Grand Canyon (Crimea)

The Grand Canyon of Crimea was formed around 2 million years ago by a tectonic crack.[1] It is approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) long, and its walls, made of limestone, reach 320 m (1,050 ft) high.[2] At the bottom of the canyon, widths reach as thin as 2 m (6.6 ft).[3] The canyon is located between the Ai-Petri and Boyka massifs.[1] The walls of the canyon are home to a variety of different types of trees and herbs, but are prone to rock slides during dry weather and after rain.[3] On the Boyka side of the canyon is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, a ruined church Eastern Orthodox icons are placed.[4]

At the bottom of the canyon are a variety of bodies of water, including several springs, for which it is best known. Among its rivers are the Avuzıñ Özen and the Kökköz.[1] The former river itself produces several springs, among them the Pania, Crimea's largest karstic spring.[3] During the dry season, one can venture on from the Avuzıñ Özen to the Cow's Grotto.[1] There are also forests at the Canyon's bottom, inhabited by hedgehogs, badgers, and roes.[3] The canyon's bottom is typically cool, owing to the coverage of yew, oak, and beech forests located on the slopes. One can find rare species of Cypripedium in the canyon.[5]

The first person to describe in detail the features of the Grand Canyon of Crimea was Russo-Ukrainian scientist Ivan Puzanov, who explored the canyon in 1925. Puzanov also gave the canyon its name.[1]

The Grand Canyon of Crimea is home to several local legends. Prior to his 1925 description of the canyon, Puzanov recorded a local legend from a groundskeeper at Yusupov Palace, who stated, "Our peasants say that at night, wild cries and squeals are heard, and laughter - demons celebrate their weddings then." This legend possibly emerged due to the loud and destructive flooding in the canyon in the aftermath of rain and during the spring,[6] when the Avuzıñ Özen rises by 5 metres.[5]

The Postal Oak, located near the Cow's Grotto, is another legendary location. It is a destroyed tree which is said to grant the wishes of those who deposit notes into it.[4]

The most significant landmark in the canyon, however, is the Fountain of Youth, or Kara-Gol (Ukrainian: Кара-Голь). The Fountain of Youth, a 5-metre erosion in the Avuzıñ Özen,[5] is thought by local legend to possess rejuvenating powers, and never surpasses 10-13°C (50-55°F).[3]