Ayu-Dag - Bear Mountain
Mount Ayu-Dag, or as it is customary to call it Bear Mountain in the Crimea, its "bearish" form due to geological origin - this is a failed volcano
Or, as scientists say, a kind of diapiric intrusion. The magma, which was screeching beneath the earth's crust, was preparing to erupt, but it did not have enough pressure, it only rose with the surface rocks - and froze with a mass of quartz dolerites and greenish-gray, very solid, valuable for the construction of gabbro-diabase. But tourists prefer another version of the origin of this natural monument - Bear Mountain legend.
The height of the mountain is 571 meters; "Back" Bear Mountain often covers a cloud - Bear Mountain photo ..
Bear Mountain is associated with the discovery of a decade ago, casting doubt on the modern theory of the settlement of the Crimea. At the foot of Ayu-Dag, a young Yalta archaeologist dug out a collection of flint tools, the largest in Eastern Europe. Her age, presumably, is 800 thousand years.
The collection of the oldest tools was found in the "cultural layer" of the Bear Mountain of a later time and, in principle, could have happened at the foot of Ayu-Dag accidentally. It can not serve as a direct proof of the appearance of a man in the Crimea at such a long time. However, the current theory calls into question, demanding arguments - even supposed ones, but more weighty than the notorious "accident". Moreover, a similar collection, as on Mount Bear, the same scientist unearthed near the Tsar's path, near the village of Gaspra.
On the southwestern slope of the Bear Mountain, where the International Children's Center "Artek" was attached to it from Ayu-Dag, from the 4th century BC until the first centuries of the new era there lived Taurians. They dryly, rudely, but firmly laid stone terraces to level the soil for vegetable gardens, built on them plain-looking squat houses. Somewhere nearby the mountains Bear herds grazed, and here, to the recesses of the fires of hearths, over which the women cooked, their husbands returned from hunting or fishing.
Where did the Taurians pray? High in the mountains above Ayu-Dag, a pagan shrine was found, decorated with silver and bronze figurines of Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Artemis, Fortune. Cybele, figurines of deified animals. These elegant products and many more glass and ceramic ornaments, pottery, remnants of weapons, coins were found by archaeologists from 1981 to 1993 on a mountain plateau, above the Gurzuf saddle.
Bear Mountain is known not only for its historical monuments. Together with the Swallow's Nest, it is considered to be the visiting card of the Crimea for visitors. The forested path to the mountain Ayu-Dag, which begins in the park of the sanatorium, will not open you bright landscapes, except for the view of Alushta at the very beginning. But for historians this is the most interesting, the most rich archaeological material Bear Mountain in the Crimea!
In the VIII - XV centuries, roads were driven there; On the saddles, on comfortable glades and even at the very top of the Bear Mountain there were stone dwellings. The entire settlement was surrounded by several rows of defensive walls up to five meters high. There lived, judging by the graves, the descendants of the Taurus-Scythians, Greeks, ready-Alans with an admixture of Byzantines-icon-worshipers who had been ousted from their homeland. They worked in the valleys, but lived above Ayu-Dag: protecting the people of their inaccessibility, the mountain allowed the community to remain independent. There, in the middle of the forest, springs were sprinkled, which means that for sure the fruit trees grew, gardens were cultivated.
In different places Ayu-Dag built Christian churches, basilicas, monasteries. In the XV century, after an earthquake or a landslide, water sources ran out on the mountain, and people began to leave their dwellings, settling on the seashore. In our days, springs surround the foot of Ayu-Dag from all sides; Water flows into the sea and the valleys. These are reincarnated after the geological catastrophe sources - the descendants of those disappeared, around which the medieval settlements grew on the Bear Mount.
A four-hour excursion to Ayu-Dag begins with a visit to the memorial complex of John of Gotha, where his tomb has been preserved. At the beginning of the trail, you can purchase a map of the Bear Mountain mountain of the upcoming route. Then - a steep climb. Under the feet of clay with pieces of gabbro-diabase. In the glade of Ai-Constant (125 meters high), the ruins of the church of St. Constantine and Helena are visible, and the powerful foundations of some other building on Ayu-Dag (possibly a fortress or monastery of the XIV-XV centuries). A hundred meters to the north of the trail in 1969, they discovered the remains of a defensive wall, which in the past enclosed the entire accessible part of the eastern slope of Bear Mountain. In the hole of this wall, many small and large pebbles were opened, which served as slug bullets and catapult cores. On another glade (at an altitude of 240 meters) there are the ruins of another temple of the same time.
