Crimean karst caves. Cave monastery near Sudak. Extreme Red Caves

Caves in Crimea

The underground world of Crimea is not inferior in beauty to its terrestrial "neighbor". Its fabulous caves, bizarre grottoes, intricate stalactites and the finest calcite crystals can win the heart of any traveler. Unique geological structure Crimea gave the peninsula more than 1100 caves, wells, grottoes and mines. Unfortunately, most of the caves are accessible only with special equipment and training, and better - as part of a group of experienced speleologists.

Especially for tourists and novice speleologists in the Crimea, there are a number of caves that are accessible even to an unprepared person. Safe routes with lighting, equipped paths and viewing platforms and easily accessible unequipped caves have opened breathtaking beauty to tourists. underworld that everyone can see.

"Star" marble cave.

On the lower plateau of the picturesque Chatyr-Dag mountain range, one of the most beautiful caves in the world - Marble. It got its name due to the "building material" - marble-like limestone, from which the walls of Marble are made.

The official opening of Marble took place in 1987. Then the tourist route was only 180 meters, representing a tiny cleared path.

Marble Cave is being actively studied. To date, the length of tourist routes is about 1.5 km., Then dangerous and little-studied cavities begin, where it is extremely difficult to get there without special training.

The tourist part of the cave is available to anyone: special training and equipment are not required here. All routes are illuminated, equipped with paths, stairs and railings.

At the entrance, tourists are waiting for the "Owner" - a huge stalagmite that opens the way to the walking galleries. Three routes are equipped for tourists, each passes through several halls with romantic names: "Palace Hall", "Fairy Tales Gallery", "Perestroika Hall", "Pink Hall". Bizarre sinter formations, illuminated in different colors, resemble the inhabitants of a fairy-tale world and characters of ancient legends.

The stalactites and stalagmites of Marmara merge into giant stalagnates, affectionately called “kisses” by the guides. It is believed that "kisses" are endowed with magical powers that can fulfill the wishes of a couple in love. Therefore, when visiting Marble with your soulmate, be sure to make a wish - who knows, suddenly the giant stalagnates are indeed endowed with magical powers.

Majestic stalactite cascades, the most delicate tubes of transparent calcite, openwork water baths and huge grottoes - the wealth of the Marble Cave made it the fifth in the ranking of the most beautiful caves in the world.

Since 2006, another gallery has been opened in the cave, leading to the lower tier of Marble. Here you can not only see, but also hear the "cave spirit" - the route called "Melodies of Chatyr-Dag" is accompanied by the sound of classical, electronic and jazz music, which creates an amazing atmosphere in combination with natural cave acoustics.

The "highlight" of the cave was the concerts of classical music held in the halls of the Marble. Natural acoustics fills the music with a new sound, creating a unique atmosphere that is not found in any other concert hall. Announcements about ongoing concerts will appear closer to the start of the holiday season.

In the summer, a visit to the Marble is available only as part of an excursion group. As a rule, there are no problems with tourists, so you won’t have to wait long for the group - they gather every 15-30 minutes. In winter, the cave works depending on the weather conditions on the plateau, and in winter it is possible to conduct individual tours and speleotourism expeditions.

Routes and prices.

The cave is open daily from 8.00 to 20.00. The visit is paid, the ticket price will depend on the chosen route:

The shortest route is the Gallery of Fairy Tales. The duration of the tour will be 30 minutes, it will cost 350 rubles. from a person.
A walk through the "Gallery of Fairy Tales" and "Pearl Lakes" will take about 50 minutes, you will have to pay 400 rubles for this route.
The excursion to the "Tiger passage" will take 1 hour, the ticket price will be 450 rubles.
For an hour and a half walk along all routes, you will be asked for 500 rubles.
The "sound" route "Melodies of Chatyr-Dag" will take 2 hours and cost 2000 rubles.

Children under 5 years old will not have to pay for a ticket, and for kids under 12 years old, the ticket price will be reduced by half. The use of photo and video equipment is free, although high humidity can significantly "correct" your pictures.

Equipment.

No special equipment is required for the tour. However, some things are still worth stocking up:

The temperature in Mramornaya is + 9 °C, and the floor is cold and damp. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on warm clothes and comfortable closed shoes. If suddenly you are talking about warm "ammunition" - jackets are rented at the entrance to the cave.
The difference in pressure and temperature can cause unpleasant reactions from the vascular system - dizziness, stuffy ears. A bag of lollipops will help to cope with these troubles - with resorption and frequent swallowing, the pressure normalizes, and unpleasant symptoms disappear.
All routes are highlighted, but the flashlight does not fit.
If you are planning a photo or video shooting in a cave, it is better to take care of spare batteries of your equipment in advance - they are discharged quite quickly in cold and humidity.

How to get there?

The cave is located near Simferopol. To get to the cave on your own, you need to use the regular bus "Simferopol-Alushta" or "Simferopol-Yalta", get off at the stop "Zarechnoye". From here you will have to make a transfer to the village of Marble, then take a walk to the plateau on foot. Keep in mind that you will have to walk about 8 km.

On own car You can drive directly to the entrance to the cave. From the main road, turn at the sign "Marble". The path to the cave is marked with signs so you won't get lost.

If you don’t want to get to the cave on your own, you can take advantage of organized excursions, which are held in almost all resort towns Crimea.

The endless cave network of Kizil-Koba.

Another name for this cave, or rather the cave network, is the Red Caves. They received such a “name” because of the red limestones that make up the bulk of the cave rock.

The first human traces in Kizil-Koba date back to the 7th-6th centuries BC. e. - then at the entrance to the cave there was a sanctuary of an agricultural cult. In 1803, the traveler P. I. Sumarokov created the first description of Kizil-Kob, opening it to the “broad masses”.

The riddle of the Red Caves has not been solved to this day. The total length of the passages studied by speleologists is 27 km, the rest of the cave network remains securely hidden from prying eyes. The total length and size of the cave network brought it worldwide fame, making it one of the longest caves in Europe.

There is only one main excursion route in the cave. Its length is 500 meters, and it begins with the reconstruction of the sanctuary of farmers, located in the first hall. Ahead is a well-equipped tourist route and the "mistress" of the Red Caves - an underground beautiful river. It will definitely not be boring - in addition to large-scale compositions and figures and huge halls, you will find 6 underground "floors" and a magnificent mirror lake formed by the waters of an underground river.

The first "inhabitant" you meet on your way will be the "Crying Dwarf" - bizarre figure resembling a sad gnome. Further on, brave travelers will be waiting for the "Master" Kizil-Koba, whose stern look warns of the dangers of the underworld. But, you should not worry - the route is equipped with railings, reliable stairs and lighting.

