Where is Ayers Rock. Australian Aborigines ban climbing Uluru

Location: Australia
Height: 348 m
Width: about 3 km
Length: 3.6 km
Coordinates: 25°20"40.9"S 131°01"53.9"E

General view of Uluru rock

Uluru is located almost in the very center of the smallest continent and annually attracts the attention of more than half a million tourists every year who want to see the huge stone "elephant" "lying" in the desert with their own eyes. Why an elephant? Yes, because if you look at the photo of the Uluru rocks, taken from a bird's eye view, the rock, which, according to the most conservative estimates, was formed about 700 million years ago, looks like a real elephant. True, not standing and not eating vegetation, but dead in the middle of one of the hottest deserts in the world. The Uluru rock, in addition to being the subject of controversy by many reputable geologists and historians, is fanned by many myths and legends.

As mentioned above, Uluru is located in the desert, but people lived and live near it. The rock paintings of the Uluru rock allow scientists to draw a definite conclusion, the Australian natives lived near this monolith (or maybe not a monolith) 10,000 (!) Years ago. “How can a person survive in a desert where there is practically no vegetation, and the air temperature during the day warms up above 40 degrees Celsius?” Any tourist can ask a question, even on the outskirts of the stone giant. The thing is that near Uluru there is a source from which the purest ice water beats. It is she who helps the Australian Aborigines survive in such extreme conditions.

The “discovered” rock of Uluru in Australia was relatively recently in 1892 by Ernest Giles, who conducted most of his life in travels across the Australian continent. The word "open", of course, has a certain connotation: it was discovered by immigrants from Europe who inhabited Australia. The Australian Aborigines have long known about the rock, which is a little over three and a half kilometers long, a little less than three meters wide and 170 meters high. So long ago that there is nothing about their history on this moment unknown. It is possible to get an idea of ​​how the tribes lived at the Uluru rock only from rock paintings. The honor to describe the giant monolith fell to William Christine Gross, who did it already in 1893.

To say with certainty whether the rock of Uluru is a monolith, like, for example, weathering pillars, or whether it is connected underground with the mountain, until not a single scientist decides. More precisely, they decide, however, they have different opinions. One part of the geologists claims that Uluru in Australia is a monolith and does not accept other points of view, while the other part proves that the rock is connected deep underground with a mountain that has a strange name for Australia, Olga. The name is really strange, however, like everything on the smallest mainland. By the way, the mountain began to be called Olga in honor of ... the wife of the Russian Emperor Nicholas the First!

Uluru rock - legends and myths

No matter how much geologists argue about whether Uluru, resembling a lying elephant, is a monolith or, nevertheless, it is associated with Mount Olga, the natives have their own opinion about the appearance of the rock. IN ancient legend, which the Australian Aborigines pass down from generation to generation, it is said that two tribes lived at once near a small rock. One tribe lived on the side of Uluru, which was always lit by the sun, and the other tribe lived in its shadow. Which tribe was more comfortable is a moot point. The first tribe was called Mala, and the second - Kunia. These tribes once decided to invite another tribe, called Windulka, to visit them. In addition to the Mala and Kuniya tribes, lizard women were invited to visit. These beautiful and seductive creatures were part of the Liru tribe. On the way to the Windulka tribe, representatives of the male part of Mala and Kuniya saw female lizards and began to show them signs of attention. What happened along the way, and whether the process of courtship reached its culmination, is not specified, but no one came to the holiday arranged by the Windulka tribe. Either the courtship lasted a long time, or the lizard women nevertheless decided that the men from the Mala and Kuniya tribes were worthy of their attention (in this case it becomes clear why the Winddulka holiday was forgotten), is also not known.

