The Karadag Nature Reserve is located south of the Koktebel resort. It was established in 1979 to protect the ecosystem of the ancient extinct volcano Karadag. Free access to the top of Mount Karadag is prohibited, but twice a day the reserve staff conduct excursions here. Very beautiful rocks of Karadag are visible from the sea.
In the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 150 million years ago, these lands were covered by the waters of the ancient ocean Tethys. The photo shows that the ocean waters covered the entire Caspian lowland. The regions of Crimea and the Caucasus were also under water, but the Crimean and Caucasian Mountains towered over the waters of the Tethys Ocean.
The eruption of Karadag occurred about 150 million years ago. At that time, the planet was inhabited by dinosaurs. Karadag is located in the foothills of the Crimean Mountains. At the beginning of the eruption, the volcano was under water, but as the lava fields of the volcano formed, it may have begun to rise above the water.
The shore of the ancient Tethys Ocean, which washed the Crimean Mountains, was located nearby, near the Sudak resort. In the area of the resorts Sudak and Novy Svet there were coral reefs of the ocean. Subsequently, reef mountains were formed from them. The highest mountains of this type are Mount Sokol in the Novy Svet, as well as the Fortress Mountain in Sudak, where the Genoese fortress was built.
Translated from the Turkic language, Karadag means "Black Mountain". A significant part of the Karadag mountain range is formed by volcanic tuff, but traces of lava fields are visible on the Khoba-Tepe ridge. The rocky peaks of the ridge are called the Dead City, because many rocks have the outlines of people and animals.
The territory of the Karadag Nature Reserve is 2.8 thousand hectares, of which 800 hectares is the water area of the Black Sea in the area of an ancient volcano. The Karadag mountain range is divided into several ridges. From the side of Koktebel, the Kok-Kaya Ridge rises. You can see the Sphinx Rock (Devil`s Finger) here. Behind it is located Holy Mountain, the highest point of the Karadag Nature Reserve. On the seashore you can see the stones, which are called Frog Bay. Among them there are stones formed by the lava of the volcano. There are always a lot of gulls and cormorants here.
To the south of the Sphinx Rock there is a Dead City – this is the most picturesque place of Karadag. Traces of volcanic activity have been preserved here. On the top you can see rocks that look like people and animals. The most famous of them is the Gingerbread Horse Rock. From the sea side, traces of the crater of an ancient volcano are visible on the mountainside. Here a beautiful pointed rock Lighthouse rises out of the water.
At the foot of the Dead City is the Golden Gate - the most famous attraction of the Karadag Nature Reserve. This rock is called the same symbol of the Crimea as the Swallow`s Nest Castle and the Ai-Petri Rock.
To the south of the Golden Gate, Ivan the Robber Rock rises on the seashore. There is a small Secret cove next to this rock. According to legend, there were boats of robbers hiding in it, who attacked ships passing by.
On the south side of the Karagad is the Karagach ridge. It is clearly visible from the seashore near the Karadag Biostation. The King and Queen Rock is best visible from the biostation. It has an interesting layered structure. If you look at the top of this rock, then people with fantasy see that there is a "throne" on the sea side, the "king and queen" are descending down the slope to it, and behind them the "retinue" is crowding in a bow.
The ecological Trail "Big Karadag" is open all year round. It starts at the Karadag Biostation in the village of Kurortnoye (on the other side of Koktebel). In the lower part of Karadag, the trail passes through a deciduous forest. Oaks and hornbeams grow here. On the slopes of the mountain there are endemic plants listed in the Red Book of Russia.
