GPS g. 45.104846,34.624079 (format used in online maps)
GPS gm. 45 ° 6.907 ", 34 ° 37.444" (format used in navigators and geocaching)
GPS g.m.s. 45 ° 6 "17.45", 34 ° 37 "26.68"
White rock(Ak Kaya) is a one-hundred-meter sheer wall of limestone, like the whole Crimea, of origin. The rock, well viewed from the southern directions, gave its name to Belogorsk, becoming its landmark as a monument of nature, archeology and history.
Monument of nature, archeology and history
On the northern slopes of Ak-Kai, four sites of a primitive man of the Mousterian era were discovered, a Neanderthal skull was found, proving that civilization arose not only on the territory of Europe. It was not so bad to live there - water, black earth soil on which something tasty grew, many grottoes and caves in which you can hide from the beast and bad weather. A high cliff made it possible to practice driven hunting - around were found the remains of a mammoth, a saiga, a cave bear, a giant and noble deer, a primitive bull, a wild horse, and an onager.
Caves in White Rock
There are many legends about caves and grottoes in the White Wall. In the cave "Golden Burrow", the entrance to which is located 52 meters from the foot and 49 meters from the edge of the cliff, there used to be a dragon that abducted beauties from all over the area. And the robbers kept their gold there, which gave it such a name.
They also said that this cave lasts until Feodosia itself, but only climbers in 1960 were able to verify this. As it turned out, this is not a cave, but a high grotto, where the sun's rays never fall, which is why it seems so bottomlessly black.
According to the fourth legend, the sea once overflowed around the White Rock, and even somewhere on the rock you can find iron rings for mooring ships. Well, in the place of Crimea there was not a sea - the Tethys ocean, only there were no people then, and on the young Earth there was only one continent - Pangea.
The closer you come to the rock, the more majestic it seems, these rocks are millions of years old and they are made of billions of ancient mollusk shells, just as small in relation to you as you now appear before this rock.
And in 1783, Prince Potemkin took the oath of the upper classes of the Crimean Khanate, which ended the centuries-old struggle of the Russian Empire for the Crimea.
Be that as it may, the rock is just very beautiful. You can drive up to it from Belogorsk, knowing the coordinates, you can climb the embankment to the right of the two main grottoes, there is even the possibility of an under-drive along the road with coordinates. 45 07.272; 34 36.265.
To the left of the rock is the Red Gully - a cold gorge. It got its name from a huge number of red wild peonies blooming here in late April - early May. In general, the place is worth a visit, and on the way you can hug the centuries-old
In the Middle Ages, White Rock became a place of execution - they loved to throw off prisoners from it, who, before death, could contemplate all the beauty of the nearby lands. Not the best consolation, but people have always been cruel. So they blackmailed Bogdan Khmelnitsky, hinting that they could hurry up with the ransom of prisoners.
Even if you don't have time to go upstairs, visit at least the lower cave - its atmosphere evokes thoughts of an ancient sanctuary. It is light and dry there, the entrance is comfortably shaded by a tree, and, perhaps, any view from the window will envy the sight.
As long as I traveled around Crimea, I always had the feeling that on this island of land, someone had collected geological and landscape beauties from almost all over the world - so different reliefs and views can be found here.
One of these places can be called White Rock, which will be discussed today.
Almost in the middle of Crimea, between the Main Mountain Range and the endless steppes, more than 300 meters rises an extremely unusual cuesta formation, reminiscent of the world-famous landscapes of Arizona (albeit with the exception of colors) - the vertical wall of Ak-Kai, or White Rock.
It is difficult to imagine, but this rock was once the seabed, as evidenced by the huge number of fossilized shells and mollusks that come across here just under your feet.