The Windulka tribe wielded great power over the forces of nature, a fact that was overlooked by men who were fascinated by the charming female lizards. The sorcerers from Windulk called for help giant hairless dogs and snakes that lived in large numbers near Mount Olga. Cruel, hungry dogs and poisonous snakes were sent to the Mala and Kuniya tribes. Probably, at that moment, the loving representatives of these tribes greatly regretted their fleeting passion: the legend says that literally in a day Mala and Kuniya were completely exterminated. However, this is not the end of the legend that tells about the rock, but only its beginning. After all the natives from the two tribes died, Uluru rose even stronger from the earth and absorbed the souls of the slain into its caves.

After this tragedy, another legend appeared among the natives that whoever takes with him at least a small pebble from the sacred rock will incur the wrath of the souls enclosed in the rock. Aborigines believe in this myth, but tourists do not. As time has shown, in vain. Australia Post is literally littered with parcels containing a small stone taken by unlucky travelers from Uluru. Everyone who brought home a piece of the monolith knew what a real disaster is. Therefore, in order to get rid of the curse, tourists send their terrible "souvenirs" to their homeland.

Uluru - the origin of the rock - official versions

As mentioned above, the Uluru rock arose about 700-hundred million years ago. Geologists say that the legendary Australian monolith (or not monolith) arose from sedimentary rocks at the bottom of almost dry lake Amadius.

In the middle of the lake formerly towered huge island, which gradually collapsed, and its parts were compressed at the bottom of the once gigantic reservoir. Thus, over a long period of time, the Uluru rock was formed in the very center of the Australian continent.

The opinion, which many consider official and scientifically confirmed, is quite often questioned by modern authoritative experts. To be extremely precise, it is not possible at the moment to say for certain how and as a result of which the Uluru rock was formed. By the way, it is impossible to say why the rock bears such a name. Linguists suggest that the word "Uluru" in some Aboriginal language (In Australia, almost every tribe has its own language) means "mountain".

It is rather difficult to explain the origin of the rock, but how numerous cracks and caves formed on it, in which ancient people probably lived, is as simple as that. By the way, cracks on Uluru continue to appear in our time. This is due to the characteristics of the Australian desert climate. As mentioned above, during the day the temperature in the desert, where the rock is located, exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, but at night real frosts begin in this area: with the onset of darkness, the temperature often drops below zero. In addition, the strongest hurricanes are often observed in the Uluru region and Mount Olga. Such a sharp change in temperature, strong gusts of wind lead to the destruction of the rock and the formation of cracks on it. By the way, the natives fundamentally disagree with a scientific point of view: they argue that the cracks and caves on Uluru appear due to the fact that the souls imprisoned in it are trying to break free.

Uluru rock is one of the main attractions of Australia

As mentioned at the very beginning of the article, almost half a million tourists come to see the Uluru rock every year. They are attracted not only by the amazing shape of the rock, but also by its wall paintings made by ancient people in numerous caves. Despite the fact that the Uluru rock became known in the civilized world as early as 1893, tourists have been drawn to it only since the middle of the 20th century. Only in 1950, the Australian authorities, who decided to actively develop tourism infrastructure in their country, held to mysterious rock road. In fairness, it should be noted that even before the construction of the highway, amateurs thrill accompanied by guides traveled to Uluru. Until 1950, 22 ascents to the sacred rock for the natives were officially registered.

After the opening of the highway to the miracle of nature, a stream of tourists simply poured in: they were not embarrassed by the inconvenience and extreme conditions. The number of people wishing to see how the rock changes its color several times during the day increased every year. By the way, the rock really changes during the day: it all depends on where the sun is at a certain moment. If the luminary is hidden behind the clouds, Uluru appears to the traveler in brown with an orange tint. The orange hue of the rock stands out due to the huge amount of iron oxide contained in its rock.

But as soon as the sun rises from the horizon, Uluru suddenly becomes dark purple. The higher the sun rises, the softer the colors of the Australian rock become. Around 10:30 am Uluru turns purple, then the color becomes more and more saturated, then for a short period of time the “lying elephant” turns red, and at exactly 12:00 the rock turns into a huge piece of “gold”.

