Jeita grotto
| Jeita grotto
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 Upper gallery |
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| Location: | Mount Lebanon , Lebanon | |
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Geographic location: |
33 ° 56 '36.2 " N , 35 ° 38' 28.9" E | |
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| Type: | Stalactite cave | |
| Show cave since: | 1958 (until 1978, reopened 1995) | |
| Overall length: | 9000 m | |
| Website: | jeitagrotto.com | |
The Jeita Grotto ( Arabic مغارة جعيتا, DMG Maġārat Ǧaʿītā ) is a stalactite cave in Lebanon . It is located about 20 km north of Beirut in the valley of the Nahr al-Kalb (dog river). The cave was already settled in prehistoric times.
description
The total length of the cave is 9000 m. One of the largest halls measures 108 meters from the ceiling to the river. The area that is now accessible to tourists is divided into the upper and lower gallery. In the 600 m long upper gallery you can see a multitude of shimmering stalactites, bizarre rock formations and stone curtains. With a length of 8.2 meters, you will also find one of the largest stalactites in the world. The Nahr al-Kalb flows in the lower gallery. Overall, the underground river measures 6230 meters. The cave was created by this river. Over time, this dug his bed into the rock and created the cave system. The lower gallery was first developed for tourism. On small boats it is possible to navigate this river and an underground lake. Under German management, a gondola lift was also built by the Austrian company Doppelmayr Seilbahnen GmbH , which leads from the parking lot to the entrance of the Upper Gallery. From the upper gallery you can take a short train to the lower gallery.
In the online competition “New 7 Wonders of Nature”, in which 440 locations from over 220 countries took part, the Jeita Grotto made it into the round of 28 finalists in 2011.
literature
- Hubert Trimmel : The development of the stalactite cave of Jeita (Lebanon). In: The cave . Vol. 20, No. 2, 1969, pp. 33-36, ( digital version (PDF; 1.34 MB) ).
- Anke Röhl, Andrea Rosebrock: Lebanon (= travel manual. ). Revised and expanded 3rd edition. Stein, Kronshagen 1998, ISBN 3-89392-213-X .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information about the grotto on derlibanon.de. Retrieved July 28, 2012 .
- ↑ The 28 finalists on the foundation's website. Retrieved July 28, 2012 .