On the territory of Zelenchuksuy district in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Arkhyz Valley spreads, which is conditionally divided into lower and upper Arkhyz. Going to the lower part of the valley, you can get to the Academgorodok of the village of Bukovo. Here are concentrated the main attractions of Arkhyz, among which are ancient temples. In the upper part is the resort Arkhyz. In general, “Arkhyz” should be understood as a territory that begins in the northern part of the village of Dausuz (including Zelenchukskaya stanitsa) and lasts for the Main Caucasian Range in the southern part.
Many tourists tend to visit this area to see all the sights of Arkhyz. First of all, these are unique places created by nature itself. From the northern and northwestern parts, the territory of Arkhyz is separated by the ridge of Abishir-Akhub. The peak of Sofia is considered the symbol of Arkhyz, the crest of which steeply breaks off closer to the north and forms the Sofia saddle, which subsequently connects to the Chenet Chat ridge. Quite a picturesque picture are Sofia waterfalls.
In addition to unique natural places, Arkhiz architectural sights, including the northern Zelenchuksky temple, are popular with tourists. The building is built of sandstone in the shape of a cross. Its length corresponds to the height of the temple and is 21 meters. As for the width, it is half as much. At present, it is no longer possible to see the frescoes, since they have not been preserved (the exception is the ornaments on the slopes of the altar windows).
Continuing to consider the sights of Arkhyz, one can not help but say about the BTA telescope, which is the largest in Eurasia. It was installed in the Special Astrophysical Observatory, which is located near the village of Nizhny Arkhyz on Mount Semirodniki. In this area, the RATAN-600 radio telescope, located near the village of Zelenchukskaya, deserves attention. It is one of the largest in the world and consists of 895 reflecting elements of a rectangular shape, each of which has a size of 2 by 11.4 meters. All of them are arranged in a circle, the diameter of which is 576 meters.
Continuing to discuss the most interesting places Arkhyz is famous for, the sights, the photos of which are presented here, can be supplemented by the historical, architectural and archaeological complex - the Lower Arkhyz fort, located just two kilometers from Bukovo. Once the city of Magas flourished here. According to scientists, it was this village that was once the capital of ancient Alanya. The castle itself stretches for 4.5 kilometers. Here you can clearly see three streets, several lanes with the remains of stone walls, houses and temples.
What else is interesting to see when you come to Arkhyz? The sights of this area can be described for a very long time. But we will stop at the Lower Arkhyz historical and architectural complex, which was opened in 1977 and consists of 3 cross-domed churches: the Southern, Middle and Northern medieval settlements. The complex includes defensive ramparts, quarries, ancient land holdings, above-ground and rock cemeteries.
Among other architectural structures , the Kazan Church, towering in the village of Marukha, deserves attention. Her main treasure is the image of the Kazan Mother of God, which, according to Christians, has healing properties.