Reserve Karadag in the Crimea. Flora and fauna of the Karadag nature reserve

Reserve Karadag (from the Turkic - "Black Mountain") - a beautiful corner of the Crimea, which is popular with most guests of the peninsula. Located in its south-eastern part, between the villages Kurortnoye, Koktebel and Shchebetovka (near Feodosia), it is the only geological object in Europe in whose territory the extinct ancient volcano is located.

The Karadag nature reserve: volcano

Its eruption, which happened more than 120 million years ago, and the natural processes that followed it, led to the creation of a unique and picturesque complex, majestic and unique. The black sea at the Karadag shores looks amazing: blue-blue sparkling water, as if tinted with azure and constantly changing color from affectionate turquoise to succulent-cornflower, rivaling with heavenly blue.

The Holy Mountain of Karadag: miracles of healing

The mountain range of Karadag is formed by several peaks of bizarre forms, reminiscent of impregnable fortress walls with towers and loopholes. Behind them stands the domed Holy Mountain - the highest point of Karadag with a height of 577 meters. Covered with wood, it almost entirely consists of a route - a rock formed by volcanic ash and having a greenish color. In ancient times, it was at the top of this mountain was the sanctuary of the warlike goddess Kali. In the I century AD. E. The holy mountain served as a place of worship for the god-healer Asclepius.

In the XIX century, among the Tatar population, a legend was spread that on the Holy Mountain there was an unnamed grave of a saint who healed the sick. To what faith the wonderworker belonged, it was not known, therefore it was worshiped by both Muslims and Christians. Closer to the evening people crowded together in droves to the present Karadag nature reserve and brought to this place on carts of patients who, before darkness, cut strands of hair and pieces of clothing, tied them to branches of trees and bushes in order to leave the disease in this place. The patient was placed on a tombstone, covered with sheepskin, and left for the night. In a dream, he was the spirit of a saint, he interpreted the cause of the illness, gave a sign how to turn it away, or sent a recovery. Practice of miraculous healings existed for more than one century, almost before the beginning of World War II.

From the point of view of science, the healing powers of the Holy Mountain are explained by the action of the powerful geomagnetic energy accumulated in this place, which strongly influences the climate, animal and plant world. A gravestone (stone - megalith), which was the accumulator of this energy, was blown up during the Soviet period, the grate was stolen, the place was desecrated. At present, attempts are being made to restore the lost shrine.

Karadag cliffs

The Karadag nature reserve, whose history in part resembles a fantastic fairy tale, is unique in the rocks formed under the action of natural elements and resembling bizarre animals: Horse-Gingerbread, Sphinx, Ivan Rogue, Devil's Finger. The whole thematic composition stands out the Kagarach Ridge, the peaks of which are called the King, Queen, Throne, Svita. In some places, the mountains retreat a little, opening small coves with a narrow border of beaches, which also have unusual names: Frogs, Serdolikovaya, Lion, Borderland, Razboynichya, Barakhta.

Golden Gate - the card of Karadag

Rock formation Golden Gate is the visiting card of Karadag. Only a few days a year (closer to the date of the winter solstice) through them you can admire the sunrise. It is known that the sketch of Karadag's gates is embodied in the manuscript of "Eugene Onegin" by A.S. Pushkin, who traveled around Tauris. The Golden Gate has another name - Shaitan-Kapu (otherwise - Devil's Gate). It was believed that it is in this place that there is a road to the underworld. Externally, the Golden Gate represents an arch, the depth of the water under which is 15 meters, the height above the sea is 8 meters, and the width is 6 meters. There is a belief that swim under this arch, you need to throw a coin in the rock (so that it rattles) and immediately make a wish that will certainly come true.

The uniqueness of Karadag

The Karadag nature reserve (photo is presented in the article) is unique not only by rocks and mountains of exceptional form, but also by plant and animal life. This is the habitat of many endangered, rare and endemic (occurring exclusively here) representatives of the flora and fauna. The Karadag Nature Reserve is a unique biocomplex of the Crimean territory, which in combination with the picturesque relief, unusual natural conditions, placers of rare minerals, unique geological structure, historical events is of great interest to scientists all over the world, as well as nature lovers, guests of the peninsula and tourists.

