Sarykum Dune is a majestic sand mountain with a total area of 600 hectares and a height of 262 meters. The height of Sarykum constantly changes, but on average it is about 260 meters. The age of Sarykum is measured in several hundred thousand years. It is called a fragment of the Asian deserts, surrounded by steppes. This dune is the highest not only in Russia but in all of Eurasia. An amazing fact about Sarykum is that this natural wonder is located not in a desert area or even on a seashore, but on a clayey steppe. Moreover, until today it is not exactly known how and from where these sands appeared here. There are a huge number of legends associated with this place. Scientists hypothesize that the sands appeared here as a result of a very powerful hurricane that transported them here like a cyclone. According to another version, the sands are the result of ancient volcanic eruptions. The winds here blow in such a way that only the external appearance of Sarykum changes, but the dune itself does not move anywhere.

Sarykum (in Kumyk, "yellow sand") is not a single dune, but several. They occupy a relatively small area — about ten kilometers long and three to four kilometers wide. The age of Sarykum is measured in several hundred thousand years.

Under the influence of the wind, the shape of the dune often changes, but its base always remains in the same place — at the very edge of the Kumtorkalinsky ridge, where the mountains meet the plain. There are many legends about the origin of Sarykum, but the real reason for its formation is connected with the winds. For centuries, they have been grinding down the surrounding mountains and bringing sand to one place. Thus, over time, a huge dune was formed. The winds here blow in such a way that only the external appearance of Sarykum changes, but the dune itself does not move anywhere.

Sarykum is the hottest place in Dagestan. In summer, the temperature of the sand on the southern slopes of the dune can reach +60°C, and sometimes even up to +90°C. Such conditions can only be endured by typically desert inhabitants — these are ground squirrels and cobras, which feel great in the sands.

From the dune, you can see the Caspian Sea and the picturesque Kapchugai Gorge, through which the Shura-Ozen River bursts onto the plain, cutting the Sarykum dune into two parts.

The first mention of the Sarykum dune appears in the book published in 1861 in Paris by the famous French novelist Dumas, "The Caucasus from Prometheus to Shamil." Here is what the classic of French literature wrote about the Sarykum dune:

"Soon we noticed a yellow-golden peak standing out against the grayish background. As we approached, it seemed to rise from the ground, then seemed to lower; it grew before our eyes, stretching like a small chain supporting the last slopes of the Caucasus, almost two versts long. The mountain had 3-4 peaks, one of which was higher than the others — the very one rising about 600-700 meters. However, one must be close to it to have an idea of the mountain's height. While it does not block the Caucasus, it seems tiny.

I got out of the carriage: the sand was the finest and most beautiful that could be provided for the writing desk of a division commander. After each storm, the mountain changes shape, but no matter how strong the storm is, it does not scatter the sand across the plain; the mountain retains its usual height."

Few people know that most of the film "White Sun of the Desert" was shot on the coast of the Caspian Sea between Makhachkala and Kaspiysk and on the sands of the Sarykum dune. It was on these sands that Comrade Sukhov led his non-existent harem, and it was here that Said was buried by the people of the evil Abdullah.

According to one of the legends recorded by Dumas, Sarykum appeared because of love. "...two brothers fell in love with a princess. She lived in a castle built in the middle of a lake and could not leave her home except by boat. The princess loved horseback riding and falconry. One day she announced that she would marry the brother who turned the lake into solid ground.

The brothers went in different directions. The first went to Kubachi to order a saber that could cut through cliffs. The second went to the sea with a bag large enough to fill with sand and cover the lake.

The elder was lucky to find the desired saber. The princess's castle was closer to Kubachi than to the sea, and he quickly returned, ahead of the younger brother, who had only covered half the distance from the Caspian to the castle.

Suddenly, the younger brother, bent under the bag, panting and sweating, heard a terrible noise, as if a hundred thousand horses galloped into the sea at full speed. The brother had cut the rock, which fell into the lake with a loud crash that echoed through the mountains. Shaken by this, the younger brother fell, the bag burst, the sand spilled out and crushed the unfortunate man, forming a mountain over him."

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarykum

https://tourism.interfax.ru/ru/holiday_ideas/itinerary/81969/

https://etokavkaz.ru/nestandartnyi-marshrut/s-dyuma-po-kavkazu