The most interesting sights of Arkhyz

On the territory of the Zelenchuksu district in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Arkhyz Valley stretches, which is conventionally divided into the lower and upper Arkhyz. Going to the lower part of the valley, you can get to Akademgorodok in the village of Bukovo. Here the main sights of Arkhyz are concentrated, among which are ancient temples. In the upper part is the resort of Arkhyz. In general, "Arkhyz" should be understood as the territory that starts from the northern part of the village of Dausuz (including Zelenchukskaya village) and lasts the Main Caucasian Range in the southern part.

Many tourists are eager to visit this area to see all the sights of Arkhyz. First of all, these are unique places created by nature itself. From the north and north-west, the territory of Arkhyz is separated by the Abishira-Akhuba ridge. The symbol of Arkhyz is considered to be the summit of Sofia, the crest of which abruptly breaks to the north and forms the Sophia saddle, which later connects with the Chenet-Chat mountain ridge. A pretty picturesque picture is the Sofia waterfalls.

In addition to the unique natural places, tourists enjoy the architectural sights of Arkhyz, among which the northern Zelenchuk temple. The building is constructed of sandstone in the form of a cross. Its length corresponds to the height of the temple and is 21 meters. As for the width, it is half the size. At the present time it is already impossible to see the frescoes, as they are not preserved (except for the ornaments on the slopes of the altar windows).

Continuing to consider the sights of Arkhyz, one can not help mentioning the telescope of BTA, which is the largest in Eurasia. It is installed in the Special Astrophysical Observatory, which is located near the village of Nizhny Arkhyz on the hill Sevenrodniki. In this area the radio telescope RATAN-600, located near the village Zelenchukskaya, deserves attention. It is one of the largest in the world and consists of 895 reflecting elements of rectangular shape, each of which has a size of 2 by 11.4 meters. All of them are arranged in a circle, the diameter of which is 576 meters.

Continuing to discuss the most interesting places with which Arkhyz is famous, the sights, photos of which are represented here, can be supplemented with a historical, architectural and archaeological complex - Nizhne-Arkhyz hillfort, located just two kilometers from Bukovo. Once here the city of Magas prospered. According to scientists, this particular settlement was once the capital of ancient Alanya. The site itself extends for 4.5 kilometers. Here you can clearly see three streets, several alleys with remains of stone walls, houses and temples.

What else interesting to see, having arrived to Arkhyz? The sights of this area can be described for a very long time. But we will stop at the Nizhne-Arkhyz Historical and Architectural Complex, which was opened in 1977 and consists of 3 cross-dome churches: the Southern, Middle and Northern medieval fortifications. The complex includes defensive shafts, quarries, ancient landowning areas, aboveground and rock burial grounds.

Among other architectural structures , the Kazan Church, towering in the village of Marukha, deserves attention. Its main treasure is the image of the Kazan Mother of God, which, according to Christians, has healing properties.