Education of the Karadag Nature Reserve

It is because of the mass visit of the pearl of the Crimea that the Karadag nature reserve was formed in 1979, the area of which covered almost 2.9 thousand hectares, of which 809 hectares is the Black Sea water area. This measure was just necessary and served as an impetus to strengthen the protection status of the popular territory. Unorganized, wild tourism became a threat to the mineralogical riches of Karadag and caused significant damage to flora-fires-and fauna-caused anxiety.

Therefore, the formation of the reserve is a necessary measure, although somewhat belated: the most vulnerable species of large predatory birds, bats and other animals have already disappeared.

The nature of the Karadag nature reserve is rich in species and is represented by three belts:

• From sea level to 250 meters - a steppe belt, diluted by light forests and shrubs;
• From 250 to 450 meters - forests of fluffy oak;
• Above 450 meters - hornbeam and rock-oak forests.

In Crimea, there are approximately 2,400 species of higher flowering plants. And almost half of them are in Karadag. The entire plant world of the reserve includes 2,782 species, many of which are included in the Red Books of various ranks. There are plants that live exclusively here and nowhere else.

In the scientific world, a dispute has long been debated whether the Karadag reserve together with the mountainous Crimea, which differs sharply from the steppe part of the peninsula, is the last reminder of the Black Sea Atlantis-Pontida, which once connected the peninsula with the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. This is indirectly indicated by the geography and climate of the Karadag Nature Reserve. Pontida could also be connected with the dry land with the Caucasus and the Balkans: how else could plant species peculiar to these regions come into being?

The Karadag nature reserve: animals

Representatives of the Karadag fauna also cause considerable interest. This is a peregrine falcon, a leopard slide, entered in the international Red book. Mammals here are represented by bats in all their diversity. Among rare insects, it is possible to distinguish the Crimean beetle, ascalatha, a large wingless grasshopper (steppe), several kinds of mantis. Here there are stone martens, Crimean and rock lizards, squirrels, hedgehogs, roe deer, wild boars. Birds are more than 200 species, although not all of them nest here.

Inhabitants of the water area of Karadag

The sea attracts the purity of water and the variety of the bottom (shell rock, rocks, sand), which determines the wealth of benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans, ringworms and bivalve mollusks. It is estimated that the inhabitants of the Karadag water area constitute 50-70% of all species of the Black Sea fauna. Also, Black Sea dolphins can often be found on the Karadag shores . The commercial value is represented by mussels. Unfortunately, another commercial Black Sea mollusk, an oyster, disappeared. This is due to the spread in the Black Sea of rapana - a predatory Far Eastern snail. Apart from the oysters, other Black Sea bivalves also suffered from this aggressive invader: a large modiolus, a scallop, a polytytape. True, now the rapa, which massively spread along the coast of Karadag, became an object of fishing, and its beautiful shells are successfully sold out by tourists.

Is the Karadag monster?

In the water area of Karadag, according to ancient legends, there lives a sea monster. According to the surviving stories of the Romans, the ancient Greeks and Byzantines, it resembles a huge dark gray snake with massive clawed feet, a terrible mouth littered with several rows of large sharp teeth, and is able to develop high speed when traveling, easily overtaking sailing ships. In the XVI-XVIII centuries, the Turkish navigators repeatedly informed the Sultan about meetings with the Black Sea serpent. Seen it and the naval officers of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, reported this to Emperor Nicholas I. The king even equipped an expedition to catch the monster, but it was unsuccessful. It was found only a huge egg with a dragon-like embryo, weighing 12 kilograms.

These legends were confirmed in 1990, when fishermen, 3 miles from the Karadag Nature Reserve, pulled the mutilated body of a dolphin out of the nets. Judging by the bite, the width of the mouth of the sea monster was about one meter, and the teeth - 4-5 centimeters. The sight of the fishermen was horrified. In 1991, last year's picture was repeated: in the network about the same place caught another dolphin with similar injuries.

Karadag for the guests of the peninsula

The Karadag nature reserve is divided into zones: open - for tourists, and also protected - absolutely reserved. For visitors who come here with pleasure, a museum of nature, a dolphinarium and an aquarium are opened, sea walks, excursions along the ecological path are conducted , and the laid routes cover the most interesting corners of the reserve; Nevertheless they are protected from direct invasion.

The Karadag Biostation and the Reserve regularly inventory flora and fauna, carry out thorough scientific research, study of benthic fauna and marine plankton. Students of geological and biological faculties of many educational institutions are practicing at the reserve.