The first acquaintance with the underground river will take place in the "Griboedovskaya Gallery", which received its name thanks to the "star" visitor - the writer A. S. Griboedov. So observation deck the waters of the Kizilkobinka, an underground river, are visible, and a small lake with amphoras at the bottom will open to the left. Amphorae in the lake appeared relatively recently; this is part of the decor that emphasizes the atmosphere of the cave, its significance and value in ancient culture.

Further, the road will take you to the majestic halls, decorated with graceful columns and sinter formations. By the way, it is Kizil-Koba that boasts one of the largest stalactites in Europe: the height of this miracle of nature is more than 8 meters, and the preliminary age is about 8000 years.

In winter, during the tour, you can see and photograph sleeping bats, which have chosen the Red Cave as their "winter hut". When taking pictures, be sure to turn off the flash on the camera - a sharp blinding light will not benefit winged babies.

Extreme Red Caves.

If a simple walk seemed not enough for you, Kizil-Koba invites you to an exciting extreme travel with overcoming the siphon and swimming in the underground river.

The start will begin at the pre-siphon platform, where the main route ends. Having dressed in special equipment and a wetsuit, you will begin diving into the siphon. After the siphon part, you will find 1.5 meters of an underground river that you will have to swim across. For a safe crossing in the water, a rope is pulled, which you need to hold on to with your hands. The entire route is accompanied by an experienced instructor who carefully monitors compliance with safety regulations.

After all the tests, brave speleologists will discover the bewitching world of the underworld untouched by man. It is in the "extreme" part of the Red Caves that the most large stalactites, priceless sinter "figures" and a unique underground waterfall "Pink Jets".

It will not be possible to dive into the waters of the underground river during the flood period and during the rainy season - due to a sharp rise in the water level, the route becomes inaccessible for passing. Therefore, it is best to clarify in advance the possibility of an “extreme” visit.

Prices and work schedule.

The Red Caves are open to the public all year round. The cave is open daily from 9.00 to 19.00. The visit is possible only with a guide, the minimum group size is 2 people.

Ticket for the main route - 400 rubles. for an adult and 200 for a child from 6 to 14 years old. For an extreme route, you will have to pay significantly more - 4000 rubles. per person: this price includes the services of an instructor, rental of a wetsuit and necessary equipment.

Equipment.

When visiting the Red Caves, you should stock up on warm clothes and comfortable closed, or better, waterproof shoes - in the summer it is quite humid in the cave.
Photography in the cave is free, but you should not take a tripod - its use is prohibited.
Flashlight.

How to get there?

You can get to the Red Caves on your own by reaching the village of Perevalnoe. From the stop there is an asphalt road, ending with a parking lot where you can leave your car. You will have to walk 1.5 km from the parking lot to the cave. along a dirt road.

Natural Museum - Mammoth Cave.

The original name of the cave is Emine-Bair-Khosar. Scientists began to call her Mammoth, who discovered in one of the halls the skeleton of a mammoth, which today welcomes guests in the first hall of the cave.

The first entrance to the Mammoth Cave was a vertical, difficult to pass well. Tourist accessibility was ensured by the work of speleologists, thanks to which in 1927 the cave "acquired" a second entrance, passing along the river bed.

Your journey through the magnificent underworld will begin at the northern gallery, from where a winding path will lead you to the "Main" hall. The impression of the scale of this karst cavity is enhanced by multi-colored illumination and a huge sinkhole, which served as the original entrance to the cave.

In the "Main" hall there is an unusual museum of paleontology, where the skeletons of ancient animals act as exhibits: a mammoth, a cave lion, a woolly rhinoceros and a cave bear.

The next room is the Lake. Above the very edge of the water, a safe path is equipped, from where amazing view to an underground lake illuminated from below.

The third hall on the excursion trail is considered one of the most beautiful halls of Mamontova. Going down the stairs, you find yourself in the realm of idols. At the entrance there is a "guard" - two seven-meter stalactites, reminiscent of the chess pieces of the king and queen. In the hall itself there are many bizarre creations of nature, where everyone will meet a lot of fabulous and mythical characters.

The thinnest helict spirals await you in the Treasury Hall, located right behind the Lake Hall. Helicts are a product of the interaction of water, air and calcite salts, as a result of which the most delicate spirals with a mass of bright crystals are formed.

The oldest stalactites await guests in Kecskemét, a huge hall named after Simferopol's sister city in Hungary. Here ends one of excursion routes.

You will have to return to the entrance along a long man-made tunnel that loops the route. Along the way, you will meet the Dublin Hall, famous for its two-story "waterless" calcite lake. Such a unique formation occurred due to the collapse of the upper cavity into the lower part. Over time, the water that caused the collapse went away, and the connection of the two lakes is reminded by bizarre calcite borders on the walls.

If you continue to move, then the final destination will be the "Hall of the Hostess" - the lowest part of the hiking trail, from where it is more than 70 meters to the surface. The hall is named so due to the silhouette of a girl with a long plait, perched on the edge of a huge calcite intrusion.

Prices and work schedule.

Mammoth Cave is open to the public all year round and welcomes guests daily from 9.00 to 19.00. Visiting is possible only with a guide, the minimum group size is from 2 people.

The ticket price will depend on the duration of the route:

The initial route lasting 30 minutes - 350 rubles. from a person.
The route to the hall "Kecskemét" will take 1 hour 20 minutes, the cost is 450 rubles. from a person.
A walk through all the halls will cost 500 rubles. from a person.

Equipment.

Mammoth is quite cool and humid. Therefore, for a comfortable walk, closed shoes and a warm jacket are required.
A flashlight will also not be superfluous, with additional lighting, the cave “treasures” will sparkle with bright edges, and the risk of slipping on a wet path will be significantly reduced.

How to get there?

Mamontova is located near the famous Marble Cave. To get to public transport, you will need to take the bus "Simferopol-Alushta" or "Simferopol-Yalta" and after reaching the stop "Zarechnoye", transfer to the bus going to the village of Marble. From final stop to the cave - 8 km.

You can also drive up to Mamontova by car, although in winter there is often ice and snow drifts on the road.

The “deadly” cave of a thousand heads is the cave of Bin-Bash-Koba.

In the lower part of Chatyr-Dag there is a small stalactite cave with a mysterious and creepy story. The name Bin-Bash-Koba consists of several words, translated from Turkic meaning "cave of a thousand heads".

The history of this small cave very mysterious. The first researchers found many human remains, skeletons of domestic animals, remains of buckles and ammunition at the bottom of the cave. According to legend, the inhabitants of an entire village hid here, hiding from bloodthirsty nomads. When the shelter was discovered, the invaders decided to “smoke out” the villagers and kindled a huge fire at the entrance to the cave. All the people inside died, suffocating from the acrid smoke.

