Dagestan’s Sarykum: Europe’s BIGGEST sand dune (PHOTOS & VIDEO)
Not far from the city of Makhachkala lies one of the most popular tourist spots in Dagestan – a small desert, or rather a dune, called Sarykum.
What’s so unique about Sarykum?
Sarykum is the largest sand dune in Europe: In total, it is 3 km long, occupies an area of almost 1,200 hectares and, at its highest point, reaches 250 meters.
In addition, this picturesque place is home to hundreds of rare plants (there are even endemic species that can only be found there), as well as thousands of animals, including scorpions, scarabs (large dung beetles) and venomous snakes.
A metal ladder has been installed at the very top of the dune, so that tourists can safely climb up while observing lizards and strange shrubs. There are also daredevils who jump down into the sand for the sake of a beautiful photo. But, this is strictly prohibited: Sarykum is part of a protected natural reserve.
By the way, a famous Soviet movie ‘White Sun of the Desert’ (1970) was filmed there. A popular scene is when a character named Said is buried in the sand up to his neck.
Legends about its origin
The word ‘'Sarykum' translates from the Kumyk language as ‘yellow sand’. Scientists still have not come to a consensus on the origin of the dune in this foothill area. The Caucasian mountains are on one side and the Caspian Sea lies 18 km to the east.
The most popular version is that the sand has been blown by winds from the sea into the mountain crevice for millions of years.
However, before scientists began studying the dune, the locals had been making up their own legends about this unique place for centuries, trying to explain its origin. We’ve highlighted the three most popular ones below.
1. A warlike legend
One of the legends is associated with the name of Timur, a Turco-Mongol conqueror. Allegedly, while waging a campaign against Khan Tokhtamysh, Timur decided to check how large his army was. He ordered each warrior to bring a helmet filled with sand. When everyone had poured out the sand, a large sand mountain rose in front of Timur.
2. A tragic legend
Two brothers fell in love with a princess who lived in a castle in the middle of a lake. She promised to marry the one who could make land out of water. One cut through the mountains with a saber, the rocks fell into the water, so the princess was able to walk out on them. At the same time, the other brother went by the sea and grabbed a large bag with sand. When the mountain collapsed, he heard a crash, got scared and fell. The sand spilled out of the bag and covered him… His body allegedly still lies under this dune.
3. A romantic legend
An old man once lived in a mountain village with a beautiful daughter. She had many admirers, but she loved only one. This young man asked the father for his daughter’s hand. So, the old man decided to arrange a test: He asked the man to bring as much sand from the sea as needed to make a mountain so big that it would be possible to see their mountain house from the top of it. The young man agreed. He carried the sand for a long time and finally, tired, climbed to the top of the dune. He saw both the house and the girl. But the girl had already become an old woman.
Which one do you believe in?