Mount Akhun
Mountain in Sochi, Russia
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Mount Akhun (Ахун) is a stand-alone mountain in the Khostinsky City District of Sochi, Russia. Wedged between the Matsesta and Khosta rivers, this karst massif is the highest point of the Sochi littoral.
| Mount Akhun | |
|---|---|
Mount Akhun | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 663 m (2,175 ft) |
| Coordinates | 43°33′02″N 39°50′36″E |
| Geography | |
  Mount Akhun | |
The peak of Greater Akhun is 663 metres (2,175 ft) above sea level.[1] Its summit is marked by a 100-foot-tall Romanesque tower. It was built in 1936 from limestone ashlar. The tower offers panoramic views of the Western Caucasus as far south as Gagra and Pitsunda.[2] An 11-km-long serpentine road leads to the tower from the Sputnik Hotel.
Lesser Akhun rises to an elevation of 501 m (1,644 ft). Nearby are the ruins of a medieval Christian church. The entire massif contains about 20 caves. The forests support 200 species of higher plants.[3] The scenic Eagles' Rocks stretch along the right bank of the Agura River toward the Agura Falls.
The mount was apparently sacred for the local Ubykh community.[4] Its name translates from the Ubykh dialect as "the mountain giant".[1]
View from the top
The Akhun Tower
