THE SONOROUS STREAMS OF THE WATERFALL AND THE MYSTERIES OF THE KYRK GYZ CAVE

In the summer, in Turkmenistan, you especially want to spend time outdoors in the shade of trees and the coolness of mountain streams. Such places exist and are very popular among vacationers. Shady fruit trees adorn the slopes of the mountains rising to the blue sky with their delicate foliage, here and there delicate wildflowers flicker with bright colors.

On one of the days off, many residents of our country visit one of the natural attractions of the Bakharden etrap of the Ahal velayat. Just a couple of hours by car separate Ashgabat residents from one of the famous, legendary waterfalls and the nearby Kyrk gyz cave. They are located 5-6 kilometers from the village of Myurche in the Bakharden etrap.

The beauty of the landscapes of these places is decorated with trees and gurgling mountain springs, filling the surrounding landscape with life-giving moisture. On the rocks you can find islets of moss and a fine-feeling openwork fern called Venus hair. The waterfall itself falls from about a ten-meter height. In the sun's rays, its murmuring streams are decorated with a rainbow. And the vault of a small grotto is strewn with hanging openwork ferns.

There is a legend in the folklore of the locals associated with this waterfall and the nearby cave. It tells how the elders, wanting to save the girls from the village from enemies, hid them in a cave. The legend says that the enemies did not find the girls who found shelter in the depths of the cave. The entrance to the cave is not high, about 2.5 meters. Going under the mountain vaults, you can see several halls, replacing each other. A murmuring stream, which originates deep in the rock, nourishes the reeds and trees that cover the entrance with life-giving moisture.

I recall the story of Anatoly Bushmakin, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, about the origin of this place: “The Kyrk gyz cave was formed in unusual rocks - travertines. They were formed for millennia, under the influence of hydrogen sulfide sources still functioning today; due to the increased content of calcium carbonate in the water, limestone, which was deposited in travertine; hydrogen sulfide contained in water gives it useful qualities. For thousands of years, these porous rocks were washed out by water from the local springs, as a result of which a cave was formed. "

Now the Kyrk gyz cave and the waterfall attract local residents not only with useful water, but also with the amazing beauty of the landscapes. A catchment was built here, with the help of which fields are irrigated and life-giving moisture is collected for other needs.

It is noteworthy that exploring the cave, in which, according to legend, the girls from the village hid, in a fleeting moment you imagine yourself as a speleologist who found himself in a palace created by nature with patterned vaults decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. In the depths of the cave, a large colony of bats found shelter.

After admiring the surroundings and taking photos of the legendary cave, you can relax by the waterfall cascading from the mountainside. Voiced droplets, gathering in crystal jets, give coolness to the guests.