Surprisingly, almost all the most beautiful places on our planet, natural phenomena such as thunder or lightning, unusual in their beauty of flowers and much more have their own legend. One can believe in these legends or, conversely, deny them, but the only thing can be said with complete certainty: even those people who completely resist and do not perceive fairy tales, such stories carried through the centuries still seem mysterious and attractive. Sometimes, invented legends convey the color of the area so subtly that it is almost impossible to not believe in their veracity. Popular rumor also goes about the Kurdzhips River, which stretches from the Kuban to Adygea and flows past the Guam Gorge. But today's material will not only discuss an ancient belief, but for the most part about the reservoir itself, which attracts tourists with its extraordinary beauty.
Location
The Kurdzhips River, by the standards of recognized world unconditional leaders such as the Nile or Amur, is quite small. Its length does not exceed 100 km. It originates in the Absheron region of the Krasnodar Territory and belongs to the Kuban Basin District. Its mouth is located 114 km along the left bank of the Belaya River on the Lagonaki plateau of the Abadzesh ridge not far from Maykop.
Almost the entire Kurdzhips flows through canyons that are covered with dense forests. It is noteworthy that deciduous tree species prevail in the lower reaches, and firs prevail in the upper reaches. About 5 km the river flows in the Guam gorge of the Krasnodar Territory, which is formed by two mountain ranges: Lagonaki and Guam. Their height is about 400 meters. By the way, at the top of the cliffs there is a huge amount of living creatures. There are bears, wild boars and deer. It is also worth saying that Kurdzhips receives more than 80 tributaries.
Amazing facts
In general, the word Kurdzhips did not appear out of nowhere. It is an abbreviated combination of two Georgian words: “kurdzhi”, which means “Georgians”, and “dogs”, which translates from Georgian as “water”. It is easy to guess that the name of the Kurdzhips river can be translated as “Georgian river”. The flow of the river, due to its location, mostly in mountainous areas, where the plains are interspersed with highlands, is rapid. The width in the places of its flow in the canyons is about 4 meters, and in some areas it barely reaches 2 meters. This mountain river attracts tourists primarily for its picturesque views: in the gorges beyond each twisty corner you can see a waterfall or sheer rocky rock, life on which seemed to freeze.
Tourist's dream
The Caucasus, as the sophisticated people used to say at the beginning of the 19th century, is not only a health resort, but also an incredible in its natural beauty place on Earth. Tourists have always come here to see the mountains, to breathe the crystal-clear air. One of the most visited places in the Caucasus in recent years is the Republic of Adygea. The Kurdzhips river only contributes to this, because the sheer cliffs 400 meters high are a great place for climbing, and the streams of water boiling below, waterfalls and vegetation, hidden from sunlight, but raging with bright emerald colors, all this helps a person to hide from civilization. It seems to carry from the stone jungle to real paradise. Local residents have long organized excursion tours in these places, rich and interesting. Almost every time, when it comes to the Kurdzhips River, tourists are told an ancient legend.
A fairy tale is a lie ...
Guam Gorge, as legend has it, from the very beginning was a beautiful mountain. In one village, which was scattered in the highlands, there lived a girl named Guamka. She fell in love with the handsome Eagle and their feelings were mutual. But Thunder, too, was in love with Guamka, and one day he simply hit the Eagle with a flash of lightning precisely in the heart. A powerful blow from the elements split the mountain in two, forming a deep canyon in which mountain streams began to flow. If you follow the stream, the river will lead to the village of Mezmay, where a huge stone heart rises directly from the waters of Kurdzhips. It is it, according to the inhabitants of Adygea, that belongs to Orel. And next to this heart flows a clear stream, considered to be the tears of grief for Guamka's beloved.
The Kurdzhips River undoubtedly deserves attention. It is a unique geological and botanical natural gallery in the open air, a place where the legend comes to life.