”, “Toprah-Kaya”, and this is only a small part of her work. Beautiful views of Karadag were depicted by many more artists. Fascinating views of the volcano could not go unnoticed by artists, as well as writers and poets.

The cliff Ivan the Thief bent 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 peaked one is a huge boulder stuck in one of the craters of the volcano. The robber received his name at the expense of the bay located behind him. According to legend, the corsairs of the Crimean Sea hid here and attacked passing ships from this shelter, and hid their belongings in the same bay.

A dead city is nothing more than a multitude of petrified peaks that have frozen for centuries, like a royal guard on the guard of their king Karadag. Hundreds of meters of basalt wall and many peaks became an impregnable height for many climbers, as hooks cannot be hammered 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 employees conducted a full scan of the earth and found places of energy activity. Places of energy accumulation that can affect a person are scattered around the world. The strongest streams are observed in Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, the Old Town in Prague and Kara-Dag. Research experts believe that the mountain produces a huge number of energy waves that have attracted people for centuries.

Between the city of Koktebel and the village of Kurortny is the mountain-volcanic ridge Karadag. You can get here only as part of an excursion group, since an extinct volcano and the adjacent territories are considered a conservation 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 begin their journey from the village of Kurortnoye from the Biostation; buses run from Koktebel or Feodosiya to the station. The route is about 7 kilometers in difficult terrain.

Walking will take about 5-6 hours, this is a great opportunity to feel the whole magnetism of the mountain, breathe in its smell, touch a centuries-old history. During the tour you can find semiprecious stones, such as: agate, jasper and chalcedony. All these are gifts of the mountain for people who visit it.

Excursion by sea begins from the sea pier of Koktebel and runs along the entire coast of Karadag. The length is the same as the pedestrian route - 7 km, but in time 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 cliffs and bays, as well as the Golden Gate business card of Koktebel. During the tour, boats accompany dolphins.

In good weather, the boat is delayed by the arch for 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 return trip on foot. Whatever 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 of Karadag:

• “Big Kara-Dag” trail - land route;
• Ecotropy named after Vyazemsky;
• Natural History Museum of Karadag;
• dolphinarium.

See how to get to Mount Karadag in the next video.