Martian lake in Crimea: history, features

Crimea is rich in unusual and truly unique places. Not all tourists who come to this peninsula spend their days on a comfortable beach - most prefer outdoor activities, visiting the historical and natural monuments of this place. One of them is the Martian lake in the Bakhchisarai region, which is very popular among travelers due to the bright turquoise color of the water.

The lake is located 17 kilometers from Bakhchisaray between the villages of Skalistoe and Nauchny. The reservoir appeared relatively recently - in the 80–90s. last century. In former times, an industrial quarry was located on the site of the lake, in which Inkerman limestone was mined. Soon, a source began to beat from the ground and all work had to be suspended.

At first they tried to drain the area - they pumped out water, but it arrived more and more, pumping out the liquid took much more time and technical means than directly extracting the stone. The water level rose so quickly that the workers left the site in a hurry - eyewitnesses say that they quickly ran away, abandoning all their tools (it is believed that they are still at the bottom of the lake).

Every year, the flow of tourists to the Martian lake is only growing and it is highly likely that in a few years a full-fledged recreation area will appear on this place. Today, the place has only one drawback - high trash. However, it’s impossible to blame nature for this - as you know, it’s purely not where they clean, but where they do not litter.

Near the Martian lake there is a cave of Shaitan-Koba and more recently, a parking of primitive people was found in it. - Scientists claim that her age is 40 million years.

Few people know but Martian Lake is officially called the Sea of ​​Marmara - and this name is much more suitable for this reservoir, since white Inkerman limestone, combined with rather rare vegetation, creates a marble rim around the lake, which in contrast to the sky-blue color of the water makes the area surprisingly beautiful and picturesque.

The Martian lake arose on the site of a construction quarry - this explains its clear laconic forms and right angles. The total length is about 430 m, and the width is 200 m. The maximum depth is 12 m, there are calcareous deposits at the bottom, and they cause an unusual shade of water.

The coastline is quite steep, the flora is extremely rare, literally at every step there are rocky formations. Thanks to underground sources, a constant water level is maintained in the lake. Groundwater recharge led to the fact that the water in Lake Marmara remains cold even on a sultry summer day, so many are happy to plunge into it to cheer up after a long journey. But in the autumn period, water, on the contrary, becomes even warmer than in the sea.

A few years ago, travelers bypassed the Martian lake - it was poorly understood, it hid many mysteries and therefore frightened off vacationers, only children from the surrounding villages could be noticed on the shore. But by the end of the last century, the situation had radically changed - people appeared here who were really interested in the history and secrets of this place.

A significant role in stimulating interest was played by the second name of the reservoir - Lake Martian.

Nowadays, the infrastructure is actively developing here - there are cafes, restaurants, attractions, as well as a paid parking lot.

Tourists who come here can also visit the ancient cave town of Bala, known for its necropolises that belong to different eras and different nationalities - the earliest graves are dated to the IV century, and the most “fresh” are related to the period of the invasion of Khan Nogai at the very end of the XIII century.

This place attracts fishing enthusiasts because there are a lot of fish in the pond. True, you can catch it exclusively by fishing rod - the use of fishing nets is not allowed here. Locals most often catch silver carp and carps, arguing that the best place for fishing can not be found throughout the Crimea.

Martian Lake can always be reached by public transport, and from anywhere in the Crimean peninsula. Given that this body of water is located near the village of Scientific and the village of Skalistoe, you need to go along the routes following these settlements. For example, there is a flight "Simferopol - Scientific", it is necessary to get to the station "Skalistoe" on it, and then any passer-by you meet will tell you how to get to Lake Marmara. There are also flights from Bakhchisarai.

If you plan to drive your car from Simferopol, then you need to move towards the village of Ukromnoye, and after catching up with it, change lanes and turn right according to the signs, moving along Kievskaya Street.

At about the second kilometer, you should turn to Sovetskaya Square and go to Amet Khan Sultan Square. Soon you will see a turn on the street. Kozlova - after driving along it for about 400 m, turn right onto Sevastopolskaya Street and go to the Khan Saray cafe. Behind this catering point, you will notice another turn to the right in the direction of the village of Skalisty, and when you reach it, you can easily find Lake Martian.

You can also get to the lake by train, in which case you should go to st. "Postal", after which walk about 2 kilometers.

The marble lake in the photos turns out to be surprisingly beautiful - which is why photo shoots are often held here. Keep in mind that you have to get along a stony and rather winding road, but the path will undoubtedly give you exceptional pleasure - you can see picturesque mountains around, and limestone creates a spectacular contrast with the Crimean sky in bright blue.

You can see the beauty of the Martian lake in Crimea further.