Since Soviet times, this place has been chosen by directors who shoot films about the American West, Indians and not only - in different time on White Rock they filmed "The Man from the Boulevard of the Capuchins", "Mustang-pacer", "Leader of the Redskins", "Mirage", "Cipollino", "Armed and Very Dangerous", "Kings and Cabbage", "Lobo", "Money Changers" , "Wonderful Valley", "The Headless Horseman", "The Plane Flies to Russia", "The Witches' Dungeon", "Escape to the End of the World", "Code of the Apocalypse", etc.
2. White rock is located in the Belogorsk region of Crimea over the valley of the Biyuk-Karasu river. If you get to it from the north, you will not immediately understand that you are heading towards an incredible cliff - you are driving along the steppe roads, rolling over the hills and suddenly ... under you is a sheer wall.
From the south, the rock looks exactly as in the photo - on the left is Ak-Kaya itself, on the right is Mount Ajilar. Between them, a crumbling winding road goes up, along which they used to climb the plateau. Now there is an asphalt road to the right of Ajilar, from which a dirt road branches off at the top, passing practically along the edge of Ajilar and Ak-Kai. 
3. White Rock was formed by erosion and weathering of chalk limestones and sandstones over many thousands of years. If you stand under the rock itself, at the foot you can clearly see the embankments of what were once rocky walls 
4. Plateau on Mount Ajilar. Here, at the foot of Ajilar and further, in the depression between it and Ak-Kai, the very films that I said at the very beginning were filmed. 
5. Views from the plateau of Mount Agilar 
6. Geometry of the fields 
7. And in the distance the White Rock is already visible 
8. Here is the same giant repeater, which I mentioned earlier. 
9. At the foot of the White Rock, more than one city was built with scenery for filming. Everything that you saw, for example, in "The Man from the Boulevard des Capucines", was located exactly in this place under the rock. 
10. Views from the White Rock 
11. Extremity of the rocky wall. It feels like someone just cut off everything unnecessary with a knife 
12. The height here is about 325 meters above sea level. 
13. Old road that led to the rock. Today it is possible to climb it only in a well-prepared SUV. 
14. Faults in the upper part of the plateau. There are a lot of faults, natural grottoes and caves here. 
15. Rocky wall of the White Rock. The debris created by the wind is clearly visible below. 
16. One day these "small" pieces will fall off and fly down with a crash 
17. At the foot of the White Rock in the 70s, about 20 sites of primitive man of the Mousterian era were excavated.
And near the ancient hearths, a large number of bone remains of the extinct fauna of Crimea were found: mammoth, cave bear, giant and red deer, saiga, primitive bull, wild horse, onager, etc. 
18. One of the faults on the rocky wall 
19. But once it was the seabed. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Here and there, underfoot, one comes across such boulders, which entirely consist of fossilized shells. 
20. Mollusk, frozen in stone 
21. In some places it's just a piece of rock 
22. Some molluscs have become pebbles themselves 
23. White rock, view from the road. This is how most people passing by see it. 
24. Puff pastry made by wind and time ... 
Excursions and hikes are a journey from your own life to someone else's. It was as if you were ripped out of monotonous everyday life, transported to the south, and put on the sidelines in order to teach you how to relate correctly to life and everything that happens in it. And you know, the place of these lessons was not chosen by chance: a person appeared in Crimea a long time ago, and the “aura” of the peninsula is saturated with billions of lives. One of the first places where our civilization began to exist is the neighborhood mountain range Ak-Kaya in Crimea... Today, also known as White rock, is popular natural site to which many tourist routes... The excursion to it is remembered for its uniqueness, special atmosphere of touching the long-sunk into oblivion, and the beauty of the surrounding landscapes. Interesting? Welcome to virtual tour To !
Geography of Crimea: White rock Ak-Kaya
The rock is located next to the village White Rock 42 kilometers from the capital of Crimea - the city of Simferopol. Geographically located in Belogorsk district... It is a rocky wall of white (with a light cream shade) color, towering over the spacious valley of the Biyuk-Karasu river. Has a height of 325 meters above sea level and relative altitude(above the surrounding area) about 100 meters. translated from the Crimean Tatar language as "White Rock".
