Baisuntau
The Baisuntau mountain range (Uzbek: Boysuntogʻ; Russian: Байсунтау) is the southwestern continuation of the Gissar Mountains, in southeastern Uzbekistan. This in turn continues in a southwesterly direction with the Kugitangtau chain.
Geography
[edit]The Baisuntau extends for a length of approximately 150 km (93 mi) in a northeast/southwest direction. It culminates at an elevation of 4,424 m (14,514 ft).[1] From its northwestern and northern slopes arise several left-hand tributaries of the Kashkadarya River, including the Akdarya. The south-eastern slope of the mountain range is drained by the Surkhandarya river system.[1]
Geology
[edit]The mountain range is made up of limestone, sandstone, and clay. The lower slopes are covered by semi-desert type vegetation; higher up there are juniper forests and alpine meadows.[1]
At the southern end of the mountain range is the Teshik-Tash cave, a famous archaeological site. Other caves in the region are:
- Boybuloq (14.2 km long, 1,415 m deep),
- Festivalnaya (16 km long, 625 m deep) and
- the Dark Star cave (9.5 km long, 858 m deep),[2][3] believed to be the longest cave in Uzbekistan, and possibly the deepest in the whole world.[3]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Baisuntau". The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). 1979. Retrieved 16 January 2024 – via The Free Dictionary.
- ↑ Tsurikhin, E.; Loginov, V.; Sauro, F.; Breitenbach, S. (2013). "Exploration of High Altitude Caves in the Baisun-Tau Mountain Range, Uzbekistan". In Filippi, Michal; Bosak, Pavel (eds.). Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Speleology. Prague: Czech Speleological Society. hdl:11585/392274. ISBN 9788087857076. S2CID 133668908.
- 1 2 "The Deep Climb Into Uzbekistan's Dark Star Cave". National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic Society. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2026.