In 1985, the rock, which the first European who conquered it called Ayers Rock, was transferred to the private property of the natives of the Anangu tribe living near the sacred Uluru. It was from that year that the name "Ayers Rock" ceased to be used, and in all tourist brochures the miracle rock is listed as Uluru. Aboriginal people got their place of worship back, but survive in modern world You can only if you have money. Animal skins and bone arrowheads are no longer enough, even if your ancestors lived that way. Therefore, the natives decided to earn some money on Uluru: they simply rented it to the Australian authorities for 99 years. During this time the unique australian rock is part of national reserve. For this generosity, the Anangu Aboriginal tribe receives US$75,000 each year. In addition, 20% of the cost of a ticket giving the right to visit Uluru also goes to the tribe's budget. The money for the natives is very decent. And if we also take into account the fact that each representative of the tribe, dressed in National Costume(that is, almost naked), receives several dollars from tourists for a photo next to him, then we can conclude: the Anangu tribe is thriving.

Uluru Waterfalls July 1st, 2014

This place is one of the main attractions of Australia. Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation whose orange color is due to the presence of iron oxide in its composition.

The rock has an oval shape with a diameter that ranges from 3 to 3.5 kilometers. Uluru is located almost in the very center of the green continent. She is listed as an object world heritage UNESCO. Every year, about half a million tourists come to this rock. However, only a few thousand manage to see unique phenomenon when streams of water fall in cascades from a rock. During the rainy seasons, from November to March, even in such a dry area, a considerable amount of precipitation falls. It is they who form these temporary waterfalls.

Let's take a closer look at this place...

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Uluru rock, or Ayers Rock, is a 350-meter oval-shaped rock. Uluru (accent on the last syllable) is located in the very center of Australia. Its length is more than 3.5 km, and its width is about 3 km. The base of the rock is indented with caves, and the caves themselves are decorated with ancient rock paintings and stone carving.

Once in the center of the continent towered mountain range, which is an island in the middle of Lake Amadeus. Destruction products rocks were deposited at the bottom of the reservoir, forming a rock. By appearance Uluru resembles a giant elephant lying on its side. From afar, the monolith looks very smooth, but close up, irregularities, cracks and furrows are clearly visible on the surface.

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The desert climate is characterized by temperature fluctuations: the nights are cold here, and the midday heat reaches 40 degrees. The stone expands when heated, and contracts when cooled, which causes it to crack. The unique mountain giant consists of red sandstone, the special properties of which allow it to change color depending on the lighting during the day. At dawn, the black silhouette of the mountain brightens, acquiring a dark purple hue. The sun rises higher and Uluru flashes purplish red, then glows pink, and turns golden by noon. The fantastic play of colors continues all day long.

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In the 19th century Mount Uluru was first seen by European Ernest Giles. He noticed a rock from the shores of Lake Amadeus, but he could not reach it. And a year later, the English explorer William Goss climbed to the top of the miracle mountain. He named the rock "Ayers Rock" after the Secretary of State South Australia Henry Ayers. The name "Uluru" was given to the rock many centuries ago by local natives. This word means nothing. Archaeologists believe that the natives inhabited the areas adjacent to Uluru as early as 10,000 years ago. Thanks to the spouting spring and caves, Uluru has been a haven for ancient tribes for hundreds of years.

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Tourists began to visit this place only in the middle of the last century, after the construction of the highway through this area was completed. Since 1985, Uluru has officially belonged to the Anangu tribe, however, the stone giant was leased to the government for a period of 99 years to be used as national park. The annual rental fee is $75,000 plus 20% of each admission ticket. The natives are interested in the development of tourism and, in accordance with the agreement, do not interfere with visiting the peak of Uluru, to which their sacred path leads.

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Rainfall falling off the unusual rocky surface of Ayer Rock creates a beautiful spectacle, which was captured by photos of bad weather over Uluru National Park. During the bad weather on October 14, 7 cm of precipitation fell. This area receives 15.5 centimeters of precipitation per year.

