The Valley of the Ghosts of Crimea is a bizarre cluster of rocks not far from Alushta, on the western part of the slope of the South ridge of a picturesque massif called Demerdzhi. Stones astonishing the imagination, tall figures resembling fingers, intricate columns - this is just a part of what Mother Nature has endowed with the wonderful Crimean area.
The Valley of Ghosts has more than a hundred boulders ranging in size from one and a half to two to twenty five meters. And at that mysterious time of the day, when the sun sets over the horizon or, on the contrary, just peeps out from behind it, visitors to the Valley have the impression that unshakable boulders of stone come to life: their shadows take on the most bizarre shapes, move in space and cross among themselves, that is why the locals called the stones "ghosts".
A little history of the Valley of Ghosts
Mount Demerdzhi, on which the Valley of Ghosts is located, is one of the most beautiful mountains on the entire coast of the Crimean peninsula. It consists of two main peaks, called South Demerdzhi (the highest point is 1239 meters) and North Demerdzhi (the height is 1356 meters). Translated from the ancient Crimean Tatar language, the word "demerdzhi" means "blacksmith". During the Middle Ages, the Greeks living here called the mountain "Funa", which translates as "smoking". The mountain has earned this name thanks to the clouds, which seem to "sit" on the mountain tops, and create the illusion of smoke coming from the volcano. Mount Demerdzhi was formed from the so-called conglomerates - small fragments of various rocks, boulders, pebbles of various sizes, cemented sand and clay, and, as a result of the action of natural forces, mysterious stone figures,forming the Valley of Ghosts.
Driving along the Simferopol - Alushta highway, few would have imagined that on this steep slope leading directly to the sea, there could be absolutely flat areas of land. But exactly in the place where these bizarre "ghosts" were formed, the surface of the earth is absolutely smooth and it seems as if someone from above took and leveled a certain area for their own, unknown purposes. Some geological researchers have suggested that the Valley of Ghosts in Crimea turned out to be so smooth thanks to the centuries-old impact of the sea. At a time when the sea "overflowed" its shores, and the water level rose, the entire Crimean peninsula turned into many small islets, half flooded with sea water. Long, long thousands of years passed, the sea gradually sank,washing the lowlands of high cliffs and turning hard stones into wonderful crumbly sea sand, gradually grinding the blocks and giving them the most intricate shapes. Perhaps, thanks to this centuries-old struggle of great natural resources - water and stone - this amazing valley, called the Valley of Ghosts, was formed on the territory of the Crimean coast.
In the photo of the Valley of Ghosts in Crimea, one mysterious rock, remarkable from a distance, is clearly visible. Since ancient times, people have wondered what exactly nature wanted to depict in this block: some saw here a Tatar woman, others a guard warrior who protected the area from enemy attacks, and still others - a sphinx, mysteriously similar to the Egyptian. Today the name “Catherine's Head” or “Catherine's Bust” is firmly entrenched behind this twenty-meter stone. Indeed, from a distance it may seem as if a beautiful, magnificent queen with a high collar and in a chic dress sits importantly on the throne, proudly raising her head and proudly arching her back, and the entire valley surrounding her only lies at her feet. But one has only to come closer to "Catherine", as the whole mirage dissipates, and the stone block can only resemble, perhaps, a mysterious sphinx. There are many different depressions and niches scattered across the entire surface of the rock, and some of them are so large that they form whole caves.
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Ancient legend about the Valley of Ghosts in Crimea
The history of the Valley of Ghosts of Demerdzhi has overgrown with many myths and legends, but there is one, the most rooted in local folklore. This legend tells how in ancient times nomadic tribes attacked the Crimean lands. Foreigners sowed vandalism everywhere: they plundered villages, burned houses, killed women and children, and enslaved ordinary local residents. One day the leader of the nomads looked at the peak of Demerdzhi and marveled at the beauty of the haze surrounding it. Then the chief of the barbarians exclaimed: “This is a real forge! There we will begin to forge weapons for our warriors!”, After which he called one of the most important commanders, nicknamed Blackbeard, and instructed him to select the strongest men from the settlement and take them to the very top of this wonderful mountain.
There they were to build a forge and begin forging sharp swords for decisive battles. The fire emanating from the braziers covered the whole earth, destroying everything in its path. And then a beautiful girl turned to Blackbeard with a plea for mercy and a request to put out the fire. But the evil nomad only laughed in response, drew a sharp dagger from its scabbard and thrust it into the throat of the begging. The mountains could not bear such treatment, from the very summit a hot flame fell and huge boulders rolled down with a great roar. Only when the fog cleared away and the dust settled, the inhabitants of neighboring villages saw that the nomads had disappeared, and only the petrified silhouettes of people frozen in the most unexpected poses remained on the mountain. This is how the Valley of Ghosts was formed in Alushta.