, - the result of erosion and weathering of sandstones, Paleogene and Cretaceous limestones, a classic example of cuesta relief. Wind is the original sculptor. If on Mount Demerdzhi he created bizarre stone idols and "populated" the Valley of Ghosts with them, then in the upper part he "drilled" oval niches, grottoes, and placed pillars. Sloughs, erosional hollows, chaotic piles of boulders are weathering products found in large quantities in the lower part of the rock. Erosion, restrained in places by thickets of hornbeam and wild rose, continues today.
Of the many voids that have eaten into the cliffs of Ak-Kai, geologists have examined about fifty. Large caves on White rock only three. They are located at the base of the rock ledge and are called and. Archaeological research carried out in the mid-1940s found on their walls Sarmatian petroglyphs applied in different eras- from the 3rd century BC to the beginning of our era.
The third grotto, the most mysterious and inaccessible, is called Altyn-Teshik. The back entrance to it is visible from afar, and the name translated as “Golden Hole” reveals the “special” attitude to it that was formed in antiquity. Dozens of legends in various forms tell about treasures hidden in the cave, about a dragon who once lived in it and about a secret underground passage that stretches all the way to Feodosia. The investigations of speleologists dispelled these legends, and discovered the truth: Altyn-Teshik is a large grotto, the vaults of which go up steeply, and the only dragons living in its darkness are bats. Since 1981, it has been declared a natural monument and is under state protection.
History of the Ak-Kaya rock
As mentioned at the beginning, an excursion to is an opportunity to get in touch with the past, distant from the present for tens of thousands of years. Archaeologists have discovered on and in its vicinity 17 sites and entire settlements dating back to the Mousterian era (about 100 - 40 thousand years ago) - a real Mousterian city. Its inhabitants were the predecessors of the Cro-Magnons - Neanderthals, a fossil human species. Such a high population density is easily explained by the exceptional convenience of the area for life. ancient man: many grottoes on the warm southern side of the mountain range, rich deposits of flint (the main raw material for weapons and tools), the proximity of the river. About 5 thousand silicon side-scrapers, knives, and pointed points were found around. The variety of their forms is striking: only on the White Rock itself, eight types of knives were found.
Recently, a large Scythian fortress was excavated on the plateau, the study of which is currently being continued by the branch IA of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine... The appearance of this fortress is attributed to the IV-III centuries BC. On the territory of the northern Black Sea coast, it is the only fortress of this period. The explored area of the fortress is about 10 hectares. There is an assumption that this is one of the forgotten Scythian capitals (for comparison: the Scythian Naples, which appeared two hundred years later, occupied an area of 14 hectares). The life of the fortress was not calm: for the first century and a half of its existence, there were at least six fires in it, in which everything burned out to the ground. A large number of burials of crippled warriors testifies to the fact that battles took place here often. The fortress and the settlement inside it were left by people in the Middle Ages, when a city was formed next to Karasubazar... There are suggestions that it was in his slave market that young Bogdan Khmelnitsky was sold into slavery by Murza Yurus.
In 1777, the headquarters of Alexander Suvorov was located, and in June 1783, the Crimean nobility at the top of the cliff swore allegiance to Russia. Prince Potemkin, the star of Soviet cinema, took the oath. It has become a filming location for such wonderful films as “ The leader of the Redskins», « Mustang pacer"," Chipolino "," The Man from the Boulevard des Capucines», « Headless horseman», « Kings and cabbage», « Armed and very dangerous"," Lobo ". Some of local residents they love to tell how the boys acted in episodes of these films.
How to get to Ak-Kai
The excursion belongs to the category of easily accessible - the road leads directly to its top. You can get to this road along the Feodosia - Simferopol highway (to the city of Belogorsk). The white rock is already visible from the track.