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The photographs show how water flows down the rocky slopes of Ayer's Rock in waterfalls. This area is known as the driest point in the Red Center of Australia with a stone hill rising 350 meters above sea level, which the local Aborigines call Uluru.

The pictures were taken after a stormy night when it rained and about 7 centimeters of rain fell.

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The pictures show that the stone slopes under the influence of water flows and light change their color from dark burgundy to purple. A truly magnificent sight was the stone slopes of Ayers Rock with rolling streams of water, which was photographed for us by Peter Carroll.

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Additional Information:
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park- Pietermann, Northern Territory 0872

Description:

sacred mountain Uluru

This amazing mountain located in Uluru-Kata National Park, in the center of Australia. Until now, there are disputes regarding the nature of the mountain. Some believe that it is a monolith, while others believe that Uluru is connected underground to another mountain located 25 km away. This mountain is called Olga, in honor of Olga, the daughter of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I. The natives call the mountain Kata-Tyuta.

Uluru (Ayers Rock)- formed about 680 million years ago in Australia, a massive orange-brown oval rock. The word "uluru" comes from the language of the aborigines, and, according to one version, means nothing. Allegedly, this is just a surname, a generic name of the traditional owners of the land around Uluru. According to another version, "uluru" in the language of the local Australian natives means "meeting point". According to the third version, in the language of the Aboriginal tribes, the name of a monolithic rock means "abode of ancestors".

Uluru is 3.6 km long, about 3 km wide and 348 meters high. The base is carved with caves.

Depending on the lighting, Mount Uluru changes its color several times during a sunny day, for which it is also called the "chameleon mountain". The rock monolith consists of gray coarse-grained arkosic sandstone, which is formed due to the destruction of granites. The analysis showed the presence of feldspar, quartz and iron oxides in it. Thanks to this set of substances, the mountain changes its color during the day. But not only this makes it mystical. Mountain inexplicably affects the human psyche. For example, Australian traveler and writer Robin Davidson claimed in her book that she had never before felt such an amazing power that comes from Uluru.

Archaeologists believe that the natives inhabited the areas adjacent to Uluru as early as 20,000 years ago. According to the beliefs of the local Anangu tribe, the earth must be treated with respect as the cradle of life and the nurse. Thanks to the spouting spring and caves, Uluru has been a haven for ancient tribes for hundreds of years.

At its foot, as well as in the caves, samples of ancient rock art . However, these drawings do not give an unambiguous idea of ​​the history of Uluru, bringing several versions to the judgment of contemporaries.
Many legends tell about the creation of a fabulous mountain; according to one of them, it was created by the ancient giants.
The most revered aboriginal deities are depicted on the rock: Mala("Hare Kangaroo"), Kunia("The Python Woman") and Lira("Brown snake"). According to the myths of the natives, the owner of the mountain, the water python, once lived here. And on a steep slope lived a black monitor lizard.

According to the beliefs of the tribes inhabiting the Western Desert, Uluru is a mythical beast with its head stuck in the sand. Once a year, at night, he raises his head and surveys the desert. This day is determined by shamans and they declare a holiday in honor of sacred mountain.

Tribes from all over Australia gather at the sacred mountain. Some - to touch the stone with their hands, ask for all sorts of blessings for themselves, and then perform a ritual dance. Other tribes consider the mountain to be the abode of hostile spirits. They ask the stone for forgiveness and beg him to forget about them and not annoy them with misfortunes.

At a time closer to us Australian traveler and journalist Robin Davidson visited Uluru while exploring the Australian outback. In his book "Roads" she described the first impression of the rock: The "inexplicable power" emanating from the rock made my heart beat faster. Never in my life have I experienced such a magical, such a primitively beautiful feeling.

