Crimean caves. Excursion to the famous caves of Crimea
Hello friends!
If you are attracted mysterious world speleotruism, but you are not so experienced and courageous as to tie yourself with a rope and step into the darkness, go to the Crimean caves that are open for visiting.
And so that you don’t have to listen to stories about “put on equipment, but I don’t have a helmet for this five-year-old peanut,” I’ll tell you where it’s best to dive into such dungeons so that your heart aches, your spirit is intercepted, and at the moment you lose balance from happiness , at hand was a handrail and an experienced guide.
Speleology in the Crimea began its active work in the 50s. During this time, more than 900 cave objects were explored and discovered, many of which are still inaccessible to ordinary tourists - too difficult, dangerous and unpredictable segments are found on such routes.
Therefore, only specialists or well-trained people involved in sports tourism, for example, can descend into these dungeons. Descending into such caves requires professional equipment and teamwork.
Karst caves, which we are going to, have long been prepared for tourists, and the routes run through well-equipped, safe and incredibly beautiful galleries. And since the activity of nature in the dungeons continues, specialists will always have to study, discover, record and tell us about their discoveries.
Most of the karst caves of interest are located on the Chatyr-Dag, Ai-Petri, Dolgorukovskaya yayla and Karabi-yayla mountain ranges.
So, the top 5 Crimean caves for a safe, exciting and informative excursion in 2017!
Marble Kingdom and his retinue
According to statistics and visitor reviews, marble cave is the most visited and attractive.
On the route more than 1 km long, there are spacious galleries decorated with fantastic sinter formations, patterns, crystals, miraculous sculptures. The labyrinths of the dungeon beckon tourists deep into, where more and more new paintings are opened.
The Marble Cave is recognized as the most beautiful geological object, which is one of the five such attractions in the world.
Mammoths in Crimea? See for yourself!
Not far from Marble is the second most beautiful cave - Emine-Bair-Khosar or mammoth.
It is known for its underground lakes, both "dry" and full-flowing, with the purest water. The kingdom of ancient and very young stalactites and stalagmites once became the last refuge of wild animals (perhaps ice age, yes, yes!), otherwise how to explain the skeleton of a small mammoth found here and other animals that we have not seen for a long time.
From sacrifice to scuba diving
Here is such an interesting chronicle of events can be traced in the bowels red caves or Kizil-Koba - the largest and longest cave system in the Crimea.
Over millions of years of its existence, thanks to river flows inside and precipitation outside, various rooms were formed in this dungeon - halls, wells, mines, tunnels, galleries, corridors, manholes and canyons.
You will not be offered to see so much, only 500 meters, but the interior design and content will leave vivid pictures in your memory for a long time. And if you decide to extreme scuba diving in an underground river , with crossing the water tunnel to see hard-to-reach halls outside the usual tourist route, then you can consider yourself a caving guru!
Dive for details !
Man-made cave with a ghost and inscriptions from Karaite tourists
It is located on the territory of the cave city.
But keep in mind that excursions and descent into the well are carried out separately from visiting the cave city.
History and speculation
A problem with fresh water in the Crimea, as can be seen from history, it has always existed. Residents of cave cities and monasteries prudently created various pools and containers for collecting rainfall.
But in ancient writings, some secret hydraulic structure was mentioned. Our archaeologists were sleeping and saw a mysterious well, and now, after thinking carefully and studying all kinds of manuscripts, the location of Tik-Kuyu was discovered in 1998 !
The fact is that the well was littered with earth, and it took three whole years to open and clean it from the soil, and then another time to put the object in order.
The well was a tunnel that had a descent deep into the ground, and branches already began there and other rooms were found.
And now it has become not entirely clear whether the well performed only a hydraulic function of collecting and settling fresh water, or whether there were other purposes.
For example, it could be an excellent shelter during the siege of the city, or there were sanctuaries here.
Why climb into a well?
At first you will have to go down stone and steep steps, then the tunnel turns into a narrow stepped gallery. Subdued light and limited space (2 by 2, 20 m) are impressive.
Along the way, you will come across strange encrypted messages, tables or maps on the walls, and traditional, but uncharacteristic for that time, inscriptions in Karaite and Latin, such as "Vasya was here ...".
At the bottom there will be a gallery with hollowed-out containers - bathtubs for collecting and storing water.