You can get from Simferopol to Belogorsk by regular bus. On central square Belogorsk take a taxi and ask to take you to the foot : it is here that you will see grottoes and former sites of ancient people. You can climb later - the ascent will be about 90 meters.
- April, 10th 2008White rock, or Ak-Kaya, is the only one in Crimea and not only ... What can be seen from it, as well as how to find the source of the Biyuk-Karasu river in the gorge.
This rock stands far from the main resort areas of the peninsula and, probably, that is why many of those who were vacationing in Crimea did not see it, although they would probably recognize it as a “participant” in many famous Soviet feature films: “The Headless Horseman”, Mirage, Fifteen Years Captain, Business people"," Lobo "," General Lukach "," Mustang-pacer "and even" Cipollino ". And it’s a pity that they didn’t see her, because she is worthy not only of attention, but even a separate trip to her. So go ahead, hike!
And in order to still meet with the White Rock, first of all, you need to go to the southeastern Crimea, to the Belogorsk region (which was once called Karasubazar). Today it is a modest, small town and it is almost impossible to believe that its history is more than seven centuries old! He experienced and saw a lot: both times of prosperity and times of decline.
When the "wrath of Allah" in the form of an earthquake hit the capital of the Tatar Khanate (today it is Old Crimea), many of the survivors moved to the fertile plain of the Biyuk-Karasu River and laid the foundation of the city of Karasubazar ("black water market"). The first mentions of it are found in the 13th century, when the Great Silk Road, a trade artery of world importance, lay here. Although today you will not find this Path on the map of Crimea, you can easily find the Simferopol - Feodosia highway, almost in the middle of which you will meet the present Belogorsk, and not far from it - White Rock. It will be difficult to miss it: a majestic view, unusual color and special outlines of a hundred-meter rock, surprisingly similar to impregnable fortress, will not let her go unnoticed even from afar. But this "fortress" was erected over the valley of the Biyuk-Karasu river (which originates here, and then carries its waters to the Sivash itself) not by people, but by nature, and so long ago that, probably, she herself does not even remember when- then sea waves splashed around it ... Yes, yes, the fossilized remains of ancient mollusks and fish are still "stored" in the thickness of its white limestones. What fish! 27 years ago, in one of the quarries of the mountain, the bones of a special, amphibian whale, 50 million years old, were found! Later, the Americans found the same whale in Pakistan, so there was some noise, there was noise ... And our whale (by the way, the only such whale so far in all of Europe) entered the annals of world paleontology modestly and intelligently, although it was found six years earlier (!)
Then, when either the sea left, or the land rose, our Ak-Kaya began to be blown by the winds, washed by rains, dried by the sun and for many centuries formed these bizarre outlines with pillars-towers and caves, so similar to the loopholes of the fortress. There are interesting caves on it and for visiting - the lower and the upper. During their research, special images were discovered: these are not drawings and not writing, but the so-called tamgas - generic signs of the Sarmatians, indicating the "residence" of the tribe in these caves (Sarmatians appeared in Crimea from the end of the 3rd century BC and according to testimony ancient authors were tall, fair-haired, beautiful people, but also formidable - able to stand up for themselves).
The Altyn-Teshik (Golden Burrow) cave is called the upper cave because it is located at an altitude of 52m. It is quite difficult to access and has overgrown with a mass of legends, according to one of which it was once the lair of a werewolf snake and stretches with its hidden hole, almost to the very; on the other - a chest with gold was hidden here, which, please note, has not yet been found ... In the 60s, a group of climbers found that this was not only a cave, but also a grotto of 20 meters height. Then archaeologists came and found in it a lot of animal bones (most of all - mammoths), as well as stone tools. In general, it turned out that people lived here for many thousands of years, both in the cave itself and along the banks of the river. In recent years, Americans and Italians also got into the habit of participating in the excavations. And more recently, perfectly preserved skeletons of a Neanderthal woman with a child, which turned out to be 150 thousand years old, were discovered!
