Shurubumu canyon (Region of Mingrelia)
The territory of the village of Mukhuri (Chkhorotsqu) is crossed by Shurubumu canyon (Georg. შურუბუმუს კანიონი) rich with the most beautiful cascades of waterfalls. The local population used Shurubumu cave for curing asthma, and in Kalichoni and Letsurtsume klastokarst caves dwellings of primitive hominids were discovered.
Mingaria limestone massif is one of the compound parts of the high mountainous karst of Western Georgia. It is located in the southern peripheral part of the Egrisi Range among the gorges of the rivers of Khobistskali and Tekhura.
Among the caves of Mingaria massif the Shurubumu karst Cave is notable. Entrance of the Shurubumu Cave (“shurubumu” means “silent” in Mengrelian dialect) is blocked by the stone avalanche. Water flow passes through its bed. It can be felt the weak movement of air masses as well, which is conditioned by the difference between the surface and cave temperatures. Shurubumu Cave is characterized with narrow holes. the cavities are blocked by siphon waters, though, one can go through to the end (150 m). The Cavity is formed in the thin layered limestones of Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) age. The Cave is adorned with almost all kinds of melted forms – stalactites and helictites as well. Walls are decorated with “stone waterfalls”. Water flow passes through the cave.
Shurubumu Cave is one of the interesting objects of nature. Karst relief of the surroundings of the Cave is diverse. there are represented the rare forms of nature such as canyons (Shurubumu ), waterfalls (Ochkhomuri), vocluses (Shurubumu, Shiksha, Atamana, Vau, Khurus, etc.). These are interesting tourist objects, the revealing of preconditions for improvement and safe tourist exploitation of which will have certain affect on the development of country,s economy and tourist industry.
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