Gentle Cave

Tender Cave is located in the eastern part of the Azish-Tau mountain range, at the origins of the Mezmay River. This is a small horizontal cave with a length of ninety-five meters. The cave was formed as a result of an earthquake that occurred about twenty thousand years ago. In this regard, the relatively young ceiling of the cave is dotted with many thin "gentle" stalactites, which gave the cave its name.

According to legend, once upon a time there lived a hermit in the cave, whom the spirits of the mountains endowed with healing power. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but the fact that the cave was constantly inhabited is certain. Fossil bones of prehistoric animals have been found here - it is possible that the cave served as a parking lot for prehistoric man. And later the cave was chosen by robbers who robbed merchant caravans passing along the Azish-Tau ridge. The ceiling of the first hall of the cave is heavily smoked, there are practically no stalactites here. The hall in memory of the leader of the robbers is called Atamansky.

In the following halls leads a narrow man-made passage created on the site of a natural manhole. Here the richness of calcite forms is immeasurably higher. Powerful stalagmites rise to meet thin fragile stalactites. The halls of the cave are named Unnamed, Corallite, Bell and Hurovy.