However, this eerie legend is contradicted by official finds - the skulls and bones of the Thousand-headed belonged only to adults, no children's remains were found. This fact allowed scientists to suggest that the cave served either as an "official" burial place for ancient people, or as a place of some kind of bloodthirsty religious cult. Adherents of the "religious" version gave the cave another little-known name - Kanly-Koba (Bloody Cave).

The entrance to Bin-Bash-Koba is a rather narrow, slightly sloping to the left, gap, squeezing through which you will find yourself in the first gallery about 6 meters long. To get into the gallery, you will have to "bow" to the cave spirit - the ceiling of the corridor is quite low. At the end of the gallery are two narrow passages leading to the Main Hall.

The scale of the Main Hall is amazing. Its high 7-meter vaults are “supported” by bizarre columns of giant stalagnates, decorated with cascading streaks with a multi-colored tint. In the corners of the hall you can see tiny tuff baths filled with crystal clear water in spring and autumn.

For a more comfortable descent, several steps have been carved into the floor, leading even lower. Narrow passages can be found in the walls of the Main Hall, but most of them almost immediately end in dead ends.

The depth of the cave is only 23 meters, and the length is 110 meters. Visiting in the summer is absolutely safe, in spring small puddles can form on the floor of the cave.

Thousand-headed is available for visiting all year round. The ideal time is summer, when the water level drops to the maximum and the floor of the cave becomes drier. In winter, in Bin-Bash-Koba, the permanent "inhabitants" are joined by beautiful ice stalactites and stalagmites formed from dripping water.

Equipment.

The cave does not have a tourist infrastructure, so you will have to take care of your own comfort in advance.

Warm clothes and closed shoes. It is best to choose clothes that you do not mind getting dirty - in the "wild" cave there is always a risk of slipping or leaning against a damp wall.
Powerful flashlight.
Helmet. An optional piece of equipment that can, however, protect you from an unexpected meeting with a low cave vault.

How to get there?

The nearest “transport point” to the Thousand-Headed is the village of Marble. If you are going to visit the cave, you will need to get to Marble and follow the signs from there.

A well-trodden hiking trail leads to the cave of a thousand heads, and at the entrance to the cave itself there is a plate with its coordinates and name. The total mileage from Marble will be about 8-9 km.

The winding labyrinths of the Serpent's Cave.

Despite the "talking" name, there are no snakes in the cave. It owes its name to the narrow and winding passages, very reminiscent of the holes of giant snakes. The length of the Serpentine is more than 310 meters, so it’s definitely enough to wander around and feel like a pioneer of the place.

According to legend, the creator of these underground labyrinths was a huge dragon, to which the ancient Taurians threw captured enemies, trying to propitiate the mighty Athena-Parthesonos, the goddess of war. The location and accessibility of the cave have ensured its popularity since ancient times: in the 7th-6th centuries BC. e. the sanctuary of the Kizil-Koba culture was located here. This fact is confirmed by archaeological finds: animal bones, remains of dishes and even evidence of human sacrifices.

The entrance to the cave resembles a large mushroom. There are three floors inside, the top one is practically destroyed and there is no access there. The other two are accessible to the public, but care must be taken as the ceiling is rather low in places.

Winding corridors merge into small halls, where the whole variety of calcite appears to the eyes, shimmering in the light of a lantern in various colors and shades. Some halls surprise with their size - the height of the ceilings here can reach 7 meters.

You can get to the “second floor” of the cave by going down a three-meter well, located around the corner of the main gallery. Thanks to the dry floor of the cave, the descent is easy and does not require special equipment. It is on the lower floor that all the calcite magnificence is located: cave “flowers” covered with a dark chocolate calcite crust, fragile calcite deposits, reminiscent of the work of a crazy artist.

In addition to natural beauties, Snake is also famous for its unique fauna. The cave is inhabited by the rarest species of bats - a large horseshoe bat. Despite their impressive size and unusual appearance, horseshoe bats are absolutely safe for humans - the only thing that mice can scare away is the sound of their wings.

The best time to visit the Serpentine is the middle or end of summer. In spring and winter, due to melt water and snow, the descent to the cave can become dangerous.

Equipment.

To enjoy the world of the Serpent Cave, you will need the minimum equipment:

Comfortable warm clothes and closed shoes.
A powerful flashlight and spare batteries for the camera - in the cold air of the cave, the camera batteries can run out fairly quickly.
The presence of a helmet is not necessary, but its use will definitely protect you from collisions with the low vaults of the “serpentine” labyrinths.

How to get there?

The cave is located 10 km. from Simferopol. The easiest way to get to the Snake Cave is to get to the village of Chistenkoye. Behind the last high-rise building of Chistenky, you need to turn left. From here begins a country road leading to the steep slopes of Cape Battery. A rather steep tropic begins right from the slope, which will lead you straight to the cave.

By car, you can only get to the village of Chistenkoye, the country road is often blocked by local foresters to prevent cars from reaching the cape.

Caves of Crimea (Crimea, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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Crimea is so rich in interesting caves that many consider it to be the birthplace of Russian speleology in its modern form. Peak research work in the Crimean caves fell on the 50s. 20th century, and at that time scientists discovered and studied at least a thousand large Crimean caves and a myriad of small ones. And there is no doubt that many more Crimean caves remain hidden from human eyes and unexplored.

I must say that those caves of the Crimea, which are the most accessible for visiting, alas, today are the most littered and spoiled by numerous crowds of tourists. And those that are not easy to get to, on the contrary, can be pristine and beautiful, but there is nothing for a person to do in them without special training and skills of a speleologist. In any case, do not neglect the services of a guide and do not forget to take warm clothes with you when heading to the caves.

Most of the Crimean caves are located in one of four regions: Chatyr-Dag, Ai-Petri, Dolgorukovsky massif and Karabi-Yayla. The most famous caves of the picturesque mountain Chatyr-Dag, one of the symbols of Crimea, are Marble, the entrance to which is located at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level (according to some estimates, this cave is one of the five most beautiful equipped caves on the planet) and Emine-Bair -Khosar, which is included in general complex Marble and is famous for the legend associated with it. Ai-Petri is famous for the Black flooded cave and Ayu-Teshik. The most famous caves of the Dolgorukovsky massif are the Red Cave (Kizil-Koba) and Yeni-Sala. In this massif there are generally leading caves in the sense of underground lakes and siphons. Karabi-Yayla is known for the Big Buzuluk ice cave.