Such a reaction is more understandable to those people who are familiar with the myths of Australia. According to legend, Uluru is a landmark on one of the "dream trails" laid by the ancestors of the natives, when the Earth was still being formed. In the "time of dreams", or Dzhugura, the area around the rock was inhabited by tribes of people - hare kangaroos and python people. Poisonous snakes, a tribe of conquerors from the south, attacked the pythons. They were saved only by the intervention of Bulari, the divine mother earth, who was worshiped by hare kangaroos. She defeated the conquerors by unleashing a poisonous cloud of death and disease on them.
The legends of hare kangaroos also tell of the time when the threat loomed over their own tribe. A rival tribe, with their chants, caused the birth of an evil dingo named Kulpu-nya and set him on a tribe of hare kangaroos. They managed to escape only thanks to their fantastic ability to jump.

For modern aborigines, Uluru is a visible evidence of these two events. The bodies of the Poison Snake Tribe people are walled up inside Uluru, and a wet spot on one side of the rock is where their blood flowed. Depressions in the rock, running along the perimeter of its base, are considered to be the footprints of fleeing hare kangaroos. The surface near the mountain is scaly (scales the size of a notebook sheet), between them there are pinkish streaks. It looks like the skin of a molting animal. Regardless of the number of tourists visiting the rock, the natives consider themselves the guardians of the sacred landscape bequeathed to them by their ancestors, and Uluru is the center of this landscape.
Also, according to other local beliefs, inside Uluru is empty and there, in the depths of the stone, there is a "source of sacred energy."

It's always windy at the top of Uluru strong wind. Forecasters puzzle over the riddle of Uluru. None of them has yet been able to accurately predict the approach of rain to the center of the desert, where it falls only over the sacred mountain. But the natives feel the approach of rain about a month in advance and gradually begin to shrink to the monolith.
This phenomenon does not happen every year. The sun is scorching, there is an incredible heat and suddenly the wind starts to blow, and then the sky is quickly covered with clouds. Heavy rain, even a downpour, falls suddenly, lasts for several minutes and just as suddenly stops.
However, water continues to flow downward from the monolith for some time in powerful streams. The clouds dissipate, and in the rays of the sun they seem to be streams of blood falling from above. Uluru at this moment becomes redder and brighter than on ordinary days.

For thousands of years, Australian Aborigines have revered local land and her relief as living idols. Sacred landscapes form the basis of their rites and legends, since the earth is considered by them as the physical manifestation of the Dream - the timeless moment when the world was created. The natives believe that the sacred place, including the mystical rock, is endowed with special powers.

Each Aboriginal community is responsible for the preservation of several shrines dedicated to the exploits of various celestial heroes, or Dream Spirits, the mythological beings who created the earth. The sacred site is chosen and delineated on the basis of the legend associated with it about the spirit of Sleep.

In the mythology of the aborigines, Uluru stands at the intersection of a number of sacred invisible paths (ivara) that cross Central Australia (see V. Serkin's novel "Freedom of the Shaman" - Time Tunnels - ed.). These paths keep the memory of the travels and deeds of the demiurge beings, whose souls, according to the anangu, still live in the surrounding nature.

In the park you can find evidence of the travels of ancient tribes, as well as traces of thousands of years of work on cultivating the land - the aborigines chose a nomadic or settled way of life in accordance with their beliefs and principles.
A special guard is entrusted with preserving the energy of the sacred place. He directs all the rituals, is the keeper of the songs, and also calls the spirits of Sleep during the performance of the rites.

According to local tribes, Uluru is a door between the world of people and spirits. Next to it, the natives performed their rituals for centuries. And today their attitude towards Uluru has not changed at all. The natives do not dare to climb to its top, as this is considered a terrible sacrilege that can bring a terrible wrath of the spirits on a person.

