Mount Shihan in Bashkiria is an amazing geological natural monument. This ancient formation consists of four components - Yurak-tau, Kush-tau, Shah-tau and Tra-tau. Isolated hills forming a narrow chain stretch for twenty kilometers along the river. White.
Wonders of nature
In ancient times, the territory of modern Bashkiria was occupied by the ocean. At that time, Mount Sheehan was nothing more than a reef. And still on the hill you can see the prints made by mollusks. The accumulation of fossils has become a kind of repository for a variety of representatives of the ancient organic world. Among them are sponges, corals, bryozoans, algae, echinoderms, foraminifera and brachiopods.
Yurak-tau
Mount Sheehan (Sterlitamak is nearby) is the remnant of a reef that used to be part of the Lower Perm Massif. It belongs to the Late Paleozoic. The approximate period of formation is about 230 million years ago. Mount Shihan is cone-shaped. The slopes are quite steep - about twenty to thirty degrees, but they do not form rocky ledges. The lower part is covered with scree. At the bottom of the slope from the north side springs beat, one of which is sulphurous. The length of the Yurak-tau is 1000 m, the width is 850 m. The height above the sea level is 338 meters, above the soil level is 200 m, and 220 meters above the Belaya River. At the foot is about. Moksha.
Kush tau
This mountain Shihan is located three kilometers from Yurak-tau. It is 140 km from Ufa, and 18 km from Sterlitamak. In shape, it is a two-humped ridge stretched from north to south. At the foot of the mountain is a holiday house called "Shihan". The eastern slope is occupied by the slopes of the famous ski resort. Like other shihan in Bashkiria, Kush-tau is the remnant of the Lower Permian reef massif.
Shah tau
This mountain Shihan rises five kilometers from Sterlitamak. Its length is 1.3 kilometers. Shah-tau is extended in the direction to the southwest. The absolute height until the start of the development process was 336 meters. Researchers' interest is attracted by large limestone ledges, where in frozen rocks you can find shells of marine animals extinct millions of years ago, impregnated with semi-liquid oil or tar.
Mountain limestones are being developed to produce raw materials manufactured by the Soda Sterlitamak Production Association. When this process had not yet been started, broad-leaved maple and oak forests grew on the slopes on the north side.
As of 1975, the peak “Tsar Mountain” (literal translation of the name) became thirty-five meters lower. Currently, there is practically nothing left of this shihan.
Tra-tau
This mountain is located eight kilometers south of Shah-tau. In shape, it is a regular truncated cone. The southwest slope is very steep. This shihan is an unspoken symbol of Ishimbay region. Since 1965, it has the status of a natural monument. Tra-tau rises 280 meters above the soil. It is noteworthy that over a hundred species of herbaceous plants grow on a relatively small section of the mountain. Small caves can be found in the upper parts of the western and southwestern slopes. At the foot of the lake is Tugar-Salgan.
Jurmatians have long considered Tra-tau their sacred mountain. The area around this sheehan has been considered forbidden for many centuries. It was there that all the most important ceremonies were held.
Beautiful traditions
There are many legends about the ancient mountains that are passed on from mouth to mouth for more than one generation. One of them tells us about the unrequited feelings that flared up from the dzhigit Ashak to the beautiful Agidel. For a long time, the young man tried to gain the favor of his beloved, but the girl did not pay attention to expensive gifts or recognition. In the end, Agidel secretly left her parental home to never see Ashak again. The news of this very angered the young man. He rushed in pursuit of the shrew. When Ashak caught up with Agidel, he painfully hit the girl with a lash. The father of the young beauty - the Urals - did not want his hand raised on his daughter. In order to protect his child, he turned Agidel into a river. When Ashak realized what he had done, he tore his heart out. Since then, a river, thin as a young virgin, flows at the site of sad events and there are four sheehan.
There are many other beliefs telling about the incredible history of the emergence of these mountains. Indeed, it is difficult to believe that such a miracle of nature appeared without the intervention of magical powers.
The result of hard work
What used to be hidden in the bowels of the rocks can now be admired in the museum. It was opened thanks to the efforts of Skuin Ivan Albertovich, a geologist who has been collecting the collection for more than twenty years. The museum is located in the quarry of Mount Shah Tau. Most of all, tourists want to look at the teeth of a mammoth and the most beautiful stones of different sizes and shapes. Analogues of this collection can not be found anywhere else in the world. This museum attracts not only ordinary travelers, but also geologists. The latter is given the opportunity to study the reefs of the Lower Permian period, brought to the earth's surface.
Leisure opportunities
Mount Shihan forms a unique recreational area. There you can have a great rest both in a large company and in a close family circle, having set up a tent in one of the many suitable sites.
Mount Sheehan. Chelyabinsk region
This granite rock massif is located in the Middle Urals. Nearby is the city of Upper Ufaley, and six kilometers - the station "Strongman". In the intermountain basin Lake Arakul was formed. Mount Sheehan stretches for two kilometers from north to south. The maximum width of the chain ranges from forty to fifty meters. Peak - Chamberlain (80 m).
The journey from Chelyabinsk to this natural monument will take about two and a half hours. Tourists are advised to stock up on repellents, as there are really many mosquitoes in these places.
Conclusion
Mountains are unique creations of nature. They give us the purest air and offer magnificent views. Arrays that appeared millions of years ago have not only aesthetic, but also practical value, becoming a source of extraction of various minerals, precious metals and much more.