The mountain caves of the Crimea often melt inside a lake or river. The largest water-filled gallery is located in the Yeni-Sala-3 cave, its length exceeds 110 m. And the largest of the completely flooded caves is Black, its length is 1300 m. Another option is when the cave is not filled with water, but with snow or ice , and the whole year. There are about forty such caves, and the most famous of them is Big Buzluk, where the oldest ice deposits can be preserved for half a century, and picturesque ice icicles hang from the arch. Also well known is the Watering Cave and the Three-Eyes on Ai-Petri.

Other caves are not so interesting purely outwardly, but they surprise with riddles and legends associated with them. For example, in the Kaplu-Kaya cave, they say, a cradle made of pure gold was once buried.

And in the Thousand-Headed Cave, a huge number of human remains from the Middle Ages were found.

Cave Emine-Bair-Khosar.

Many people in Crimea are only interested in record-breaking caves. For example, the largest on the entire peninsula is the Red Cave, 16 km long, where you can also see maximum amount tiers - six floors. It is also considered the most studied in the Crimea, because more than one and a half hundred scientific papers have been published about this cave. Or the deepest - the Soldier's mine, more than half a kilometer deep. The highest cave in the Crimea is Treschinnaya, whose height above sea level is almost 1500 m. The largest rocky hall can be seen in the Marble Cave, its floor area is about five thousand square meters. m. This cave is also the most visited.

Those who are not looking for easy ways may be interested in the most difficult caves of the Crimea - such statistics are also available. The hardest thing to go through, not surprisingly, is the very famous Red, as well as the Soldier's. Routes through these caves are assigned category 4B. And the most dangerous cave in terms of accidents is Kaskadnaya on Ai-Petri: in 30 years, five tourists have suffered here, of whom two have died.

Recently, Skelskaya has taken the first place among the rest of the Crimean caves.

Many travel agencies specially organize trips here and here's why: the speleological complex in Skelskaya was created relatively recently, and so far it is clean, beautiful and there are not many people at all compared to the same, for example, Marble. The Skelskaya cave is located near Sevastopol, and it is easy to get here. At the beginning of the 21st century, the cave was equipped for tourism purposes, and in 2011 the latest electrical equipment was installed here, creating the first precedent of this kind in the Crimea. With the help of colored illumination, the bizarre calcite outgrowths of Skelskaya look very beautiful, and you can guess different figures in them: there is definitely a knight and a monk, a monkey and a dolphin, a dragon and a phoenix, and also, which is especially curious, Crimean sights, such as the Foros Church .

Rest in Crimea is a problem of choice: places, accommodation, restaurants, excursions. Having got rid of the first lines of this list, and having approached the item “ Excursions in the Crimea”, we again find ourselves faced with the need to choose from an immense number of options: there are hundreds of tourist routes on the peninsula. Someone goes to see the former royal palaces, someone is attracted by mountain gorges and waterfalls, someone likes leisurely walks through ancient parks and museums. We will go with you to virtual tour By Crimean caves.

Famous caves of Crimea

It seems that by choosing the “Caves of Crimea” tour, you can “relax” and start preparing for the trip. However, your carelessness will disappear as soon as you find out how much Crimea caves. If you are standing, then it is better to sit down: in Crimean mountains there are about eight hundred caves! Fifty of them are recognized as natural monuments and are under state protection. How do you like this range of choice?

visit all Crimean caves It’s impossible for one vacation, so we will walk through the damp twilight of the most famous “underground mountain kingdoms”.

Let's start the journey from the most beautiful cave not only on the peninsula, but in the whole world. This beauty is called marble cave. It is located in the Chatyr-Dag mountain range, not far from the village of Marble on the lower plateau. It took nature thousands of years to create a cave in a layer of marbled limestone. They learned about the unique Marble Cave only in 1987, but after only 5 years (in 1992) it was accepted into the International Association of Equipped Caves, being included in the list of the most visited caves on the planet. Rest in Crimea and not make an excursion to marble cave- crime!

is a complex system of galleries and halls in which tourist routes with a total length of about 1.5 kilometers. What can be seen in the cave:

Gallery of fairy tales;
calcium carbonate crystals;
stalagmites and stalactites (many of them have "names" and names, for example: Minaret, Queen, King);
fantastic streaks and drawings on the walls;
corridor "Tiger move";
a huge hall that would fit a 9-storey building (height 28 meters, length 100 meters);
Palace Hall.

The entrance to the cave is 920 meters above sea level. Go on a tour of marble cave without a guide it will not be possible - it is forbidden. The excursion route is divided into three parts: "Tiger's way", the lower and main galleries. The duration of the caving walk is 1 hour 20 minutes. For 10 hryvnia you will be allowed to take pictures in the cave.

red cave

If - the most beautiful cave of the Crimea, then red cave (Kizil-Koba) is the largest "limestone" cave in Europe: its length is about 21 kilometers. The area of the Red Cave is about 53 thousand square meters, and the volume is about 200 thousand cubic meters. Kizil-Koba is an extensive system of long galleries, flooded areas, and vertical wells. The structure of the Red Cave includes the cave-source Griffin and Pigeon Cave. The river Su-Uchkhan flows along the first tier of Kizil-Koba, thanks to the patient centuries-old work of which the cave appeared. What attracts tourists to the Red Cave:

6-storey galleries;
spacious underground halls 145 meters high and up to 80 meters long;
corallites, stalagmites, stalactites;
cave pearl.

The entrance fee to the Red Cave is 30 hryvnia, the duration of the tour is 40 minutes.

mammoth cave

Mammoth Cave(it is also the cave of Emine-Bair-Khosar) is interesting because bones of prehistoric animals are found in it. The well-shaped entrance to it was discovered in 1927. The researchers who descended into it were amazed by the large 100-meter hall. Total length of halls and galleries mammoth caves is 1.5 kilometers. Scientists who discovered the first remains of a mammoth in the cave kept the discovery secret for 50 years, protecting the cave from the invasion of curious "guests". Then a paleontological museum was opened in the cave, which is closed today due to ongoing archaeological work. Walking through the cave takes place in comfortable conditions: recreation areas and concrete stairs with railings are equipped. Attractions of the Mammoth Cave:

"Treasury";
underwater lake;
hall of idols;
Kecskemét hall;
Hall "Monomakh's Hat";
"White Speleologist" - the good spirit of the cave;
"God's Finger"

A tour of the Mammoth Cave lasts about 2 hours and costs 70 hryvnia. Additional costs: photography - 10 hryvnia, rent of warm linen - 3 hryvnia (constant temperature in the cave +5°C).

Thousand Head Cave

Thousand Headed Cave Binbash-Koba. The name of the cave comes from beautiful legend. In the old days, people from the local village hid in a cave from hostile nomadic tribes. Many days passed, and thirst made itself felt - the children were crying, and the old people were dying. There was one brave girl who began to quietly go for water to a source in the nearby Cold Cave. Every time she returned, the water from her jug would pour over the ground, causing grass to grow on it, forming the "Green Path". This path showed the enemy the way to the shelter. They killed everyone who was hiding in it, and put their heads in a cave. Thousand Headed Cave...