In response, the natives never tire of warning that Uluru is still taking human lives to this day, and those who climb the mountain will, to put it mildly, feel bad in the future. Someone does not believe these "tales", but regular mysterious cases with wicked tourists confirm that in many ways the natives are right.
Uluru has a certain power beyond scientific understanding. Every year, climbing to its top, several tourists thirsting for thrills are sure to die from heart failure.
Tourists who pick up pebbles from the monolith as souvenirs also often return them back by post to get rid of the strange misfortunes and misfortunes they brought them.
All rock fragments received by the park staff are returned to their original place, but it is not known whether the troubles of their former owners end there. Uluru is not considered in vain sacred place for the natives, apparently, it really has some mysterious properties.

Another Paranormal Activity, sometimes noted in the Uluru region, is the appearance of a UFO. Recently, strange flying objects in the form of large triangles have been observed there, as stated by both Australian astronomers and tourists. However, these objects were not fixed by radar.
By the way, the god of the sky Wanjina, depicted in the drawings in the caves of Uluru, is very similar to an alien in a helmet...

In fact, the Uluru monolith is just the top of a “mountain” that has almost gone underground, overall height which is, according to experts, as much as six kilometers! When researching sea ​​currents around the southwestern tip of Australia, Australian oceanologists discovered a seamount at the bottom, strikingly similar to the famous monolithic rock Uluru, which is located in the depths of the continent. Once in the center of the continent there was a mountain range, which is an island in the middle of Lake Amadius. About 550 million years ago, the rock was part of the ocean floor that covered central Australia.

The underwater twin of the famous Uluru is unlikely to be visited by tourists in the near future, because it stands at a depth of about a thousand meters.

Under the influence of the elements, the rock is destroyed, and the consequences of this are clearly visible. Alternating high and low temperatures, characteristic of a desert climate, is the cause of flaking. This process consists in the fact that pieces break off from the surface of the rock, which gradually slide off to the ground.

However, not all loose areas of the surface crumble: north side Uluru, a colossal rocky ridge called Kangaroo Tail, supports the steep slope like a gigantic prop.

Uluru has become as much a symbol of Australia as the Sydney Opera House.. But, unlike this modern building, erected by human hands, the rock is the personification of the country's very distant past, when only natives lived here.
Tourists began to visit this place only in 1950, after the completion of the highway through the area in which Uluru is located.

Since 1977, Uluru has been part of biosphere reserve of national importance, which is included in the UNESCO list.
In 1987, the reserve was listed as a monument of world importance.
Since October 26, 1985, Uluru has officially belonged to the Anangu tribe., however, the stone giant was leased to the government for a period of 99 years for use as a national park.

The annual rental fee is $75,000 plus 20% of each admission ticket. Aborigines are interested in the development of tourism and, in accordance with the agreement, do not interfere with visiting the peak of Uluru, to which their sacred path leads. Uluru attracts about 400 thousand tourists a year, which brings a lot of trouble to the natives.

A special trail leads to the top of Uluru. From the lower third to the very top, racks are installed and chains are stretched. On the trail in some places there are warning signs: “do not enter, do not take pictures - Holy place aborigines".
The indigenous people are full of hope that in the near future visitors will admire them. ancient mountain without feeling the need to climb to its top.
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Ayers Rock is the largest and oldest monolith rock in the world. This unique place is one of the main attractions of Australia

Ayers Rock- orange-brown oval-shaped rock, formed approximately 680 million years ago. Its oval "hump" 2.4 kilometers long and 1.6 kilometers wide rises 348 meters above the surrounding plain! This is what's left of the big mountain range Peterman. Ayers Rock is part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

There was a lot of controversy about the origin of Peterman in his time. The mysteriousness of the emergence of a huge mountain range in the middle of an endless, flat as a table desert gave rise to a lot of the most incredible assumptions, such as the fact that this is a giant iron meteorite that fell on the plain thousands of years ago. Later, geologists explained the appearance of Ayers Rock in a much simpler way, which, of course, did not make it less impressive, although after that it became a little less mysterious)

