Shakhtau

About

Shakhtau (Bashkir: — «king-mountain») - one of the four shihans, located in Ishimbaysky District, on the border with the Shakhtau microdistrict of the city Sterlitamak. The name of the mountain has several variations: Shachtau, Shaketau, Ashak-tau, Tsar-Gora. One of the chain of four shihans in the vicinity of the Ishimbay and Sterlitamak cities. Along with Toratau, Yuraktau and Kushtau, which are selected in the short list of the project "Seven Wonders of Russia" (as well Shihany). The name "Shakhtau" is known to the Balkarians and Karachais, so they call Elbrus. Like the other shihans, the remainder of the Permian period (late Paleozoic) reef massif formed over 230 million years ago in the tropical sea. Now the mountain is completely destroyed as a result of geological work to obtain raw materials for Bashkir soda company; in place of the shihan is a quarry. The fate of Shakhtau can comprehend several similar shihans. In Bashkortostan there is a campaign for the conservation of natural monuments. Activists consider the act of destroying Shakhtau as an example of a barbaric attitude toward nature, and a quarry formed in its place is called a scar on the face of Bashkortostan.

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