At the top of Ayu-Dag there were primitively built walls of ring-shaped fortification (VIII-X century) - probably a refuge in case of a military threat. At 60 meters south of the fortress found the remains of a small temple, similar to the church of St. Constantine. It is possible that both of them were built in the 15th century by Metropolitan Damian, who undertook to renew the Taurian shrines. There is an assumption that the mountain itself could be called Ayia-Dag - "Holy Mountain". And it was only after the Turks invaded that the toponym acquired a similar but different meaning to the Ayu-Dag sound - "Bear Mountain".
. If you have strong legs and easy breathing, you can go down to the sea along one of the paths, sunbathe on a tiny "family" beach. Ayu-Dag from the sea is impregnable, but fabulously beautiful: bays with a small pebble, steep cliffs, underwater caves. Just do not try, when again climb to the saddle, go through the range of the Ardec Mountains to Artek or get out on the western slope to the track, because there are dangerous rocks and a complete impassability. Nothing, if a walk to Ayu-Dag at 2.5 kilometers seems to you too long. Trust the experience of the medieval children of nature - go along their path, and it will take you back to Partenit.
Among the local population there is a belief that in 1820 Pushkin was visited by the Bear Mountain. Karasan cherishes the "Pushkinskaya" alley of cypress trees, but the road passed through Partenit. The guides will willingly show how Alexander Sergeyevich came here "at an hour of serenity", which cliffs attracted his eyes and feelings. And of course, they will not forget to decorate their story about the Bear Mountain with the immortal Pushkin lines ...
Mount Ayu-Dag, or as it is customary to call it Bear Mountain in the Crimea, its "bearish" form due to geological origin - this is a failed volcano
Or, as scientists say, a kind of diapiric intrusion. The magma, which was screeching beneath the earth's crust, was preparing to erupt, but it did not have enough pressure, it only rose with the surface rocks - and froze with a mass of quartz dolerites and greenish-gray, very solid, valuable for the construction of gabbro-diabase. But tourists prefer another version of the origin of this natural monument - Bear Mountain legend.
The height of the mountain is 571 meters; "Back" Bear Mountain often covers a cloud - Bear Mountain photo ..
Bear Mountain is associated with the discovery of a decade ago, casting doubt on the modern theory of the settlement of the Crimea. At the foot of Ayu-Dag, a young Yalta archaeologist dug out a collection of flint tools, the largest in Eastern Europe. Her age, presumably, is 800 thousand years.
Boat trip along the Bear Mountain
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Ayu-Dag and cliffs of Adallary
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Gurzuf
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The collection of the oldest tools was found in the "cultural layer" of the Bear Mountain of a later time and, in principle, could have happened at the foot of Ayu-Dag accidentally. It can not serve as a direct proof of the appearance of a man in the Crimea at such a long time. However, the current theory calls into question, demanding arguments - even supposed ones, but more weighty than the notorious "accident". Moreover, a similar collection, as on Mount Bear, the same scientist unearthed near the Tsar's path, near the village of Gaspra.
On the southwestern slope of the Bear Mountain, where the International Children's Center "Artek" was attached to it from Ayu-Dag, from the 4th century BC until the first centuries of the new era there lived Taurians. They dryly, rudely, but firmly laid stone terraces to level the soil for vegetable gardens, built on them plain-looking squat houses. Somewhere nearby the mountains Bear herds grazed, and here, to the recesses of the fires of hearths, over which the women cooked, their husbands returned from hunting or fishing.
Cliffs of Adallary sea walk
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View on the cape of the suuk-su and the cliffs of Gemin
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Bear Mountain at dawn
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Where did the Taurians pray? High in the mountains above Ayu-Dag, a pagan shrine was found, decorated with silver and bronze figurines of Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Artemis, Fortune. Cybele, figurines of deified animals. These elegant products and many more glass and ceramic ornaments, pottery, remnants of weapons, coins were found by archaeologists from 1981 to 1993 on a mountain plateau, above the Gurzuf saddle.
