Mount Demerdzhi: description, photo, interesting facts

The variety of beautiful places on the peninsula of Crimea is so great that it's no wonder that it's confused. Unique reliefs The valleys of the ghosts, the placers of the Stone Chaos and other impressive historical and natural attractions can be seen by visiting such an object as Demerdzhi Mountain in the Crimea or the eponymous mountain massif - the yail that is included in the Crimean mountain range.

Short description

The massif is divided by the mountain saddle to South Demerdzhi, located at an elevation of 1,239 meters above sea level, and to Northern Demerdzhi, whose area is much larger, and the height is 1,356 meters. It is interesting that the geological structure of the two "neighbors" is different. The northern mountain consists of so-called marble-shaped limestones. The southern one is multilayered and composed of limestones and conglomerates, which are rocks cemented over millions of years, consisting of pebbles, sandstones, clay, mountain fragments. But here is what is of particular interest to scientists, so these are drops of small pebbles of red granite and quartzite in these rocks. Their age is estimated at about a billion years, while clay, limestone, sandstone arose about 140-180 million years ago.

Name

At such an interesting object, which eventually became known as Demerdzhi Mountain, there is an older name - Funa, which is translated from Greek as "smoking". Over time, it was forgotten, and people gave it a new one - Demerdzhi - "blacksmith-mountain". Under the influence of natural elements from the rock mass, stones are broken off, and when falling, they create sounds very reminiscent of blows with an iron hammer. The same name is worn by the medieval ruins of the fortress, located on a hill at the foot of the southern side of the mountain.

Settlements

Originally here in the first half of the IX century there was a Christian settlement, located on the path of caravans and pilgrims. And the fortress and the temple of St. Theodore Tiron appeared later, around the XV century, and they entered the defensive fortifications of the principality of Theodoro. The fortress was destroyed by the Turks, and the temple stood for a long time, until it finally collapsed. This happened in the XX century after the famous Yalta earthquake.

Great Stone Chaos

Mount Demerdzhi, the photo of which is contained in the article, has interesting places, and one of them is an impressive natural phenomenon - the so-called Great Stone Chaos. It is a bulk of many-toned stone blocks, hiding the lower part of a huge, cracked rocks, rocks. Today's appearance of the slope gave a powerful collapse, which occurred in April 1894. Limestone with pebbles and boulders, water, wind and time are invisible builders of amazing stone "sculptures" located in the Valley of ghosts on the southern slope, which is considered the main attraction of Demerdzhi.

The height of the mountain constantly challenges the climbers. The kingdom of the stone is striking in its quaintness and variety of forms, reminiscent of the alien landscape. It is especially interesting here in foggy days, and if imagination is played, for a few moments the pillars come alive and take the silhouette of either a man or a fairy animal or a bird. The higher up the hill, the figures have an increasingly unfinished appearance. The most famous of them is the rock "Catherine's Head", named after Catherine II. Although she has nothing to do with the image of the empress, and more like a man's head. Here, a paradise for artists and painters, as during the day the color background of the slope changes several times in the sun.

Brocken's Ghost

Another rare natural phenomenon is the Broken Ghost. It can be observed at sunrise from the side of such an object as Mount Demerdzhi. It appears from the north and south. This phenomenon is unique. From the outside it is like a huge shadow that rises above the clouds.

Vegetable world

A variety of meadow vegetation predominates at the foot, and on the slopes there is a steppe with forest islets, whose representatives are mostly long-stemmed pines, hornbeams and beeches. From early spring to freezing, almost everything is covered with a carpet of various colors. You can even meet a spiky tragacanth, inherent in conglomerates. The relief has karst forms, so karst cavities, fields, wells or funnels often come across.

sights

You can not miss the ancient cave MAN, located on the northern slopes of Demerdzhi. It is an ancient pagan altar. Only on the day of the summer solstice, the light of the setting sun penetrates into the entrance of the cave, revealing an amazing view of the niche, in the middle of which there is a stone in the form of an altar. Above him, a cross is scratched and a drawing resembling a human face.

Mount Demerdgi will delight tourists with a beautiful waterfall. It is located at an altitude of more than 800 m. This waterfall Dzhurla is called. Its transparent waters sparkle in the rays of the sun, reviving the gloomy rocks. But in the summer, especially in droughty years, the waterfall almost dries up and there remains a small trickle.

Through the Hapkhal gorge, the Ulu-Uzen Eastern river flows, forming the Jur-Jur waterfall hidden from human eyes. When you contemplate, as water falls down in huge streams, it seems that it bursts out beneath the foamy streams.

Interest in the mountain

The diverse nature of the Crimean peninsula is easily recognized in many Russian films. So, most of the episodes of the "Caucasian captive" were filmed in the tract of such an object as Mount Demerdzhi. Having climbed onto a huge boulder (to which the ladder is carefully attached) you can try yourself in the role of Natalia Varley, singing the famous song called "Somewhere in the White World". Probably everyone remembers Stepan from the movie "Sportloto-82", which spoiled the pointer in this place. Here grows a six hundred-year-old tree "Nut Nikulin", from which the hero of Yuri Nikulin fell. And wandering along the Valley of ghosts, you can remember the footage from the movie "Hearts of Three".

How to get there?

On the Crimean peninsula there is a pearl that attracts here not only travelers from all over the world, but also scientists, researchers, film crews and photographers. And it is called Demerdzhi (mountain). How to get to this unique place? You can come here by bus, which depart from the bus station of Alushta, Partenit, Simferopol. It is also proposed to travel by scenic trolleybus route No. 52 along the route Simferopol - Yalta and get off at the stop "Village Radiant". Passing through it, any tourist will be at the foot of South Demerdzhi, where the hike uphill begins. Throughout the way there are signs placed on trees and stones.