The cave has a length of 110 meters. Interesting objects in it:

Big hall;
tight tunnel;
fragments of stalactites.

We have considered only four Crimean caves, but they also allow you to get a clear idea that the Crimean land is rich in exotic not only on the surface, but also in its most hidden, underground corners. Everyone who has visited the mysterious bowels of the Crimean caves will forever keep their amazing aura in their hearts. And in your heart there is a place for at least one of eight hundred caves of Crimea.

The caves beckon with their history and mystery, and the Crimean caves are an absolutely unforgettable sight. Crimea is a wonderful peninsula, where both sea lovers and mountain lovers can find amazing tourist routes. Both active and passive rest are pleasant here, but the mysterious caves in the Crimea are especially interesting. So, what are the caves of the Crimea, how to get to them, what are they called, photos, videos, which caves of the Crimea are open to the public, we will tell below.

weeping grotto

Danilcha-Koba (Crying Grotto) is a natural monument, alluring with its mystery and magnificence. Several centuries ago, the temple of St. Daniel was located in it, so researchers believe that the name comes from the name of this saint. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the walls of the temple were only 140 centimeters, and then it was completely destroyed. About what used to be here Holy place, you can guess only by some traces near the exit.

The Weeping Grotto is one hall, 12 meters long and 4 meters high. In the middle of the hall there is a reservoir, the depth of which in some places reaches two meters. The water here is crystal clear and cold (about 7 degrees Celsius). Also around the perimeter of the grotto there are small baths where tourists can find cave pearls.

Binbash-Koba

The Thousand-domed Cave - that's what the researchers called it in the process of studying. During the first reconnaissance, numerous skulls were found in the bosom of Binbash-Koba: these were the remains of both animals and people. According to the legend, which is retold by the local population, once the inhabitants hid here from the nomads. The barbarians, however, could not get inside and decided to set fire to the entrance. As a result of the arson, everyone who sought refuge in this cave died. But researchers have refuted this legend. According to the examinations, the people who owned the skulls were quite advanced in age, which makes it possible to assert that this was a burial ground.

The cave, located on Chatyrdag, has a very narrow entrance, and then a narrow tunnel that turns into a gallery leading to a small hall. From this hall, two corridors pass into a large semicircular hall. Binbash-Koba stretches for as many as 110 kilometers underground.

bottomless cave

On the Chatyr-Dag plateau there is a beautiful and mysterious cave- Bottomless. It attracts mainly people who love adventure and danger, since not everyone can visit this miracle of nature. Only a person with specialized equipment can go down into the grotto, and even if this is not the first time, the company of a speleologist or a specially trained person (often these are athletes) is required here.

At an altitude of 1000 meters, there is an entrance in the very depths sinkhole. The entire cave is 410 meters long and 190 meters deep.

Diving into the mine begins with a ladder of 17 meters leading to a ledge. The width of the shaft differs in its size: if at the entrance it is 5 meters, then it increases to a maximum of 25. Due to the fact that the cave is vertical, in winter quite a lot of snow gets into it, which turns into a bewitching glacier in spring.

Kiik-Koba

Not far from the village of Zuya there is a grotto called Kiik-Koba. The area is 50 square meters. Its name is translated as "wild cave", since it was here that the remains of ancient people were found (Neanderthal site). The researchers found the remains of a woman and a child in the grotto, approximately 100,000 years old. Also in the cave there were primitive tools ancient man and bones of extinct animals.

The discoveries that were made in the grotto turned the whole scientific world upside down, so if you want to touch history, be sure to visit Kiik-Koba and other caves of Crimea. Photo:

Cave Iograph

Iograf Cave, located a little higher than Yalta, is very attractive for tourists. At the time when the local population was persecuted by the Turks for Christianity (8th-9th century), the church of the Christian martyr Evgraf was founded here. During the first studies of the cave, parts of lamps, various decorations (mainly made of copper and glass), an iron cross and fragments of an ancient marble icon were found here.

A visit to the cave will turn into an exciting journey, where tourists will appreciate the beauty of fairly close passages and one, but great hall. Also, no matter how hot the season is, the purest drops of water drip from the stalactites directly onto the altar.

marble cave

Crimea is a storehouse of the most amazing places in the world. One of the most beautiful sights of Chatyrdag is the Marble Cave. The duration of all passages and halls is about two kilometers, and the depth is 50 meters. Marble Cave is one of the five most beautiful caves in the world and is popular with tourists from Europe.

The first plus of an excursion to this cave is that there is no need to be a rock climber or caver in order to move freely and safely along the route. The most important thing is comfortable clothes and shoes.
Diving deep into the cave, tourists get into fairy world: the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites, stone waterfalls, corallite flowers, openwork pools and small baths with water, sagging on the walls. And if you add magical music and lighting to all this beauty, then the impression will be indescribable, you will forever remember what the Marble Cave in Crimea is. The official website of the caves, where you can see their prices - onixtour.com.ua.

red cave

The longest cave in Europe, Kyzy-Koba, is located on the Crimean peninsula. Its length is 26 kilometers, and the total area is 64 square kilometers. The length of the corridors is constantly growing, as a river flows through the lower "floors", which constantly washes out new and new corridors. It is difficult to follow them, but it is possible if you have a wetsuit (due to the low temperature of the water).

The cave is rich in various artifacts of the 7th-6th centuries BC - these are arrowheads made of bronze, and women's jewelry (beads, bracelets, rings), the remains of ceramic products.

The intricacies of labyrinths and tunnels form six floors. According to research, in front of the caves there was an ancient human settlement. Most likely they were Cimmerians who lived more than 2500 years ago.

Tourists visiting the cave can plunge into the world of pristine beauty and history. Tour guides conduct tours from 2 to 5 hours in time. The number of the group is from 2 to 25 people. There are ordinary routes or extreme ones, where tourists with equipment can visit the red caves in the Crimea, in which the river flows and penetrate into new halls and passages. The official site where you can find a description and what are the Red Caves of Crimea, prices for visits and schedules - kizilkoba.ru.

viking cave

This is sometimes called the famous Red Cave of Crimea. This is due to the organization of the Viking Cinema Park, which is necessary for the filming of the film. The life of the era of brave people of the 8th-11th centuries was clearly created in a place located next to the Kizil-Koba cave. It is as mysterious as the Red Cave itself, where in ancient times there was an ancient sanctuary where bloody sacrifices were made to cruel gods. The legend says that a tribe of terrible cyclops lived in an inaccessible dungeon. They guarded the wealth in the cave. According to Homer, Odysseus encountered them during his wanderings.