Bear Mountain is known not only for its historical monuments. Together with the Swallow's Nest, it is considered to be the visiting card of the Crimea for visitors. The forested path to the mountain Ayu-Dag, which begins in the park of the sanatorium, will not open you bright landscapes, except for the view of Alushta at the very beginning. But for historians this is the most interesting, the most rich archaeological material Bear Mountain in the Crimea!
In the VIII - XV centuries, roads were driven there; On the saddles, on comfortable glades and even at the very top of the Bear Mountain there were stone dwellings. The entire settlement was surrounded by several rows of defensive walls up to five meters high. There lived, judging by the graves, the descendants of the Taurus-Scythians, Greeks, ready-Alans with an admixture of Byzantines-icon-worshipers who had been ousted from their homeland. They worked in the valleys, but lived above Ayu-Dag: protecting the people of their inaccessibility, the mountain allowed the community to remain independent. There, in the middle of the forest, springs were sprinkled, which means that for sure the fruit trees grew, gardens were cultivated.
A pile of stones on top of Ayu-Dagh
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Forest in Ayu-Dagh
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The legendary Ayu-Dagh
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In different places Ayu-Dag built Christian churches, basilicas, monasteries. In the XV century, after an earthquake or a landslide, water sources ran out on the mountain, and people began to leave their dwellings, settling on the seashore. In our days, springs surround the foot of Ayu-Dag from all sides; Water flows into the sea and the valleys. These are reincarnated after the geological catastrophe sources - the descendants of those disappeared, around which the medieval settlements grew on the Bear Mount.
A four-hour excursion to Ayu-Dag begins with a visit to the memorial complex of John of Gotha, where his tomb has been preserved. At the beginning of the trail, you can purchase a map of the Bear Mountain mountain of the upcoming route. Then - a steep climb. Under the feet of clay with pieces of gabbro-diabase. In the glade of Ai-Constant (125 meters high), the ruins of the church of St. Constantine and Helena are visible, and the powerful foundations of some other building on Ayu-Dag (possibly a fortress or monastery of the XIV-XV centuries). A hundred meters to the north of the trail in 1969, they discovered the remains of a defensive wall, which in the past enclosed the entire accessible part of the eastern slope of Bear Mountain. In the hole of this wall, many small and large pebbles were opened, which served as slug bullets and catapult cores. On another glade (at an altitude of 240 meters) there are the ruins of another temple of the same time.
Slopes of Bear Mountain
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Squirrel! Bear Mountain
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Road to Ayu-Dagh
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At the top of Ayu-Dag there were primitively built walls of ring-shaped fortification (VIII-X century) - probably a refuge in case of a military threat. At 60 meters south of the fortress found the remains of a small temple, similar to the church of St. Constantine. It is possible that both of them were built in the 15th century by Metropolitan Damian, who undertook to renew the Taurian shrines. There is an assumption that the mountain itself could be called Ayia-Dag - "Holy Mountain". And it was only after the Turks invaded that the toponym acquired a similar but different meaning to the Ayu-Dag sound - "Bear Mountain".
. If you have strong legs and easy breathing, you can go down to the sea along one of the paths, sunbathe on a tiny "family" beach. Ayu-Dag from the sea is impregnable, but fabulously beautiful: bays with a small pebble, steep cliffs, underwater caves. Just do not try, when again climb to the saddle, go through the range of the Ardec Mountains to Artek or get out on the western slope to the track, because there are dangerous rocks and a complete impassability. Nothing, if a walk to Ayu-Dag at 2.5 kilometers seems to you too long. Trust the experience of the medieval children of nature - go along their path, and it will take you back to Partenit.
Mountain Bear Rocks
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Paths of Ayu-Dagh
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Bear Mountain peak
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Among the local population there is a belief that in 1820 Pushkin was visited by the Bear Mountain. Karasan cherishes the "Pushkinskaya" alley of cypress trees, but the road passed through Partenit. The guides will willingly show how Alexander Sergeyevich came here "at an hour of serenity", which cliffs attracted his eyes and feelings. And of course, they will not forget to decorate their story about the Bear Mountain with the immortal Pushkin lines ...
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