Here the guide will tell you a few interesting facts about a valuable treasure found not so long ago (a whole pot of gold!), and will show where your procession is being watched from the ghost of the Tik-Kuyu well .
How to get there
You need to get to the cave city of Chufut-Kale. From the Bakhchisarai bus station, you need to take a shuttle bus to stops Staroselye . From there, following the signs, walk for about 15 minutes and you are there.
Excursion cost
Tickets are purchased directly from the facility. You may have to wait until the group is typed.
Ticket price for an adult - 300 rubles, for a child - 150 rubles.
Photo and video shooting for free. A big plus is that after the lectures free time for inspection and pictures.
Habitat of a forest cat and seven-meter knights
In 1904, an ordinary rural teacher from the town of Skelya (Rodnikovoe) discovered unique cave, which was later named Skelskaya or, as it was also called - Teacher's.
Speleologists approached it only in 1960, and opened it for excursions even later, in 2003.
The Skelskaya cave is unusual in its internal location. While other dungeons involve diving deeper, the route of this cave is directed upwards. How can this be? Come and see for yourself!
Once upon a time, the remains of ancient animals were found in this dungeon - forest cat, antelope-saiga. And yet, deep-sea lakes were found somewhere in the lower tiers.
The walk, during which you will visit the five halls, will take about 50 minutes. The decoration here is really rich - stalactite and stalagmite sculptures, all kinds of "icicles", petrified fringes and cascades, arches, sinter formations frozen in incredible forms.
Where is it and how to visit
The Skelskaya cave is located between two settlements in the Baydarskaya valley - Razdolnoye And spring .
How to get there, how much it costs and when it is better to visit this object can be found on the official website:
speleotur.com
The fact is that the cave, although open all year round for tourists, during floods it cannot receive guests.
Where else can you climb in the Crimea
You can explore other caves, not so majestic, equipped or artificially decorated, but attractive with their legends and secrets.
Chatyr-Dag and scary stories
Thousand-headed or Binbash-Koba - a large ancient burial place of human remains was discovered here. A very atmospheric place, around which there are many legends.
Ai-Petri and eternal ice
Trezglazka or Emine-Bair-Koba - you can get here by ordering an excursion to the caving center "Onyx Tour" only in the warm season. Because in this dungeon the ice does not melt even in summer, and in addition to ordinary stalactites, you will also see ice ones.
Echki-Dag and extreme
The Ear of the Earth is a completely inconspicuous cave, which is a crack in the rock, but upon closer inspection, the "crack" is the entrance to a narrow well. Here it is better to have the experience of a climber or enlist the help of a reliable friend - the cave has vertical and deep manholes, into which it is better not to go down alone.
Good to know
If you went to "conquer" the mountain or cave Crimea, try to leave your coordinates to close people – there are a lot of cases when tourists got lost, climbed the wrong place or got injured this year.
Better yet, don't give in to curiosity. don't visit alone unknown, and most importantly, not equipped cave objects. When planning to visit a particular area, find out in advance what is interesting nearby, where you can look without fear.
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Caves of Crimea (Crimea, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.
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Crimea is so rich in interesting caves that many consider it to be the birthplace of Russian speleology in its modern form. Peak research work in the Crimean caves fell on the 50s. 20th century, and at that time scientists discovered and studied at least a thousand large Crimean caves and a myriad of small ones. And there is no doubt that many more Crimean caves remain hidden from human eyes and unexplored.
I must say that those caves of the Crimea, which are the most accessible for visiting, alas, today are the most littered and spoiled by numerous crowds of tourists. And those that are not easy to get to, on the contrary, can be pristine and beautiful, but there is nothing for a person to do in them without special training and speleologist skills. In any case, do not neglect the services of a guide and do not forget to take warm clothes with you when heading to the caves.
Most of the Crimean caves are located in one of four regions: Chatyr-Dag, Ai-Petri, Dolgorukovsky massif and Karabi-Yayla. The most famous caves of the picturesque mountain Chatyr-Dag, one of the symbols of Crimea, are Marble, the entrance to which is located at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level (according to some estimates, this cave is one of the five most beautiful equipped caves on the planet) and Emine-Bair -Khosar, which is part of the overall Marble complex and is famous for the legend associated with it. Ai-Petri is famous for the Black flooded cave and Ayu-Teshik. The most famous caves of the Dolgorukovsky massif are the Red Cave (Kizil-Koba) and Yeni-Sala. In this massif there are generally leading caves in the sense of underground lakes and siphons. Karabi-Yayla is known for the Big Buzuluk ice cave.