The specific red color of the cave is due to the high content of iron oxides. The length of the cave is 17 km. It is the longest underground cavity in Crimea. This is a 6-storey labyrinth, consisting of several caves. There are two routes for tourists. Basic, extreme. Choosing the first route, you must have a warm jacket. In the second case, the presence of a wetsuit is mandatory. At the bottom of the cave is interesting river included in the route. It can only be overcome by swimming. Underground waters form the famous Su-Uchkhan waterfall on the surface. Inside the cave there is a waterfall called the Pink Jet. Red Cave Viking (Crimea) is considered to be actively growing. New sinter formations are formed in it, new halls, galleries created by groundwater are formed. You can come here along the Yalta highway to the Red Caves sign.

Skelskaya

The Skelskaya cave is located in the Crimea, along the southern slope of the Ai-Petri mountain range. Not far from the village of Rodnikovoe, which is easy to come from Sevastopol. A marked path leading from a place formerly called Skelya points in the direction of the cave. It appeared in marble-type limestones during a tectonic fault under the influence of a destructive force. groundwater. Initially, it was a large hall, constantly decorated by nature with several separate galleries in three levels adorned with calcite formations. The structure of the cave resembles a staircase, which gives reason to believe the origin of its name from the Greek word "skele" or staircase.

The opening of the cave is considered to be 1904. Extreme lovers often penetrated into the bowels different levels caves. Organized tourist routes appeared in 2004 after the development of safe excursion routes to the underground kingdom, which is several million years old. The existing length of the excursion paths is about 270 m, with a total length of the cave of 670 m. All levels are connected by vertical wells. Access is possible with a guide. The lower level has deep underground lakes and rivers. The Skelskaya cave is considered to be the supplier of water to mountain streams, the Baidar reservoir.

In Crimea, the official website of the cave is speleotur.com, where you can find all the prices and conditions for excursions.

Now the footpaths, unusual bridges are equipped with modern equipment that creates optical illusions that emphasize the mysterious beauty of calcite sinter formations. The fantastic realm of figures of outlandish animals is striking, ranging from the gopher to the sculptures of the Dolphin Hall, the lady in the Ghost Hall, the Phoenix bird, numerous fairytale heroes. The outlines of the well-known sights of Crimea, the Swallow's Nest, the Foros Temple appear unexpectedly when illuminated, causing questions, delight, surprise. Looking at this beauty, you begin to believe in the living spirit of the dungeon, created by the outlines of a strange figure in the Fireplace Hall of the cave. Or freeze when looking at the 7-meter figure of the Knight, standing in the center of one of the halls of the Skelskaya cave. The unique speleofauna of the cave is listed on the pages of the Red Book. In summer, you can admire the amazing flowering Komperia orchid, which is found only in Turkey.

Emine Bair Khosar - cave in Crimea

The cave is one of the five most beautiful caves in the world. You can enter it through an artificial entrance located next to a natural vertical well. Cave Bair (Crimea) keeps numerous bones of animals that lived here in ancient times. Now a collection of the remains of a cave lion, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros can be seen in the cave museum. Since 1999, a route for tourists has been opened, going through the upper halls, next to the underground lake, through the halls of Idols, the hats of Monomakh, the Main, the Throne, Dublyansky. The length of the cave is 1460 m, the depth is 125 m, the area of known galleries is about 12,000 sq. m, located on five levels. The lower level, covered by a huge boulder, is considered a protected area in order to preserve the natural wonder.

The first description of the cave was made in 1927 after descending into the well, discovering the first large hall. For many years, the entrance to the cave was specially closed by speleologists to prevent an unregulated invasion of lovers of exotic dungeons. 700 m are equipped for excursions hiking trails. Cave Bair Khosar (Crimea) - this name comes from the Turkic words: Emi-oak, Khosar-well, Bair-slope. A well on a slope near an oak tree. You can go to the cave along the path leading from the trolleybus line through the village of Marble, a holiday village, a limestone quarry.

The main part of the cave is the halls of Nocturne, Red poppies, a huge dome. A film was made about the decorations of the cave from multi-colored crystals of various origins. Journey through interior halls runs along a concrete, comfortable path. The walls are covered with cascades of streaks that look like buds of unknown flowers, burning with millions of bright stars in the beams of lanterns. ABOUT underground lake caves still live numerous legends. One of them tells about the fate of the girl Emine, who was thrown into the well by her father because of her love for a guy from an enemy family. Until now, the cave of Emine (Crimea) keeps its spirit, which is interesting to hear about under the arches of the cave.

Mammoth Cave (Crimea)

Another name for the underground kingdom of Emine Bair Khosar is Mammoth Cave. The finds of paleontologists in the form of a whole skeleton of a mammoth were made near the entrance. They are considered unique phenomenon requiring scientific research. So far, scientists different countries trying to determine the causes of the appearance of ancient animals in unusual conditions for their lives. Maybe he fell into a trap set by an ancient man we have yet to learn about. An invaluable asset in the form of preserved animal remains, stored in the cave museum, is a range of valuable exhibits for scientific work, using modern knowledge, special equipment. Their storage in cave conditions does not allow the rapid destruction of the remains in the air. One of them is taphonomic analysis, which will make it possible to determine exact time the death of a mammoth, for example, during the Mousterian era, the Paleolithic. In addition to interesting excursion routes, Mammoth Cave (Crimea) has become a real scientific center for the study of the prehistory of mankind.

soldier's cave

In Crimea, it is considered the deepest, most difficult cave in Crimea. High, steep wells, halls completely flooded with water, are available only to experienced athletes. During a group visit, you must register with the local rescue service. Leave a list of all participants before entering the cave. Strictly observe the rules prohibiting kindling a fire in the cave halls. At the beginning of the descent, it is necessary to bring down weakly fortified stones, loose rock. Be sure to leave travel marks in the forks needed to return.

The cave is located at an altitude of about 980 m near the Egis-Tinas lakes on the Karabi-Yayla mountain range. The cave is named so, in honor of the soldiers who died in various wars. The path to it starts from the village of Krasnoselovka.

Three-eyed on Ai-Petri

The cave has three failures, through which the descent is organized. The cave has been known to the local population for a long time. Often it was used for long-term storage of products, prey of hunters, fishermen. Blocks of ice from their caves were supplied to the palaces of the Crimea in the role of refrigerators. Sometimes, therefore, it is called Icy, Vorontsovskaya. Inside the cave is a huge snowdrift. Coins are thrown into it as a keepsake, a repeated return here. The central entrance of the cave looks like an ice palace.

You can see the cave by climbing up cable car to the apple Or by hiking trails Taraktashskaya, Korenzskaya. There are handy signs everywhere.