Mammoths, people, snakes, whales - so, as you can see, once these places were quite densely populated, not like now. But even now, by the summer, so many people with shovels are coming to Belogorsk that it would be time to start a snake on them ... They say that, among other things, it is in this area that the largest concentration of ancient Scythian burial mounds is located, and among them there are probably rich tombs of the Scythian kings (so these would-be archaeologists haunt the kings). But it’s better to just come with a backpack, climb, wander around, get some fresh air, climb to the top. And you can even ride a horse! At the foot of the White Rock there is a horse farm with the same name - "Ak-Kaya". There you can drink kumis and rent a horse. You will even be offered two ascent routes: fast - 1.5-hour, with a steep ascent and descent; and a 3-hour walk around the cliff - completely safe (60-100 UAH). In addition, on the same farm there are rest rooms (and even with conveniences), so you can stop for a couple of days and not lug a tent with you.
You can easily climb the White Rock by the trail yourself. The road is clearly visible from below - it is to the right (east) of the corner ledge of the rock. Ak-Kaya rises only 100m above the plain, and all 325m above sea level, being part of the Inner Ridge Crimean mountains with characteristic steep southern and gentle northern slopes(the so-called cuestas). The difficulty of climbing will be more than rewarded with the stunning view that opens up from above. The White Peak is a relatively flat surface. To the east, there will be ancient burial mounds in a chain, and on the other side, the valley of the Biyuk-Karasu river, and Belogorsk, which will be all visible at a glance. If the weather is clear enough, then it will be possible to see even eastern part Simferopol. Further to the horizon in the haze are the ridges of the Main Ridge, and high array in the South-West - . The White Rock is interesting at any time of the day: both at dawn and at dusk. Even at night (it looks especially impressive on a full moon), it stands out for its whiteness. But it is precisely on a bright day, illuminated by the sun, that it literally blinds the eyes. An interesting hypothesis in this regard was put forward in the middle of the 19th century. the author of one of the reference books on Crimea: they say, the reason for the heat in Karasubazar is precisely Ak-Kaya, which additionally casts sunlight on the city ...
In the Middle Ages, the White Rock had another name - Shirinskaya, after the owners of these lands (and many more from Perekop to Kerch), the richest Tatar clan Shirin, originating from Genghis Khan himself. Crimean rulers - Girei traditionally gave their daughters to wives for Shirin-beys. The clan was really big - more than 300 Murzas, the eldest of which was elected there, on the top of the White Rock. And if from the XVI century. was the political capital of the Crimean Khanate, then Karasubazar was undoubtedly its economic center. 8 stone citadels then stood inside this commercial metropolis (this is how I found it back in 1667. famous traveler Evliya Chelebi). Today, almost in the center of the city, there are only ruins and only one of the towers - the mighty Tash-Khan with powerful walls, loopholes, vaulted dungeons, where caravans once stopped, goods were stored, trade deals were concluded (they say that even this day there is still an underground passage leading to the river ...).
From the outside of the caravanserai, on market square they sold both numerous goods and people ... The main source of income for the Khanate was the slave trade, and for several decades the surroundings of the White Rock were announced with the clang of shackles. In addition, the rock itself also became an ominous place of executions: those guilty of something and those sentenced to death were pushed down from a height of 100 meters. They also pushed the innocent, namely the captives, in order to frighten others, richer, and force them to hurry up with the ransom. So, Bogdan Khmelnitsky, who was captured in 1620, was twice brought to White Rock to watch the torment of his fellow tribesmen, until he was finally bought by one of the Tatar murzas. For all this, the Zaporozhye and Don Cossacks repeatedly attacked Karasubazar, and freed the prisoners, and exterminated the city itself as punishment. So he got everyone ...
