Melouri Cave Natural Monument (Georgian: მელოურის მღვიმე) is a karst cave located near village Melouri (8 km from village Kumistavi) in Tsqaltubo Municipality in Imereti region of Georgia, 418 meters above sea level.[1] Melouri Cave is one of the largest caves in Georgia. It is part of extensive Tsqaltubo Cave system which also includes nearby cave Didghele.[2]
| Melouri Cave Natural Monument | |
|---|---|
   | |
| Nearest city | Tskaltubo |
| Coordinates | 42°23.241′N 42°37.670′E / 42.387350°N 42.627833°E |
| Established | 2011 |
| Governing body | Agency of Protected Areas |
| Website | მელოურის მღვიმის ბუნების ძეგლი |
Morphology
editMelouri cave has overall length of at least 15 km and boasts two naturally formed canyons with beautiful underground waterfalls.[3] Cave carved in Sataphlia-Tskaltubo karst massif [4] The entrance to the cave is at the bottom of the 8-10 meters deep ditch. Near the entrance cave is difficult to navigate due to presence of gypsum limestone boulders of up to 15 m height. Further inside cave pass is clearer with characteristic network of fissures, their intersections are 30 m by 40 m wide. At the end of the sequence of halls, a few kilometers long, there is an erosion canyon with an underground river. It creates waterfalls as it traverses the canyon and in the last hall there is a siphon lake. Interior of the cave is naturally decorated with chemical sediments: stalactites and large stalagmites. The cave is inhabited by bats, spiders, and beetles.[5] Exploring Melouri Cave is not extremely challenging but caving equipment is required: headlamp and waterproof caving boots. The cave has not been completely investigated and has many unknown corridors and branches.[6]
Fauna
editThe inhabitants of the cave include Bergrothia. [4]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ Melouri Cave in Georgia Protected Planet
- ^ "Didghele" cave
- ^ 8 Places in Georgia Even Locals Don't Know About
- ^ a b Barjadze, Sh., Arabuli, T., Mumladze, L., Maghradze, E., Asanidze, Z., Kutalia T. Melouri cave 2019, Cave Biodiversity of Georgia, Open Access Database. Institute of Zoology at Ilia State University
- ^ (in Georgian) მელოურის მღვიმის ბუნების ძეგლი
- ^ Melouri Cave National Parks of Georgia
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