MAN on Demerdzhi

The cave, located on the slope of the Northern Demerdzhi, was discovered in 1963 by schoolchildren from the Small Academy of Sciences (MAN). The length of the cave is 30 m, the height is from 3.5 to 10 m. There were drawings on the walls, which are poorly preserved at the present time. Experts exploring the cave came to the conclusion that its appearance is associated with the bed of an underground river flowing in this place. A huge gorge between the mountains proves this assumption. At the end of the cave there is a vertical 30-meter well. A large number of bones of various animals were found at its bottom. Calcite deposited in faults, voids in caves under the rays of the setting sun shines in diffused light, creating fantastic pictures.

An altar stone, similar to an altar, was formed above the ancient stone collapse, creating a special atmosphere of the cave. In ancient times, there was a sanctuary of the Taurians here. MAN has no organized routes for tourists. You can get here along the path leading from the Angarsk pass. It is not allowed to visit the cave, located near Alushta, without a guide.

Emine-Bair-Koba - the ancient cave of Chatyr-Dag

Emine-Bair-Koba cave is located near the famous Crimean village of Marble. Sometimes you can hear the name Three-eyes, which arose due to three exits, 2 of which resemble a nostril in shape, which gave life to another name. The grotto became widely known in 1927, when a scientific article about it appeared in the journal Krym.

It is proved that the Emine-Bair-Koba cave was formed due to mountain river, which flowed through Chatyr-Dag more than 10 million years ago. Now only cavities remained from it, thoroughly washed out by powerful water flows.

For excursion groups and individual visitors, access is possible only 70 meters deep into the cave. Professionals can go further and see another 140 meters of underground beauty, but you will need special equipment. Apart from safety rods, rope handrails and low lighting, there is nothing there.

Usually tourists are shown 2 halls, which are located near the main entrance on 2 levels. Sinter formations are similar to corals. Somewhere you can see pebbles. Speleologists are still trying to figure out how she got there.

Below is a catalog where you can choose and book excursions to the caves of Crimea

Red Caves - Kizil-Koba

More than 27 kilometers of beauty offers to see the Kizil-Koba cave. It was formed about 2.5 million years ago. During this time, even an ancient man managed to settle there. Historians have proven that this happened 70 thousand years ago. You can also find the name "Red Caves". It appeared due to the reddish tint of the deposits and several entrances providing access to each of the 6 levels.

The Kizil-Koba cave is located near the village of Perevalnoye, Simferopol region. Inside you can see the mountain river Kizilkobinka, whose waters serve to fill the Su-Uchkhan waterfall. The miraculous sculptures-stalagmites are impressive: the Master, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Dwarf.

It never gets hot in the cave labyrinths: the temperature is +10 degrees all the time, so you need to dress warmly, because the tour usually lasts an hour. Tourists are guided along a route half a kilometer long. It is also possible to order an extreme tour, which will take about 6 hours. To overcome this path, you will need special suits and equipment.

Skelskaya - four-tiered cave

At the beginning of the last century, a grandiose discovery was made near the village of Skelya near Sevastopol: a local teacher accidentally discovered a huge underground cavity, which later received the name Skelskaya cave. Access to its bowels was not opened immediately, but only after half a century. During this time, smooth paths, steps and lighting appeared there, which was a prerequisite for accepting tourists.

The length of the passages is almost 700 meters, while the total area of the cave is 1500 square meters. m. Halls and galleries are located on 4 tiers. Their height is so great that it made it possible to make 3 viewing platforms. From there you can admire the overall picture, which is made up of sinter formations and huge stalagmites. Particularly impressive is the "Knight", whose height exceeds 7 meters. Watch an interesting video tour of the sights:

If you are going to visit the Skelskaya cave in the Crimea, you should prepare for the fact that it is very damp and cold inside. The temperature is kept at around 12 degrees all year round. Tours here last about 50 minutes, so you need to take warm clothes with you.

Geophysical - a cave with a luminescent glow

On the territory of the Yalta mountain forest nature reserve on Mount Ai-Petri is Geophysical Cave, which was opened to tourists only in 2009. It was here that the luminescence of the formations was first noted: due to the fact that they contain manganese and copper, when light from the flash hits, the growths and influxes begin to glow with shades of green, yellow and blue.

To get into the halls of the cave, you will have to overcome a 28-meter spiral staircase, which is located in a vertical shaft 60 meters deep. The grotto has a length of 140 meters. You need to be prepared for the fact that the temperature inside will be about 10 degrees.

Below, complex galleries and halls open up before the tourist. Zhemchuzhny surprises with numerous pointed formations on the walls and vault, which have a pleasant green color. A geophysical cave in the Crimea attracts travelers who want to look at a 6-meter stalactite. That's great rarity. Also in one of the halls there is a bizarre sinter formation, very similar to a multi-tiered wedding cake.

Many stalactites, united with stalagmites, turned into stalagnates. Due to the peculiarities of the breed, they acquired a yellow-mustard color. There is even a small lake with clear water at the bottom of the cave.

Yalta - cave with stone jellyfish

The Ai-Petri mountain range contains many cavities, but not every one of them has been fully explored. More recently, at the end of the 20th century, the Yalta cave was discovered. And the first tourist went there only in 2007, when the conditions for receiving visitors were created. There are 2 rooms inside. For ordinary people there is only access to the main gallery. The second, which is at the lower level, requires special training and equipment.

The entrance to the dungeon is very convenient: the steps go very shallow. Usually the tour lasts 25 minutes: the area of the equipped area is only 180 meters, so this time is enough to take a close look at everything. The vault is decorated with pasta stalactites of different lengths and thicknesses, and on the walls there are stone jellyfish. Special lighting creates a sense of magic.

Three-Eyes - Ice Cave

There are many different grottoes and cavities on Mount Ai-Petri. Three-eyed cave is one of the most famous and visited. It is named so because of the presence of three cavities that resemble the eye sockets, however, empty. To get inside, you have to overcome a long staircase leading to the bottom.

You can also find the name Ice Cave. It was given because of the huge snowdrift that formed in the main hall. Over the years, the snow turned into ice, some of which was taken out to be used as a cold accumulator. With its help, food and wine were cooled, located in the cellars of Count Vorontsov.

The main hall of the Three-Eyed Cave occupies 150 sq. m. Walls and vaults consist of rock layers and sand-colored sinter formations. There are also ice stalactites that grow at high speed. The grotto is equipped for tourists. There is lighting and comfortable handrails. The only difference is that it is very cold there. Going on an excursion to ice cave You should bring warm clothes with you.

Iograph - cave-temple

The southern side of Mount Ai-Petri is known for the natural monument of Crimea located there. Iograph Cave has long been used for Christian worship. In a spacious hall measuring 18x10 meters, a temple was equipped with an altar, icons and lamps, where believers gathered.

