Mount Akhun - a unique miracle of nature

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

A very interesting and unusual attraction of Sochi is the long mountain Akhun, which stretches along the Black Sea coast for five kilometers. Even several legends are associated with its origin. One of them explains the name of this place by the fact that earlier people here were mainly engaged in cattle breeding and constantly turned to their patron God named Akhun. Another connects the name of the mountain with the ancient inhabitants of the Abkhazians, in whom Akhun or Okhun means “high dwelling” or “hill, mountain.”

Mount Akhun (Sochi) has been attracting tourists and guests of the region for a very long time with its healing springs and extraordinary nature. A majestic Christian temple once stood here, as evidenced by its ruins located in these places and attracting the attention of history buffs. The Sochi Museum, which acquaints guests with the history of the origin and development of the city, contains a detail of the architecture of the temple withvery beautiful carving. In the mid-thirties of the 20th century, an observation tower in the Romanesque medieval style was even built on the top of the mountain and a road was laid to it. Moreover, from the top of the tower you can see the opposite coast of the Black Sea and the Turkish coast. You can get to the top of the mountain either by car along the highway or on foot through the Agur Gorge along the trail.

An amazing picture of the sunrise opens in the morning Mount Akhun for those who wish to see such beauty. The rivers Agura and Khosta, which crashed into the mountain range, created picturesque valleys around Akhun and separated it from the surrounding mountains. And the result of the cutting of Paleogene deposits in this area by the Matsesta River is the formation of hydrogen sulfide healing springs, which contributed to the popularity of the resort city of Sochi (the result was the emergence of a large number of sanatoriums and clinics).

Local vegetation is famous for its uniqueness and great diversity, which depends on the cardinal directions, and not sea level. Mount Akhun, whose photos are striking in their splendor, is very interesting located on the southeastern slope of the Khosta yew-boxwood grove. Yew is a relic tree that appeared more than a thousand years ago and is famous for its dark red very valuable wood. Many yew trees have a trunk about two meters in diameter.

The unique evergreen boxwood also belongs to the pre-glacial period and is valued for its dense and durable wood used for making souvenirs.

Mount Akhun is home tovery many plants and animals, rarely found, disappearing and listed in the Red Book.

To plunge into the pre-glacial period and gradually reach our days, you need to go on a walking tour to the top of such a sight of Sochi as Mount Akhun. Here you can see fossilized sea urchins, Paleogene layers and Upper Cretaceous limestones, many secret caves and beautiful gorges. Look at the majestic rock of Prometheus, the very beautiful Agursky two-cascade waterfall and two more smaller ones, which can be seen mainly at the time of the year when it is still humid, go to a fresh spring to quench your thirst, get acquainted with many rare plants that you will not see anywhere else.

Mount Akhun is unique and majestic in its nature. It delivers not only spiritual pleasure. There are also opportunities for rock climbers. No one will remain indifferent by visiting such a miracle of the Earth.