According to modern science, Ayers Rock is a typical product of erosion - the never-ending process of the destruction of high relief by natural forces and the transformation of rugged terrain into a plain. At the same time, more durable rock masses that survived are called remnants by scientists. They can be found in the Sahara on the Tibesti plateau, in Arabia and in the American Monument Valley. A typical remnant is sugar loaf in Rio de Janeiro. The same remnant is Ayers Rock, with the only difference that it overshadows any of them both in its size and the impression of absolute unreality that arises at the sight of a huge rock that reigns over hundreds of kilometers around plain

The first European who saw a huge stone block in the middle of the desert was Ernest Giles. In the 19th century, he noticed a rock from the shores of Lake Amadies, but he could not reach it. However, a year later, the English explorer William Goss climbed to the top of the miracle mountain. He named the rock "Ayers Rock" after South Australian Secretary of State Henry Ayers.

The circumference of the rock is about 9 km, and to get to the top, you have to overcome an inclined path 1.6 km long. Not everyone can overcome a risky rise, although now in the most dangerous places and put metal railings

From the top Ayers Rock opens beautiful view on a vast desert that stretches in all directions, almost devoid of vegetation - only at the foot of the cliff do rare groves of stunted eucalyptus and acacia grow green

australian aborigines They call this rock Uluru and have considered it sacred for thousands of years. This word does not mean anything and is often used by the natives as a name. Numerous legends and traditions are associated with the name of Uluru. Giant, animal-like dents on a strong stone gave rise to many legends and beliefs among superstitious indigenous Australians.

The natives believe that the monstrous huge dog Kura-Punya left footprints on the rock, sneaking up to the hunters' camp in order to devour them all without a trace. Only the help of the everlasting friend of people - the cheerful kookaburra bird, which with its cry warned people about the approach of a terrible beast, saved their lives.

In the caves at the foot of the cliff, many ritual drawings of the natives have been preserved. Ayers Rock can, without exaggeration, be called the center of the primitive culture of the indigenous inhabitants of Australia. The dimensions of the caves are impressive: the largest of them reach 800 meters in length and 30 meters in height. Three small lakes even formed in the caves, filled during the rainy season with water seeping through the cracks of the rock. So in the hot summer, when all the sources in the area dried up, the natives found here shelter from the hot rays of the sun and life-giving moisture.

Ayers Rock looks unusual in any light, and during sunset or sunrise, you have to constantly remind yourself that this is not a dream, but real natural phenomenon)

The stone monolith is famous for the fact that it can change its color during the day, like a chameleon, from fiery red and pink, to purple, blue and brown.

Time and natural forces have worked hard on the surface of the rock, leaving notches and scars on it, and even large recesses of the most bizarre shape. When rains are rare for this area, silvery streams of water run down the cracks and grooves.

Tourists started visiting Ayers Rock only in the middle of the last century, after the completion of the construction of the highway through this area. Despite the remoteness and inaccessibility of this corner of Australia, located in the very center of the continent, the flow of tourists who want to see unique rock, is growing every year. People on cars and planes get here to admire the beauty of the extraordinary landscape, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world!

Uluru (Ayers Rock) (eng. Uluru) is a massive orange-brown oval-shaped rock formed about 680 million years ago in Australia. Located in the "region" Central Australia (en.) - the southernmost administrative region Northern Territory in the center of the continent, 450 km southwest of the city of Alice Springs. 18 km north of Uluru is located resort town Yulara (en.) with a recreation and tourist service area, on the border of which Ayers Rock Airport (en.) is built.

Uluru is 3.6 km long, about 3 km wide and 348 meters high. The base is carved with caves, decorated with ancient rock paintings and stone carvings. According to the myths of the natives, the owner of the mountain, the water python, once lived here. And on a steep slope lived a black monitor lizard. Aborigines perform rituals at the sacred rock.

Once in the center of the continent there was a mountain range, which is an island in the middle of Lake Amadius. The products of the destruction of rocks were deposited at the bottom of the reservoir, forming a rock, which in appearance resembles a giant elephant lying on its side.
Opening

Uluru was first described by William Christine Gross in 1873 and named it Ayers Rock in honor of the governor of South Australia, Henry Ayers. At the insistence of the natives, the name was returned in the 70s.

amazing stone
From a distance, the Uluru monolith looks very smooth, but close up, bumps, cracks and grooves are clearly visible on the surface.