The mountain caves of the Crimea often melt inside a lake or river. The largest water-filled gallery is located in the Yeni-Sala-3 cave, its length exceeds 110 m. And the largest of the completely flooded caves is Black, its length is 1300 m. Another option is when the cave is not filled with water, but with snow or ice , and the whole year. There are about forty such caves, and the most famous of them is Big Buzluk, where the oldest ice deposits can be preserved for half a century, and picturesque ice icicles hang from the arch. Also well known is the Watering Cave and the Three-Eyes on Ai-Petri.
Other caves are not so interesting purely outwardly, but they surprise with riddles and legends associated with them. For example, in the Kaplu-Kaya cave, they say, a cradle made of pure gold was once buried.
And in the Thousand-Headed Cave it was found great amount human remains from the Middle Ages.
Cave Emine-Bair-Khosar.
Many people in Crimea are only interested in record-breaking caves. For example, the largest on the entire peninsula is the Red Cave, 16 km long, where you can also see the maximum number of tiers - six floors. It is also considered the most studied in the Crimea, because more than one and a half hundred books have been published about this cave. scientific works. Or the deepest - the Soldier's mine, more than half a kilometer deep. The highest cave in the Crimea is Treshchinnaya, whose height above sea level is almost 1500 m. The largest rocky hall can be seen in the Marble Cave, its floor area is about five thousand square meters. m. This cave is also the most visited.
Those who are not looking for easy ways may be interested in the most difficult caves of the Crimea - such statistics are also available. The hardest thing to go through, not surprisingly, is the very famous Red, as well as the Soldier's. Routes through these caves are assigned category 4B. And the most dangerous cave in terms of accidents is Kaskadnaya on Ai-Petri: in 30 years, five tourists have suffered here, of whom two have died.
IN Lately Skelskaya takes the first place among the other caves of the Crimea.
Many travel agencies specially organize trips here and here's why: the speleological complex in Skelskaya was created relatively recently, and so far it is clean, beautiful and there are not many people at all compared to the same, for example, Marble. The Skelskaya cave is located near Sevastopol, and it is easy to get here. At the beginning of the 21st century, the cave was equipped for tourism purposes, and in 2011 the latest electrical equipment was installed here, creating the first precedent of this kind in the Crimea. With the help of colored illumination, the bizarre calcite outgrowths of Skelskaya look very beautiful, and you can guess different figures in them: there is definitely a knight and a monk, a monkey and a dolphin, a dragon and a phoenix, and also, which is especially curious, Crimean sights, such as the Foros Church .
Mountain Crimea is very rich in caves. The fact is that some mountain plateaus, called yayls, are composed of limestone, which is relatively easy to erode, that is, to wash out soluble rocks with water. Such processes and, as a result, the terrain they create is called karst. An example is the Chatyr-Dag plateau and the Karabi-Yayla mountain range. There are more than 200 caves and more than 1000 sinkholes on the Chatyr-Dag plateau. And on Karabi-Yaila there are even more karst sinkholes - more than 3500. By the 1970s, when the book "Caves of Crimea" by V.N. Dublyansky (geologist, speleologist, professor), about 800 karst cavities were known in the Crimea, at present there are about 1100 of them. 2 pcs.
The best and famous caves in Crimea
If you are interested in the beauty of the underworld, then, of course, with such a quantity, there is a certain difficulty in choosing which caves of Crimea are worth visiting in the first place. We didn't have this problem, they helped us. Often in our choice we turn to some specialists or professionals. In our case, a guide from, located in Adygea, as a professional in his field, advised the three main caves of Crimea:, and (another name for it is Mammoth Cave). Having visited them, we can say with all responsibility: these are really very beautiful caves, moreover, the most famous ones. In this case, we are talking about equipped caves (so that speleologists do not throw tomatoes at us), where you can get as part of an excursion group without special skills (knowledge) and special equipment. Both old and young can visit them. Therefore, if you are not a professional speleologist, but only get acquainted with the mysterious and the most beautiful world underground depths of the Crimean mountains, it is worth starting with a visit to these three caves. So, let's begin.
How to get to the best caves of Crimea
All three caves are located on both sides of the highway Simferopol-Alushta(highway number 35A-002). The Red Cave (Kizil-Koba) is located on the slope of Dolgorukovskaya Yayla, you can get to it by turning off the highway near the village Perevalnoe on the road 35N-554. More details in the article about.
