The Cave Emine Bojir Chasar

Crimean peninsula
Josef Wagner

Every year disapper from map of our planet next white places – not research by human. But one place on the earth is still unknown in many respects – it´s the underground world of white stalactite, flowing waterfalls, gorges, bizard stone scenes. The world of caves, which are researched by speleologists.

There´re still discovered new cave systems all around the world and many of these one´s are researched by next expeditions or are used for commercial purposes. But this „interest“ usually has negative consequence for whole cave. It conduces to break of microclimate, contaminate underground water, distress stalactite decoration, which came into being milions years.

That´s way we must close, conceal and protect caves, in which are unique and sensitive underground forms. One of this is cave Emine Bojir Chasar Nižnyj, which is placed on Crymea peninsula on ridge Čatyr Dag.

The ridge Čatyr Dag towers over metropolis of Crymea peninsula – Simferopol and over coast of the Black Sea to height 1500 meters. Even old Greak considered this mountain – which suggests giant tent – sacred and below its top they built their holy of holies. Many of caves on ridge knew local people from old time and part of caves have their agitated past. In cave Bim – Baš (Thousand Heads) archeologists found a lot of human frames. This is a sad proof of crime of midieval raiders. They imprisoned thousand native Tatars and after that they destroyed them by fire and smoke. In cave Suuk Koba people lived oven in neolite.

The ridge Čatyr Dag is one of carst region with the most occurence of caves in the world and that ´s way many speleologists and tourists still were and are interested in this ridge. Local caves had no protectors and stalactite decoration of most of caves was stolen by collectors of minerals and sellers of souvenirs. That´s way Simferopol speleologists decided to save new-research caves in Čatyr Dag. They opened only two from cave systems for public to satisfly thousands tourists and the rest with most beautiful decoration was quite closed. The name of this natural treasure is Emine Bojir Chasar Nižnyj.

The cave was discovered by Simferopol speleologists in 1976 and after short research was immediately closed. In 1981 were invited Czech speleologists from Bohumin for collective expedition and entry to underground with calibre 30 cm was opened again. The only one foreign expedition at that time worked continuous for seven days and except documentary working they discovered next continue of cave. After finishing this work in underground the entry was closed again for others 20 years.

Only in October this year Simferopol speleologists decided to open the cave once more for expedition and speleologists from Bohumin were invited again. Except new research work they planned to do complete documentary work with camera and photos to introduce to the world´s public with unique decoration of this cave. After finishing of this expedition the entry was closed for several decades.

Why could enter underground till this time only 40 speleologists and why is this cave so much protected? It´s not easy to describe, what nature has been creating here for milions years. Walls of cave corridors, cathedrals, stalactites and bottom are covered billions crystals, calcits and aragonits, often thin like hair. Everywhere are colossal tufts of white crystals, which suggest stone bunch of chrysanthemum. Every touch produces gamut of ringing tones and careless movement means destroy of soft beauty. The most beautiful place of cave is hall Nocturno. This 80 meters of width and 30 meters of height hall is whole in white colour. Thick pins of crystals cover everything. You must even walk all over crystals. From Nocturno leads Milk corridor. Lenght, treasure and density of crystal decoration is really fantastic. Man holds breath in watching of millions white pins and stalks and he feels like in tale winter scenery.

Quite different is Hall of red poppies. Over 100 meters of lenght cathedral is whole in deep red colours. Even stalactites are red and are covered by thousand crystals, which suggest flower of red poppies. Such quantity and richness of forms of crystals you can ´t find all around the world. The interior of cave is really wonderful text-book of carst forms.