White rock
The White Rock is a magnificent natural monument located in Crimea on an area of 30 hectares. The mountain is a sheer wall with a height of 325 meters.
The white rock was formed under the influence of water and wind, which easily destroy limestone and sandstone. The sedimentary rock layers are clearly visible and the rock looks a bit like a Napoleon cake more than 70 million years old. Well-preserved fossils of shells, mollusks, and ancient bone and cartilaginous marine life can be found in the limestone layers. As a result of the erosion of the upper part of the mountain, nature has created caves, pillars and numerous grottoes, and erosive hollows, scree, and boulders accumulate at the foot of the mountain.
Interesting facts
The mountain is very interesting to archaeologists and historians, because in the 1960s an expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR excavated about 20 sites of primitive people. During the excavations, a huge number of silicon tips, knives, and many bones of ancient animals were discovered: a primitive bull, cave bears, mammoths, saiga, and a giant deer. The mountain was quite favorable for the habitation of primitive people, this was facilitated by numerous grottoes, and the cliff allowed wild animals to be driven away, which, unable to find a way out, fell down. The caves at the foot of the cliff used to be inhabited by Scythians and Sarmatians, who left behind inscriptions. According to scientists, the mountain was a sanctuary for the Sarmatians. Many Scythian graves have also been found in the area. And in the Middle Ages, a collection of murzas gathered on the White Rock, which were not satisfied with the policy of the Crimean Khan. White Mountain was sometimes also a place of execution. During the uprising of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, prisoners were thrown off her so that the hetman would pay a ransom for them sooner.
Some caves are difficult to access, which is probably why many legends have arisen. According to one of them, there lived a werewolf-snake in the Altyn Teshik cave, who stole the most beautiful girls and carried them into the cave. According to another legend, bandits hid a treasure chest in the cave, hence its name "golden hole".
The white rock is beautiful at any time, but in spring thousands of flowers bloom on the mountain slopes, covering the entire valley with a unique fragrance and color. It will not be difficult to get to the attraction, because it is located 5 kilometers from the city of Belogorsk.