Visual location on the map at the end of the article.
Cave Red is the largest in the Crimea. On the this moment the cave has been explored for more than 26 kilometers, the volume is 270,000 cubic meters, the amplitude is 275 meters, and the height of the largest hall, called the Blue Chapel Hall, is 145 meters. I must say right away that it will not work to see this hall and other largest halls as part of a regular tour. The route along the equipped part of the cave runs only 500 meters, but even these 500 meters will give admiration. You can go further only as part of an extreme tour in wetsuits. The meaning of the name is as follows: “kizil” from Turkic means red, “koba” means cave. Here, in fact, everything is so simple - Kizil-Koba, the Red Cave. The name comes from the reddish-brown hue of the limestones of the Upper Jurassic period, in which the cave lies. In addition to absolute figures, the cave is interesting in that an underground river flows in it, which is periodically shown to you during a regular excursion.
The Marble Cave is considered the most beautiful cave in Crimea and one of the five most beautiful equipped caves in the world. The length is 2 km, the depth is 60 m. The main treasure of the cave is the Perestroika Hall - the largest equipped hall in the Crimea and Europe, 250 m long and 28 m high, area 5,000 m2, and volume 50,000 m3. The age of the cave is about 6-8 million years. The cave was discovered in 1987 by the Simferopol speleological section. In 1988, the Onyx-Tour speleotourism center was founded, which equipped excursion routes for visitors, it also studies and preserves the cave to this day. The name of the cave is associated with marble-like limestone - the main rock in the layers of which the cave lies.
Read more about the cave, how to get there, the cost of visiting, opening hours and photos - in the article.
The Emine-Bair-Khosar Cave can easily compete with the Marble Cave for the title of the most beautiful cave in Crimea. But she does not need to argue, she is unique in her own way. Namely, with its calcite formations and incrustations, located on five different levels. The halls of the highest level are located approximately 30 meters from the surface of the earth, and the lowest level is 180 meters. The length of the cave is about 1460 m. Another unique part of the cave is a sixteen-meter well-failure that goes to the surface, as well as an almost complete skeleton of a mammoth and other prehistoric animals found in this cave. That is why the cave has a second name - Mammoth Cave. And of course, it is worth noting the delightful Kecskemét Hall.
Read more about the cave, how to get there, the cost of visiting, opening hours and photos - in the article
Crimea is famous for its many interesting places. Among them Special attention deserve a cave. In this area they a large number of each one is unique and has its own characteristics. Since ancient times, people settled in them and used them for their needs. In this article we will talk about the caves of the Crimea, open to the public.
Caves and cave monasteries of Crimea on the map:
Three-eyed or Vorontsovskaya cave
Mountain Crimea hides a large number of caves. But not all can be visited by non-specialists. The most accessible - Three-eyed.
Three-Eyed Cave inside
There are more than 3 million years old, the depth is -30 meters. Occupies over 600 sq. meters. You can get inside it through 3 shafts - failures resembling three eyes along the ladder. Through one of them, located almost vertically, sunlight enters the cave; in cold period- it's snowing. It's always cold inside. The snow does not completely melt, even in summer there is ice on the floor. Ancient hunters kept the meat of dead animals here. When they shot the film "The Prisoner of the Castle of If", they painted the eyes.
Important! Before you go on an excursion, you need to take warm clothes with you, inside the air temperature does not rise to 10 degrees. In winter, the Trekhglazka is closed.
Yalta cave on the Ai-Petri plateau
The smallest, but incredibly beautiful cave. Traces of the life of people of the Neolithic era were found here.
During the warm period, tourists can contemplate numerous long stalactites that hang from the arches, like pasta. On the floor of the great hall, there are many stalagmites of incredibly crazy shapes. Walls in swells. light from small light bulbs creates an unimaginable play of light and shadow.
It is famous for its vertical well, 40 meters long, through which you can go down to the lower hall. Not every tourist can do it: only daredevils, in the company of a climbing guide, dressed in special equipment, go down.
marble cave
The most visited cave in Crimea is located on the Chadyr-Daga plateau, not far from the village of the same name. It was formed in marble-like limestones, which is why it got its name. It is located at a depth of 60 meters, the length is just over 2 km.