Nearest locality- Yalta, so tourists heading to the Ai-Petrinsky plateau have the opportunity to visit this attraction. Not far from the entrance rises the Poklonny cross. There was a time when the grotto fell into disrepair - an accumulation of garbage appeared there and even cattle were brought in to wait out the midday heat. But in the 90s of the last century, a group of caring people put the cave in order - they took out the rubbish, icons appeared on the walls.

Cave Iograph in Crimea refers to karst formations. Initially, water accumulated in the cavity, but then the rock parted. So the entrance appeared, and the liquid left the tank. Inside there are recesses in which cave pearls were found. The walls are decorated with stalactites, and in one sinter formation, the outlines of a human face are clearly visible.

Bottomless well - Tupsuz-Khosar cave

Not far from the village of Marble, which is located between Simferopol and Alushta, there is an amazing underground cavity in the mountain Chatyr-Dag. It attracts those wishing to penetrate hard-to-reach places and discover something new in the Crimea. The Bottomless Well Cave is a real treasure trove with natural pearls and 10-meter icicles on the walls.

Grotto Tyupsyuz-Khosar (this is his middle name) is available only to people with special training and equipment. And although you can go down the stairs a little there, you won’t be able to reach the bottom without protective equipment. The lowest point of the cave is at a depth of 195 meters. From the main shaft there are 3 horizontal tunnels. At the end of the last century, a well with 2 halls was found there.

Cave bottomless well has the shape of a jug, expanding towards the bottom. Its "walls" are dotted with various cavities-pockets. Snow drifts can be seen there all year round. Snow, getting inside, is perfectly preserved. At the bottom point, a 15-meter snowdrift even formed.

The grotto is famous for its abundance of cave pearls. And although visually it looks like a sea one, it is formed with the help of ordinary calcite, which is layered on grains of sand. Its diameter can reach 3 cm. Once cavers managed to find more than 15 thousand of these pearls.

Snake - cave of sacrifices

Not far from Simferopol, near the village of Chistenkoe, there is an unusual karst formation - Snake Cave. Its name is rather symbolic, because there are no reptiles in these places. And they called it that because of the long, narrow and winding passages, which have some similarities with snake holes.

This is a three-story cave, over 300 meters long. The lower tier is rich in crystalline calcites, which in the light of lanterns begin to play with different colors. Unlike other caves, not a single sinter formation can be found here - stalactites and other growths cannot form here. Too dry and warm.

During the study of the cave, fragments of dishes and many animal bones were found. As a result, it was concluded that snake cave in the Crimea it was used as a place where sacrificial rites were performed.

It's pretty quiet there now. And if you take a few powerful lanterns with you, you can admire the unusual tunnels and bends. You just need to be prepared for the fact that on the way you can meet a tiny bat with a big name - a big horseshoe. Fortunately, she does not pose a threat.

Big Buzluk - Ice Well

The east of Crimea is famous for the most interesting and huge Karabi-Yayla mountain range. It is of interest due to the huge number of various karst formations. One of them is the Big Buzluk cave. The nearest settlement is the village of Generalskoye, from where excursions usually start.

The grotto is a vertical 20-meter funnel that descends 81 meters. You can't get there without equipment. Its length is not more than 160 meters. The second name of the cave is Ice Well. Inside you can see ice growths, stalactites and columns. The temperature stays around 0 degrees.

A couple of centuries ago, the Big Buzluk cave in the Crimea was used as a cold store. Livestock breeders stored sheep carcasses there, destined for sale to Europe. Researchers have proven that the age of ice in certain places exceeds 50 years. For the Crimea, this is a rarity.

Despite the abundance of ice and snow, at the bottom of the cave, in a kind of well, you can see a small underground river. Due to the constant movement, the water in it never freezes.

Binbash-Koba - Thousand-Headed Cave

The Binbash-Koba cave is one of the least visited places in Crimea - 2 centuries ago, many human bones and skulls were found in it. This fact contributed to the emergence of another name - the Thousand-Headed. Now there is no trace left of the remains. They were barbarously plundered. People did not hesitate to take with them cave stalactites, which were cut down with a special hatchet. And for the heritage left "memorable" inscriptions on the walls.

The Binbash-Koba cave is located in the lower part of the Chatyrdag plateau, not far from the village of Marble. The entrance to this grotto is rather inconspicuous and resembles an ordinary crevice. But, after going a little inside, you can get into a huge hall 7 meters high. The total length of the passages is just over 100 meters. Everyone can go there - admission is free.

The peculiarity of this grotto is in a special shade of sinter formations. In appearance, it resembles soot, which is obtained after a fire. It is still not known whether the cave was really set on fire, according to the legend, or whether it was a special reaction of the rock to oxygen. Black stalactites and influxes look gloomy, but you should not be afraid - this is just a special, unlike other karst cavity.

Grotto Shaitan-Koba - the dwelling of an ancient man

Not far from the village of Skalistoye, Bakhchisaray district, the river Bodrak flows, on the right bank of which there is a mysterious cave Shaitan-Koba. In the Crimea, it is of particular value: in the 30s of the last century, an ancient human site was discovered there. Upon closer examination, it became clear that people lived there in the Paleolithic era.

The size of the cave is small. It goes into the rock for 4 meters, gradually narrowing. The height is only 2 meters, and the total area does not exceed 28 square meters. m. Archaeological excavations yielded colossal results: the cultural layer 30 cm deep contained tens of thousands of things valuable for science, which were once used by primitive people. These were flint tools (about 25 thousand) and bones of birds and animals that were hunted in those days - magpies, donkeys, mammoths, bison, arctic foxes and others.

The Shaitan-Koba cave is translated from the Crimean Tatar as “devilish”, but there is nothing frightening or mystical in it. picturesque surroundings attracted no less than ancient grotto so they come here often. tourist groups accompanied by tour guides.

What impressions will give excursions to the caves?

Having got acquainted with the wonderful world that the caves of Crimea carefully keep in themselves, unforgettable pictures created by the forces of nature will remain in your memory. Stone flowers, jellyfish, stalagmites impress with their different shapes and sizes, unusual colors and age. Tourists return to some of the caves more than once to inspect every corner more carefully.

You can get into many caves of the Crimea throughout the year. According to statistics, in the off-season there is a slight decrease in tourist activity and you can walk through the underground labyrinths as part of a small excursion group. But there are also grottoes that are closed for the winter. Therefore, before visiting, it is advisable to clarify the work schedule of the ticket office and guides.

Fortunately, for the opportunity to see many Crimean caves no need to pay. The main thing is to try to keep natural resources and not leave traces of being in them, so as not to disturb the natural course of events.