During the war of Russia for the Crimea in 1777, the headquarters of A.V. Suvorov was located on the White Rock. Then with the legendary commander there were only 10 thousand. soldier, and at Kalgi-Sultan - 4 times more, but while the Tatars were gathering, by order of Suvorov, first in their yards, which were clearly visible from the mountain, "fired" volleys from cannons, and then they were carried out by cavalry from behind the cliff and dispersed the army Shirinov in the mountains. That's right: do not compete with Suvorov - he won not such people. And then it was on the White Rock that the Crimean Khan Sahib Girey signed an agreement with Prince Dolgoruky, according to which the Crimea was declared an independent Khanate from Turkey.
And here on June 10, 1783, finally, the whole 10-year war of Russia for the Crimea was summed up: it was on the White Rock that the Most Serene Prince G.A. Potemkin took the oath of allegiance to the Russian state from the Crimean Tatar nobility and all layers of the Crimean population. At the same time, the city of Karasubazar became the main - the administrative center of the peninsula. And only since 1785. the capital of Crimea was moved to Simferopol. Even Empress Catherine II herself looked here, during her Crimean travel in 1786. For this, a palace with a park, fountains, cascades and gazebos was specially built, in which, however, the empress stayed for only two days. Now it is the building of the local hospital, rebuilt many times over the years. It stands right outside the city, on a hill in front of the bridge over the river and can also be seen from above.
What a wonderful journey into the past you can make while standing on the majestic peak of Ak-Kai one summer day!
In addition, it would not hurt to take a walk in the upper reaches of the Biyuk-Karasu river - to its source in the Karasu-Bashi gorge. How many rivers have you seen the beginning? And isn't it interesting to see the place where one of the most abundant tributaries of the Salgir, the main Crimean river, begins? It is not for nothing that its Türkic name contains the word "biyuk" - big; the word “karasu” can be translated both as “black water” and as “water flowing out of the ground”. And the Karasu-Bashi gorge itself in the upper reaches is a very picturesque dark gray (almost black) real stone chaos: cliffs, fragments of rocks, heaps of stones. The Karasu-Bashi cave also makes a strong impression (you can go through it with a narrow underground passage - 8-10 m). In dry times, the sources of the river are at the foot of a cliff, in a clearing, where, among the thickets, many springs come to the surface, which already at 50m merge into a real stream. And in spring and during rains, water literally roars out right from the opening of the cave (hence the second name of the cave - Su-Uchkhan-Khoba - "cave of flying water"). This is really the most abundant source of the Crimea (even in dry times it gives 200 liters per second of the purest, most delicious underground water). It is not for nothing that two reservoirs were built on the river above Belogorsk: Taiganskoye and Belogorskoye. So in the city there are no problems with water, and even on the shore of the reservoir there is a beach - one of the favorite places for local recreation. They say that even fish can be caught there!
The Karasu-Bashi gorge is located about 8 km south-west of the city (near the village of Karasevka). Outside the village, after going up the river for a couple of kilometers, at the water measuring point, you need to go to the trail and walk a little more up the wall of the diversion canal. So you will find yourself in the gorge. And even better - take some of the local guys as guides (everyone will be happy to earn 30-40 hryvnias, and they will probably tell you a lot of interesting things).
From Belogorsk, then you can go down to the sea: one of the most picturesque roads of Crimea, the highway to Privetnoe village (34 km to it), ran to the south-west. Moreover, 15 km to Krasnoselovka you can take a bus or a ride, but further you can walk and enjoy the Crimean forest, its coolness, the singing of birds and the murmur of another local river - Tanasu ("tana" is a heifer, and "su" is water; then there is - "calf water", which the calf ford will cross). This river is very small and flows into the familiar Biyuk-Karasu. By the way, you can make a journey to its source, and then continue your journey to the sea.
This is what I suggest is a wonderful route for the easy-going and curious. Have a good trip! And, as always, a big request: please don’t leave any traces of your stay behind you, and it will be absolutely great if you don’t consider it a job to clean up the glades and paths for the negligent, because, as it may not seem strange at first glance, but from this kind mission, your journey will be doubly pleasant.