Red Cave Kizil-Koba
The largest one is 20 km long. Red, because iron impurities predominate in the rock. Ordinary tourists are only accessible half a kilometer. It will be convenient to get there on a fabulous train, especially when it rains.
There is the possibility of an extreme excursion: put on a scuba gear and see the flooded passages and halls with your own eyes. Underground passages are located on six levels, with a difference of more than 250 meters.
Inside the cave are numerous lakes, wells, waterfalls, huge halls, as well as the largest stalactite in Europe, 8 thousand years old. Full information about the Red Cave (Kizil Koba) in Crimea can be found.
Cave monastery near Sudak
The ruins of the monastery lie near Mount Sokol. At the beginning of our millennium, Byzantine monks lived here - icon worshipers. Later the Turks ravaged it. But people have not forgotten about him.
In one of the three caves, there is a carved cross on the wall, and next to it is a shop. In the other, only the front wall and a few cells have been preserved. You can get there along the path along the steep slope of the mountain. From above you can see the sea. The place is also notable for the fact that a healing spring was found nearby.
Holy Dormition Cave Monastery in Bakhchisarai
This monastery was also founded by Byzantine monks. It is carved into a sheer rock. This holy monastery has an interesting history.
When Crimean Khanate gained independence, and Russia received Crimean fortresses, local Christians are leaving these places due to harassment by the Muslim population. The Russian commander Alexander Suvorov took an active part in the event. But three years later the monastery began to hold services again.
During the revolution, the monastery was plundered, and the servants were shot. During the Great Patriotic War, a hospital was located within these walls. The monastery was revived again after the collapse Soviet Union. The parishioners restored the Holy Place by joint efforts. They did a titanic work: they restored the stone staircase, the Assumption Church, restored the rock painting, erected a bell tower and much more.
Tepe Kermen - cave city in Bakhchisarai
A purely strategic building, arose on a cone-shaped mountain, at an altitude of more than 500 meters. Casemates, quarters for guards, cisterns for collecting rainwater were built in the rock. There are more than 200 premises in the city, different shapes and volume, located on six levels.
At the top there were living quarters and water tanks, at the bottom - outbuildings. The northeastern slope of the rock is decorated with a rock church. On the stone stairs from it you can go to the very bottom of the cliff. On the sixth level there is a tomb covered with a stone slab, on the fifth level there is a sacristy and a refectory, on the fourth level there is a crypt with a niche for an icon. There is also a chapel.
The second name - Emine Bair Khosar - is translated as a well on a mountain slope. At the bottom of the failure, a large karst cavity was discovered - now it is the main hall.
Location - Chadyr dag, lower plateau. The length is 1.5 kilometers, the depth is about 100. The halls and passages are illuminated, equipped with stairs with railings.
Here they found the bones of extinct animals, even a mammoth, after which the cave is named.
Stalactites form outlandish figures: Cap of Monomakh, Stone Flower, fabulous gods. Of particular interest is the two-level lake. The cave is deservedly considered one of the most unusual in Europe.
Shuldan Cave Monastery
Located near the village of Ternovka, it includes two churches and twenty rooms in two tiers. The main temple is made in the form of an elongated rectangular room. Altar in the shape of a horseshoe.
Shuldan cave monastery inside
In ancient times, the walls of the temples were decorated with frescoes, but they have not survived to our times. Recently, a chapel tower was erected, the dome of which is clearly visible from afar.
From the observation deck of the tower offers a wonderful view of the valley. The sight is told not only by tourists, but also by pilgrims. They are provided with cells for guests, where it is possible to spend the night.
Cave city Bakla
The northern city of Crimea is once an open medieval settlement. To date, almost not preserved.
A castle was built here in the sixth century. large pieces limestone, which was destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols. On the shore there are graves carved in stone, grape presses, waste pits, and artificial caves.
Cave city Inkerman
The ancient fortress of Kalamita, consisting of more than three hundred fortifications - business card cities.
Kalamita fortress of the cave city Inkerman
The fortress itself did not last long, and the caves under it were preserved. Today, the largest wine-making enterprise of the Crimea is located here. Its underground cellars occupy 55 thousand square meters. Along with a local history tour, tourists are offered to visit wine tasting rooms. The city also has an operating monastery. We talk more about the cave city of Inkerman in.
Kalamita Fortress of the cave city of Inkerman in Crimea, a monastery at the foot of the Kalamita Fortress
We also invite you to watch a video about the most popular and beautiful cave Crimea Marble: