Mount Ilyas-Kaya and the Temple of the Sun. Tourist routes of Crimea

Ilyas-Kaya is a mountain located in the area of the Laspi Bay, at a distance of 30 km from Sevastopol. It is known for the fact that at its peak in the Middle Ages was the now destroyed Greek monastery of St. Elijah, and down the hill you can see the unique monument of nature - the Temple of the Sun. To help tourists there are pedestrian routes of various complexity, among which there are available to people without special physical preparation.

Rocks of Tyshlar

The Crimean Tatars gave this name to seven rocks of different heights, forming a circle in the form of a round bowl with a flat stone in the middle, when looking at which there are associations with the English Stonehenge.

Legends were formed about their origin and various names were invented for them, including poetic ones. For example, some call the rocks Tyshlar a Stone or Sunny flower.

There are people who are trying to explain the origin of these stone cones of irregular shape by the intervention of extraterrestrial civilizations. As an argument, the outer similarity of the rock complex to the locator is given. There are more "mundane" explanations. So, some scientists believe that in its place once splashed waves of the ancient ocean, and the huge "teeth" of Tyshlar are the remains of reefs. There is also a version that it is just a karst crater destroyed for millions of years , which formed on the slope of Mount Ilyas-Kaya.

Temple of the Sun

The stone, which is located in the center of the rocky cup of Tyshlar, has long been given sacred significance. It is called the altar of the Temple of the Sun and, climbing on it, preferably barefoot, you can make a wish. There is even a special notch in which people leave their notes with requests to higher forces, coins, apples, cookies, etc. Some even write on the rocks the names of their favorite young people or girls. True, it is not known how the Cosmos refers to such acts of vandalism, and whether they can cause quite the opposite effect.

Ilyas-Kaya

From this peak, whose height is 681 meters, one of the most beautiful views opens to the Laspi Valley. You can get to it from the northern or eastern slope, as the paths are laid along them, and they are more gentle, which facilitates the ascent. But from the south and the west, the mountain Ilyas-Kaya is being stormed with great difficulty, and such routes are only possible for professional climbers.

Usually to the summit they rise not only to admire the surroundings, but also to visit the place where in the Middle Ages there was a church of St. Elijah, named after the mountain.

By the way, the Crimeans have a custom according to which the newlyweds, in the hope of receiving a blessing for a long happy life, are photographed against the background of the Christian stronghold - Mount Ilyas-Kaya.

Monastery

On the site, where many centuries ago there was a well-known Orthodox shrine that attracted hundreds of pilgrims, today you can see only the ruins of the church of St. Ilya. Unfortunately, from the fortified monastery, which has a three-tier architecture, nothing remains. Once in the church there was a stone bench and a structure in the form of an arch, under which were buried 11 burials. Judging from the surviving fragments, the arkosolium was painted by Byzantine frescoes, and the vaulted ceiling was supported by arches with a wide opening. Some time ago, attempts were made to restore the structure. Of the limestone blocks found, only three semicircular arches were restored, designed to support vaults of tuff. Also you can see the angular stones with which the window and doorways were decorated. By the way, some skeptics believe that the structure, which is considered a temple of St.. Ilya, in fact is a building that is relevant to the Maritime Authority. However, even they admit that it is made up of stones that really belong to the period of 13-14 centuries.

Legends

As already mentioned, there is an opinion that the Temple of the Sun is one of the most powerful energy places on the peninsula. Confirmation provides information that became public after the opening of access to secret archives of the NKVD and the KGB of the USSR. According to her, during the Great Patriotic War a special unit of the German Wehrmacht "Anenerbe" conducted secret experiments in these places. As the Nazi scientists believed, the energy of the Temple of the Sun was able to influence the events taking place in the world. However, their research led to nothing, and they could not find a way to use it. According to legend, the group "Anenerbe" disappeared without a trace, just like the Soviet spies and scientists sent there, which were supposed to hinder the Nazis.

Orchids

The Crimean nature holds a lot of surprises, which few know. In particular, most tourists are surprised when they learn that the orchids grow on the peninsula. At the same time, Laspi cliffs are exactly the place where you can see 20 kinds of these luxurious flowers, including the famous Kommersiyu, which is considered to be the rarest representative of the Crimean fauna. So those who choose hiking routes along the slopes of Ilyas-Kaya may be lucky to see some beautiful orchid that does not grow anywhere else on the planet.

Road to the sea

There are various hiking trails with Ilyas-Kaya (Crimea). If you are not very tired, then it is best to take the opportunity to go to the southernmost point of the Crimean peninsula - to Cape Sarych. For this it is necessary to pass along a narrow stony path. To find it, head south from the Temple of the Sun. Then you need to go down to the spring with clean drinking water, where you can quench your thirst and continue to the beach with huge stone boulders. There you will find a bath in the waves of the gentle sea and rest, necessary to make it easier to overcome the path to a hotel or a boarding house.

How to get there

To see all the wonders of the Crimea described above, you need to get off at the Laspi stop, having previously used the route taxi, which follows from the Sevastopol bus station to Yalta or to Foros. Next to it is a path leading up the mountain, along which it is necessary to proceed to the Yalyn-Chur tract, where there is a spring with drinking water, which is very useful for climbing. Next you need to reach the "heroes", carved from the trunks of dried trees, and turn to the right. After 200 m you will be next to Ilyas-Kaya, and climbing slightly higher among the rocks, you will see the remains of the wall and admire the magnificent views. If you choose a path leading to the left, you will soon find yourself at the Temple of the Sun.

You can get on an off-road car on a dirt road.

Tourist routes of Crimea

In a relatively small area of Tauris is a huge number of cultural, historical and natural attractions, as well as religious shrines of different nations. That's why everyone can choose a route that will be most interesting to him. For example, hikers can recommend the following options:

• From Yalta to the Temiara waterfalls;
• From the Serpentine gully to Alimov;
• From Kuibyshev to the Syuren fortress, passing through the Bolshaya Sadovoe Tankovoe;
• A hike Yalta - glade Skazok - Taraktash - Ai-Petri;
• Falcon - Great Canyon.

As you can see, the tourist routes of the Crimea are full of surprises. Once on the peninsula, be sure to visit the Temple of the Sun to make a wish, summoning powerful forces of nature to help, and climb up Ilyas-Kaya and admire the wonderful views.