{{Short description|Cave in New Athos, Abkhazia, Georgia}} {{multiple issues| {{One source|date=April 2024}} {{expand Georgian|date=May 2026}} }} {{Infobox cave | name = New Athos Cave | other_name = ახალი ათონის მღვიმე, Афон Ҿыцтәи аҳаҧы | photo = Novyi afon peshera.JPG | photo_width = | photo_caption = The New Athos Cave, 2006 | map = Georgia Abkhazia#Georgia | relief = 1 | map_width = | map_caption = Location of the caves in Abkhazia | map_alt = | location = New Athos * {{flagicon|Georgia}} <br> Abkhazia,<ref name=abnote>{{Abkhazia note}}</ref> Georgia de jure | coords = {{coord|43|05|26.34|N|40|48|36.03|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref = | land_registry_number = | grid_ref_UK = | grid_ref_Ireland = | grid_ref = | depth = 183 m | length = 1,900 m | height_variation = | elevation = <!--xxx m--> | discovery = <!--19xx--> | geology = Karst cave | entrance_count = 4 | entrance_list = | difficulty = | hazards = | access = Public | show_cave = 1961 | show_cave_length = 1,900 m | lighting = | visitors = | features = | survey = | survey_format = | website = {{official website|http://afon-cave.ru}} | mapframe = yes | mapframe-wikidata = yes }}
thumb|right|250px|View of the cave
The '''New Athos Cave''' ({{lang-ka|ახალი ათონის მღვიმე}}; {{langx|ab|Афон Ҿыцтәи аҳаҧы}}) also '''Novoafonskaya''', '''Novy Afon Cave''', or '''New Afon Cave''' is a karst cave in the Iverian Mountain in Abkhazia (Georgia<ref name=abnote/>) near the city of New Athos.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Амичба |first1=Г. А. |title=Новый Афон и его окрестности |date=1988 |publisher=Алашара |location=Сухуми |page=4|lang=ru}}</ref>
==Overview== The abyss on a slope of the Iverian Mountain was known for ages, referred to as the "Bottomless Pit". It was explored in 1961 by an expedition of four: Zurab Tatashidze,<ref>In Georgian, ზურაბ ტინტილოზოვი</ref> Arsen Okrojanashvili,<ref>In Georgian, არსენ ოქროჯანაშვილი</ref> Boris Gergedava,<ref>In Georgian, ბორის გერგედავა</ref> and Givi Smyr.<ref>In Georgian, გივი სმირი</ref>
Since 1975, it has been a major tourist attraction, featuring its own underground railway.<ref>[http://metro-novyafon.narod.ru/sys-e.htm New Athos Cave Railway at metro-novyafon.narod.ru]</ref> The cave consists of 9 major cavities.
==Gallery== {{Gallery |title= |width=230 | height=160 |align=center |footer= |File:New Athos skeleton.jpg |''The Skeleton'' |File:Novo afon metro.JPG |Ep train in New Athos Cave metro |File:Ep-563.jpg |Ep-563 train in New Athos Cave metro }}
==See also== *New Athos Cave Railway *Voronya Cave, second deepest in the world
==Notes and references== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|New Athos Cave}} *{{in lang|ru}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20061103234848/http://dp.abhazia.com/cave.html New Athos Cave home page] *[https://www.showcaves.com/english/ge/showcaves/NovyAfon.html New Athos Cave at showcaves.com]
Category:Caves of Abkhazia Category:Limestone caves Category:Show caves Category:Geography of Abkhazia Category:Gudauta District Category:Tourist attractions in Georgia (country)
{{abkhazia-geo-stub}} {{Georgia-geo-stub}}