New Athos Cave | |
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ახალი ათონის მღვიმე, Афон Ҿыцтәи аҳаҧы, Новоафонская Пещера | |
Location | New Athos |
Coordinates | 43°05′26.34″N 40°48′36.03″E / 43.0906500°N 40.8100083°E |
Depth | 183 m |
Length | 1,900 m |
Geology | Karst cave |
Entrances | 4 |
Access | Public |
Show cave opened | 1961 |
Show cave length | 1,900 m |
Website | Official website |
The New Athos Cave (Abkhaz: Афон Ҿыцтәи аҳаҧы; Georgian: ახალი ათონის მღვიმე; Russian: Новоафонская Пещера) also Novoafonskaya, Novy Afon Cave, or New Afon Cave is a karst cave in the Iverian Mountain in Abkhazia (Georgia[1]) near the city of New Athos.
The abyss on a slope of the Iverian Mountain was known for ages, referred to as the "Bottomless Pit". It was explored in 1961 by an expedition of four: Zurab Tatashidze,[2] Arsen Okrojanashvili,[3] Boris Gergedava,[4] and Givi Smyr.[5]
Since 1975, it has been a major tourist attraction, featuring its own underground railway.[6] The cave consists of 9 major cavities.