White rock, or in Crimean Tatar, Ak-Kaya mountain is one of the most beautiful places Crimea. And for my taste - so maybe the most beautiful! At the same time, it is not as well known as the sights of the tourist South Coast, but the views that open up here will delight even those travelers who have been to many places in the world. White Rock is located in the vicinity of the city of Belogorsk, only in four kilometers from the main highway of Crimea, connecting Simferopol and Kerch. This massif is a sheer wall formed as a result of erosion of Paleogene limestones and sandstones that formed in that distant, distant time when modern Crimea was the bottom of the ancient ocean. The height of the rock from the foot to the top is 100 meters, while it looks unusually picturesque at any time of the day. During the day it is white, and if you arrive early in the morning or at sunset, then, illuminated by soft sunlight, the mountain casts gold.
The bizarre relief of these places is somewhat reminiscent of the famous landscapes of the West of the United States, and thanks to this similarity, White Rock has become the filming location for many famous Soviet "westerns". The films "Headless Horseman", "Mustang-pacer", "Armed and Very Dangerous", "The Man from the Boulevard of the Capuchins", the detective "Mirage" of the Riga Film Studio and many other Soviet and Russian films were shot here, the action of which, according to the script, takes place on " Wild West ". White Rock is an incredibly interesting place, so I went there twice: first, just take pictures by car general views, and then drove to the very top of the cliff in a UAZ, examining the caves, grottoes and admiring the views from the highest point of the rock mass.
1. On the way to the White Rock there is another unique monument of nature and history - "Suvorov Oak". This tree is about 800 years old! And it was under it that Suvorov's headquarters was located more than 300 years ago during the battles with the Turkish Sultan Shagin-Girey in 1777. Here the commander received the envoys of the Turkish army during the negotiations. Despite the fourfold numerical superiority of the Turks, the battle ended with the victory of the Russian army and became an important stage in the events that culminated in the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire.
3. White rock. The landscapes are incredibly beautiful. Let's just admire!
4. A mighty steep wall of whitish color seems to hang, dominating the surrounding area.
5. On the opposite side of the ridge there is a rock resembling a sphinx.
8. The steep slope of the White Rock is dotted with caves and grottoes formed as a result of the weathering of rocks. Some of these caves can only be reached with climbing equipment.
17. Perhaps the most famous "postcard" photograph of the White Rock.
18. And now - we will climb to the top of the White Rock from a gentle slope, having examined several interesting places... The first of them is the ancient Scythian fortress Ak-Kaya, dating back to the 3rd century BC - 3rd century AD.
22. In addition to the remains of fortifications, some interesting adaptations have survived. Everyday life Scythians. For example, here is a hole in the rock where food was placed so that it does not spoil. A kind of ancient "refrigerator".
24. From here the rock begins to rise smoothly - right up to that highest and steep cliff on three sides, which was filmed in all its glory in 17 photos. From above, the magnificent landscapes of the Central Crimea open.
25. Those distant mountains beyond the steppes are already South coast... Behind them is the Black Sea. 25 kilometers in a straight line.
27. Rocks compose the mountain in layers. Each layer is its own era. In some places, the underlying rocks are looser than the upper ones. This is how caves, grottoes or overhanging rocky vaults, like this one, are formed.
28. Millions of years ago, the Crimea was the bottom of the ancient ocean, then there was a smooth uplift of rocks. But the memory of those distant times is alive. The slopes of the White Rock are made of ancient shell rock.
30. Let's examine another grotto in the rock.
31. It is almost round in plan. It is cool here even in the heat, and water drips along the walls of the cave.
34. Another cave in an inconspicuous gully between the neighboring hills. Archaeological research claims that it served as a refuge for the ancient Neanderthals.