Although the rock is located in the middle of the desert, hurricanes hit the region every year, bringing heavy rains. The desert climate is characterized by temperature fluctuations: the nights are cold here, and the midday heat reaches 38 ° C. The stone expands when heated, and contracts when cooled, which causes it to crack.

The unique mountain giant consists of red sandstone, the special properties of which allow it to change color depending on the lighting during the day. At dawn, the black silhouette of the mountain brightens, acquiring a dark purple hue. The sun rises higher and Uluru flashes purple-red, then glows pink, and turns golden by noon. The fantastic play of color continues all day long. By evening, the "chameleon" mountain turns into a dark silhouette against the backdrop of the desert.

There is another one near Uluru famous complex- Kata Tjuta (Many heads), also known as Mount Olga. It consists of several dark red rounded mountains, the highest of which reaches 546 m.

Ernest Giles was the first European to see Uluru in 1872. He noticed a rock from the shores of Lake Amadius, but he could not reach it. And a year later, the English explorer William Goss climbed to the top of the miracle mountain; he named the stone block Ayers Rock in honor of the Secretary of State of South Australia, Henry Ayers, who later became the Prime Minister of the country.

Tourists began to visit this place only in 1950, after the completion of the construction of the highway through the area in which Uluru is located.

In the period from 1931 to 1946, 22 daredevils conquered the top of the monolith. Already by 1969, the number of tourists from all over the world visiting Uluru annually increased to 23 thousand, and today it has reached half a million. In this regard, a serious problem arose in the status of Uluru as tourist site, on the one hand, and an object of worship for local residents- on the other hand (according to ancient legends, communication with a mountain gives a person strength).

Breed composition

The rock monolith consists of gray coarse-grained arkosic sandstone, which is formed due to the destruction of granites. The analysis showed the presence of feldspar, quartz and iron oxides in it. It is iron that gives the array a “rusty” color.

place of worship
Archaeologists believe that the natives inhabited the areas adjacent to Uluru as early as 10,000 years ago. According to the beliefs of the local Anangu tribe, the earth must be treated with respect as the cradle of life and the nurse. Thanks to the spouting spring and caves, Uluru has been a haven for ancient tribes for hundreds of years.

At its foot, as well as in the caves, samples of ancient rock art have been preserved. However, these drawings do not give an unambiguous idea of ​​the history of Uluru, bringing several versions to the judgment of contemporaries. Many legends tell about the creation of a fabulous mountain; according to one of them, it was created by the ancient giants. The most revered aboriginal deities are depicted on the rock: Mala (“Hare Kangaroo”), Kunia (“Python Woman”) and Liru (“Brown Snake”). At the foot of the rock there is a water source where animals come to drink.

Musgrave massif is located 100 km south of Uluru.

Since 1977, Uluru has been part of a biosphere reserve of national and world importance, which is listed by UNESCO. In 1987, the reserve was listed as a monument of world importance.

Aboriginal property

Since "" October 26, 1985, Uluru officially belongs to the Anangu tribe, however, the stone giant was leased to the government for a period of 99 years for use as a national park. The annual rental fee is $75,000 plus 20% of each admission ticket. Aborigines are interested in the development of tourism and, in accordance with the agreement, do not interfere with visiting the peak of Uluru, to which their sacred path leads. Unfortunately, climbing to the top stone giant, tourists, called minga ("black ants") by the anangu, do not always behave in a civilized manner and pollute the area adjacent to Ayers Rock. The high air temperature and the slippery surface of the rock make the two-hour climb to the mountain an unsafe journey: tourists die here every year as a result of falls, heart attacks and sunstroke. The indigenous people are full of hope that in the near future visitors will admire their ancient mountain without feeling the need to climb to its top.