The name of this region is translated from Turkic as "country of mountains". The beauty of Dagestan is in its natural diversity. What is there: mountain ranges, canyons, gorges, caves, waterfalls, mineral springs, liana forests and even dunes! And all this is concentrated on a relatively small area. In this article we will introduce you to the main natural beauties of Dagestan.
Meet Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is one of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation located in the southwestern part of the country. It borders with Kalmykia, Chechnya, the Stavropol Territory, as well as Georgia and Azerbaijan. If you look at the physical map of the republic, you can see that it is clearly divided into two parts: the northern lowland and the southern mountainous. And it is the beauty of mountainous Dagestan that attracts a huge number of tourists to this region.
Officially, the land of dry wines and cognacs was formed in January 1921. Today, about 3 million people live here. The ethnic composition of the population is extremely colorful: Avars, Lezghins, Kumyks, Dargins, Russians, Nogais, Laks and others. 14 languages in the region have the status of a state!
The flag of Dagestan is interesting . It consists of three horizontal stripes: green, blue and red. The first personifies Islam (the Dagestanis are overwhelmingly Sunni Muslims), the second symbolizes the Caspian Sea, and the third - the incredible courage and courage of the inhabitants of the “mountainous country”.
The beauty of nature of Dagestan
Dagestan is the extreme southern constituent entity of the Russian Federation. The region stretches from north to south for almost 400 kilometers. In the east, it is washed by the waters of the Caspian. The central and southern parts of the republic are occupied by mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus, and the vast Caspian lowland extends to the north . There are many rivers in Dagestan, and almost all of them are concentrated in the mountainous part of the country. The largest of them are Terek, Sulak, Samur, Rubas.
The chic beauty of Dagestan amazes everyone with its magnificent mountain landscapes and amazing natural sites. Mountains occupy about 50% of the total area of the republic. The highest of them, even in the summer heat, are covered with snow caps. In the mountains of Dagestan there are incredibly many caves, waterfalls, canyons and picturesque valleys with lush green vegetation.
Several hundred thousand tourists visit the region every year in order to see all its beauties with their own eyes and capture them in the photo.
Beauty of Dagestan: TOP 10 amazing places
When traveling around the republic, you will often come across incredible natural wonders and sights. We bring to your attention a list of the most beautiful places in Dagestan:
- "Aeolian city."
- Karadakh Gorge.
- Barkhan Sarykum.
- Samur forest.
- Mount Shalbuzdag.
- Tobot Waterfall.
- Gunib fortress.
- Sulak canyon.
- Mineral springs in the village of Akhty.
- Mount Pushkin Tau.
Next, we briefly describe the main beauties of Dagestan.
Aeolian city
Aeolus is called the ancient Greek patron saint of the winds. It was thanks to the wind that this miracle of Dagestan was formed. The Aeolian city is a whole complex of stone sculptures, towers, pillars and mushrooms created by nature itself. By the way, locals do not really like this area. They believe that once here they worshiped evil spirits and performed sacrifices in their honor.
Location of the object: Kug aul, Khiva district (90 km from Derbent).
Karadakh Gorge
Among the natural beauties of Dagestan, a special place is occupied by the Karadakh gorge (or “Gate of Miracles”). The gorge reaches a depth of 150 m. However, its width does not exceed five meters. At the bottom of the gorge, twilight always reigns, as the sun's rays simply do not penetrate here. The gorge is the result of the centuries-old work of the river Kvartov. Today, looking at the quiet course of a tiny brook, one can hardly believe it.
Location of the object: the vicinity of the village of Karadakh.
Barkhan Sarykum
There is also a mini-Sahara within Dagestan. The dimensions of the relic dune Sarykum are impressive: 12 km in length and about 4 km in width. The maximum height of the sand massif is 250 meters. The dune consists of fine-grained golden sand. It is divided by the river into two parts: one of them is recognized as protected, and the other, unfortunately, has been turned into a quarry and is in danger of extinction.
Location: Makhachkala neighborhood (20 km from the capital of the republic).
Samur forest
The only liana forest in Russia is located in Dagestan. It is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea. In summer, here you can enjoy the flowering of lotuses and watch the schools of small fish in the water, in the fall - enjoy plenty of forest berries and nuts. The dense forest, braided by evergreen vines, serves as a habitat for a large number of birds and fish. Many of them are listed in the Red Book of Russia.
Object location: Samur and Small Samur deltas.
Mount Shalbuzdag
Shalbuzdag is a sacred mountain for all Muslims. Her three conquest is equivalent to a visit to Mecca. The height of the mountain is 4142 meters. Here is the grave of the righteous Suleiman. According to legend, after death, his body was brought to the mountain by pigeons. A mosque was built over the grave, to which hundreds of pilgrims rise annually.
Object location: Lateral ridge.
Tobot Waterfall
This is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Caucasus region. More picturesque is not the waterfall itself, but its surroundings. The plain here abruptly and unexpectedly “falls” into a deep canyon. A thin hundred-meter jet of a waterfall falls from one of its walls.
Location of the object: Arani village.
Gunib fortress
The fortress is very successfully and effectively integrated into the surrounding mountain landscape. It was built in the middle of the century before last during the Caucasian war on the plateau of the same name. In the village of Gunib there are lower fortress gates. An impressive stone wall rises from them to the top of the mountain, ending with a round tower, which offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
Location of the object: Gunib village.
Sulak Canyon
This is perhaps one of the most visited attractions of Dagestan. The magnificent natural wonder was created by the Sulak River. It was she who drilled a gorge with a length of 53 kilometers and a depth of 1900 meters in the body of the Gimrinsky Range. The slopes of the canyon are steep and impregnable, in places they form rocky cliffs.
Location: Dubki village, Kazbekovsky district.
Mineral springs in the village of Akhty
Along the shore of the mountain river Akhta Chai there are several hot springs, which are quite popular among tourists. The water temperature in them ranges from 35-60 degrees. Sources have proven themselves in the treatment of skin diseases and ailments associated with joints.
Location of the object: near the village of Akhty.
Mount Pushkin Tau
Mount Izberbash (or Pushkin-Tau) is a series of rocky ledges. Looking at them from a certain angle, one can clearly see the profile of the great Russian poet and writer A. S. Pushkin. The height of the mountain is only 223 meters. Its plateau-shaped peak is a favorite destination for paragliders who gather here every summer.
Location: Izberbash city.