The Karadag Nature Reserve (from the Turkic - “Black Mountain”) is the most beautiful corner of the Crimea, which is popular with most visitors to the peninsula. Located in its southeastern part, between the villages of Kurortnoye, Koktebel and Shchebetovka (near Feodosia), it is the only geological object in Europe where an extinct ancient volcano is located.
Karadag reserve: volcano
Its eruption, which happened more than 120 million years ago, and the natural processes that followed it led to the creation of a unique, picturesque complex, majestic and inimitable.
The Black Sea near the Karadag coast looks amazing: blue-blue sparkling water, as if tinted with azure and constantly changing color from gentle turquoise to juicy cornflower blue, competing with heavenly blue.
The holy mountain of Karadag: miracles of healing
The Karadag mountain range is formed by several peaks of bizarre shapes, reminiscent of impregnable fortress walls with towers and loopholes. Behind them rises the domed Holy Mountain - the highest point of Karadag with a height of 577 meters. Covered with forest, it almost entirely consists of a track - a rock formed by volcanic ash and having a greenish color.
In ancient times, on the top of this mountain was the sanctuary of the warlike goddess Kali. In the 1st century AD e. The holy mountain served as a place of veneration of the healing god Asclepius.
In the 19th century, the legend was spread among the Tatar population that on the Holy Mountain there was an unmarked grave of a saint that cured the sick. What faith the miracle worker belonged to was unknown, therefore both Muslims and Christians revered him. Toward evening, people gathered in crowds in the current Karadag reserve and brought to this place carts of patients who, before dark, cut off locks of hair and pieces of clothing, tied them to tree branches and shrubs in order to leave the disease in this place. The patient was laid on a gravestone covered with sheepskins, and left overnight. In a dream, the spirit of the saint appeared to him, interpreted the cause of the disease, gave a sign how to avert it, or sent a recovery. The practice of miraculous healings existed for more than a century, almost before the outbreak of World War II.
From the point of view of science, the healing abilities of the Holy Mountain are explained by the action of powerful geomagnetic energy accumulated in this place, which strongly affects the climate, animal and plant life. And the gravestone (stone - megalith), which was the accumulator of this energy, was blown up in the Soviet period, the grate was stolen, the place was desecrated. Currently, attempts are being made to restore the lost shrine.
Karadag rocks
The Karadag nature reserve, whose history partly resembles a fantastic fairy tale, is unique with rocks formed under the influence of natural elements and resembling bizarre animals: Horse-Gingerbread, Sphinx, Ivan the Robber, Devil's Finger. The whole thematic composition stands out Kagarach ridge, the peaks of which are called the King, Queen, Throne, Suite. In some places, the mountains recede a little, opening small bays with a narrow border of beaches, which also have unusual names: Frog, Serdolikovaya, Lion, Border, Rogue, Barakhta.
Golden Gate - a business card of Karadag
The Golden Gate rock formation is the hallmark of Karadag. Only a few days a year (closer to the date of the winter solstice) through them you can admire the sunrise.
It is known that the sketch of the gates of Karadag is captured in the manuscript of “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin, who traveled to Tauris. The Golden Gate has another name - Shaitan-Kapu (otherwise -
Devil's Gate). It was believed that in this place there is a road to the underworld. Externally, the Golden Gate represents an arch, the depth of the water under which is 15 meters, the height above the sea is 8 meters and the width is 6 meters. It is believed that, swimming under this arch, you need to throw a coin into the rock (so that it rings) and immediately make a wish that will certainly come true.
The uniqueness of Karadag
The Karadag reserve (photo is presented in the article) is unique not only by rocks and mountains of exceptional shape, but also by the flora and fauna. This is the habitat of many endangered, rare and endemic (found exclusively here) representatives of flora and fauna.
The Karadag Nature Reserve is a unique biocomplex of the Crimean territory, which, in combination with a picturesque relief, unusual natural conditions, placers of rare minerals, a unique geological structure, historical events, causes great interest of scientists around the world, as well as nature lovers, guests of the peninsula and tourists.
The formation of the Karadag reserve
It was precisely because of the mass visit to the pearl of Crimea that the Karadagsky Nature Reserve was formed in 1979, the area of which covered almost 2.9 thousand hectares, of which 809 hectares were in the Black Sea. This measure was simply necessary and served as an impetus for strengthening the conservation status of a popular territory. Unorganized, wild tourism has become a threat to the mineralogical riches of Karadag and caused significant damage to the flora - fires - and fauna - caused concern.
