Village Eltybiy in Chegem gorge
The village Eltybiy also called the Upper Chegem. The places around this village are so picturesque that you can stop here for a few days to walk around the surrounding mountains. Mount Kum-Tubu, which rises above the village, is considered an abnormal zone “Alpha”.
The village Eltybiy translated from Balkar means "At the bottom of the valley." It is located at the foot of the mountains Kum-Tubu (3500 m) and Julyy (2528 m), which is also often called the Pyramid because of its steep slopes. In the village definitely need to see the watchtower Prince Balkorukov the 17th century. It was built by Georgian masters, so it looks like the towers of Svaneti.
The main attraction of the village Eltybiy is Necropolis, which is called “The city of the Dead Fardik”. This necropolis is located at the foot of mount Kum-Tubu. The ancient stone crypts date back to the 10th-17th centuries. There are also burials in the form of earthen mounds lined with stones. There are 8 crypts (keshene) preserved in the necropolis, four of which are rectangular with a gable roof, and four are octagonal. There are also dilapidated crypts.
The octagonal crypts are considered Muslim, and they date from the 17th century, while the quadrangular ones are most likely Christian, but the traditions of other religions are noticeable here. There is a version that this may refer to Zoroastrianism. One of the octagonal mausoleums has a stone knob, which indicates that the male line of this family has not yet been suppressed.
From the village you can walk along the river Jilda-su. On the left bank, the path goes for 350 meters under the steep rocks to the house-museum of the national poet of Kabardino-Balkaria Kaisyn Shuvaevich Kuliyev. It is also called "100 steps to Kaisyn". He was born here in small shack in 1917. It is impossible to go further, although the length of the Gilda-Su river gorge is 2 kilometers. The gorge wraps around the mountain Kum-Tubu, which is considered an anomalous zone "Alpha", well known to ufologists. Once upon a time, strange lights were noticed here, but in recent years, everything has stopped.
On the left side of the Jilda-Su river, you can go to the Kara-Tubu grotto. An ancient human site (12 thousand years BC) was found in this grotto. Nearby are the remains of the settlement of Lygyt. Another name – "Bitikle". From here, the so-called "Greek staircase" runs along a steep cliff. In some places, the stonework of the staircase cornices has been preserved, and the ruins of two battle towers are visible. In the early middle ages, along the southern slope of the Rocky ridge of the Caucasus mountains, there was a trade route and the fortifications of Bitikle allowed it to be controlled.
