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Kanaka (Valley, River, and Relict Grove)

Kanaka is a long, narrow mountain river valley on the Southern Coast of Crimea, midway between Sudak and Alushta. Its chief natural treasure is a relict grove of Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa) and Mount Atlas mastic tree (Pistacia mutica) that survived the Ice Age; it is also a toponym with several theories regarding its origin.

Overview

Kanaka is the valley of the mountain river of the same name (now seasonal), located on the southeastern coast of Crimea between Sudak and Alushta. According to local lore, there was once a port at the mouth of the river where ships entered from the sea. Maxim Gorky mentioned the river: during his Crimean journey in early September, he waited two days for the swollen Kanaka to recede after heavy rains.

The true wealth of the Kanaka Gully is the relict grove of Greek juniper (Juniperus excelsa) and terebinth / Mount Atlas mastic tree (Pistacia mutica) — botanical relicts that survived the Ice Age and are preserved in places along the Southern Coast: in Foros, the Nikitsky Botanical Garden at Cape Martyan, Kanaka, and Novyi Svit.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • Geography: the valley of the Kanaka River is located on the Southern Coast of Crimea, midway between Sudak and Alushta. The coastal highway winds in serpentines through resort and viticultural southeastern Crimea past Kara-Dag, Meganom, Sudak, and Novyi Svit.
  • Kanaka River: as described by naturalist Peter Simon Pallas (late 18th century), during rainy periods the swollen stream broadened to 30 fathoms (approx. 60 m); Tatars called it "Kanaka." Today the river is visible only after heavy torrential rain in the mountains.
  • Relict Grove: Greek juniper and terebinth are glacial relicts of the Southern Coast of Crimea; Kanaka Gully is one of their primary conservation sanctuaries.
  • Etymology of the Name "Kanaka" (several versions):
  • from Turkic qonaq — "overnight stay" (version proposed by Simferopol local historian Ihor Belyanskyi);
  • from khanqah — "worship" / Sufi lodge (phonetically similar, but unproven);
  • Greek mythological version: Canace — name of the daughter of the wind god Aeolus and wife of Poseidon, ruler of the seas.
  • Neighboring Toponyms: in this part of Crimea, place names are mostly unusual with disputed translations (reflecting historical intertwining of languages): Karabi, Arpat, Kapsikhor, Tuak.