Therefore, the formation of the reserve is a necessary measure, although somewhat belated: the most vulnerable species of large birds of prey, bats and other animals have already disappeared.
The nature of the Karadag reserve is distinguished by its rich species and is represented by three belts:
- from sea level to 250 meters - steppe belt diluted with light forest and shrubs;
- from 250 to 450 meters - forests of fluffy oak;
- above 450 meters - hornbeam and rocky oak forests.
In Crimea, there are approximately 2400 species of higher flowering plants. And almost half of them are in Karadag. The entire flora of the reserve includes 2782 species, many of which are listed in the Red Books of various ranks. There are plants living exclusively here and nowhere else.
There has been a debate in the scientific world for a long time whether the Karadag nature reserve, together with the mountainous Crimea, which differs sharply from the steppe part of the peninsula, is the last reminder of the Black Sea Atlantis - Pontida, which once connected the peninsula with the Turkish Black Sea coast. This is indirectly indicated by the geography and climate of the Karadag reserve. Pontida could also be connected by a dry land with the Caucasus and the Balkans: how else could plant species characteristic exclusively of these regions appear and take root here.
Karadag reserve: animals
Representatives of the fauna of Karadag are also of considerable interest. This is a peregrine falcon, a leopard snake, listed in the international Red Book. Mammals are represented by bats in all their diversity. Among the rare insects, one can distinguish the Crimean ground beetle, Ascalaf, a large wingless grasshopper (steppe horn), several species of mantis.
Stone martens, Crimean and rock lizards, squirrels, hedgehogs, hedgehogs, roe deer, wild boars are found here. There are more than 200 species of birds, although not all of them nest here.
The inhabitants of the water area of Karadag
The sea attracts with its clean water and a variety of bottom (shell rock, rocks, sand), which determines the richness of bottom invertebrates, especially crustaceans, annelids and bivalves. It is estimated that the inhabitants of the Karadag water area comprise 50-70% of all species of the Black Sea fauna. Also, along the Karadag coast, you can often find Black Sea dolphins. Mussels are of commercial value. Unfortunately, another commercial Black Sea mollusk, oyster, has disappeared. This is due to the spread in the Black Sea of rapana - a predatory Far Eastern snail. In addition to oysters, this aggressive invader also affected other Black Sea bivalves: large modiolus, scallop, and polititapes. True, now the rapa itself, which has spread en masse off the coast of Karadag, has become an object of fishing, and tourists have successfully bought its beautiful shells.
Does the Karadag monster exist?
According to ancient legends, a sea monster lives in the Karadag water area. According to extant tales of the Romans, ancient Greeks and Byzantines, it looks like a huge dark gray snake with massive clawed legs, a terrible mouth, dotted with several rows of large sharp teeth, and is able to develop high speed when moving, easily overtaking sailing vessels. In the XVI-XVIII centuries, Turkish sailors repeatedly notified the Sultan of meetings with the Black Sea snake. The naval officers of Admiral Fedor Ushakov, who reported this to Emperor Nicholas I, also saw him. The tsar even set up an expedition to capture the monster, but it was unsuccessful. It was found only a huge egg with a dragon-shaped embryo, weighing 12 kilograms.
These legends were confirmed in 1990, when fishermen, 3 miles from the Karadag reserve, pulled out the mutilated body of a dolphin from nets. Judging by the bite, the width of the mouth of the sea monster was about a meter, and the teeth - 4-5 centimeters. The sight seen plunged the fishermen into horror. In 1991, last year’s picture was repeated: another dolphin with similar injuries was caught in the same place on the net.
Karadag for guests of the peninsula
The Karadag nature reserve is divided into zones: open - for tourists, as well as protected - absolutely reserved. For visitors who come here with pleasure, a nature museum, a dolphinarium and an aquarium are open, boat trips, excursions along the ecological trail are carried out, and the laid routes cover the most interesting corners of the reserve; nevertheless, they are protected from direct intrusion.
The Karadag Biostation and the reserve regularly inventory flora and fauna, conduct thorough scientific research, study the bottom fauna and marine plankton. Students from the geological and biological faculties of many educational institutions practice at the reserve.