View source for Earth:Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst

{{Short description|Hungarian-Slovakian caves, UNESCO World Heritage Site}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS           = Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst
| image         = Domica Cave 22.jpg
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption       = Domica Cave
| location      = Hungary (H) and Slovakia (S)
| includes      = {{flatlist|
#Component including Aggtelek (H)
#Component of Szendrő-Rudabánya Hill (H)
#Component of {{ill|Esztramos Hill|hu|Esztramos-hegy}} (H)
#Component neighbouring {{ill|Silická Plain|sk|Silická planina|lt=Silica}} and Jasov (S)
#Component of Plešivec plateau (H)
#Component of Koniar plateau (including Ochtinscká Aragonite Cave) (S)
#[[Earth:Dobšiná Ice Cave|Dobšiná Ice Cave]] (S)
}}
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(viii)}}(viii)
| ID            = 725ter
| coordinates   = {{Coord|48|28|33|N|20|29|13|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}
| year          = 1995
| extension     = 2000, 2008
| area          = {{convert|56,650.57|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
| buffer_zone   = {{convert|86,797.33|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
| locmapin      = Hungary#Slovakia
| map_caption   = 
}}
The '''Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst''' are a series of over 1000 [[Earth:Karst|karst]] caves spread out over a total area of {{Convert|55800|ha|abbr=on}} along the border of Hungary and Slovakia.<ref name = "unesco">{{cite web |url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/725/ |title = Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst |website = UNESCO World Heritage Convention |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 29 April 2023}}</ref> With an exceptional diversity of karst structures and complex cave systems developing from both temperate and tropical processes, the caves and surrounding areas were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.<ref name = "unesco"/> 

== Background ==

This UNESCO World Heritage Site includes seven components, three of which are in Hungary, and four in Slovakia. In Hungary, the components include Aggtelek, Szendrő-Rudabánya Hill, and Esztramoill. The components in Slovakia are [[Earth:Dobšiná Ice Cave|Dobšiná Ice Cave]], Koniar plateau, Plešivec plateau, and a component neighbouring Silica and Jasov.<ref name = "unesco"/>

Of the more 1000 caves listed in the site, there are several notable caves and cave complexes:

*Baradla and Domica complex
*[[Earth:Gombasek Cave|Gombasek Cave]]
*Silica Ice Cave
*[[Earth:Dobšiná Ice Cave|Dobšiná Ice Cave]]
*Ochtinská Aragonite Cave
*Jasovská Cave

{{Designation list
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_offname = Domica
| designation1_date = 2 February 2001
| designation1_number = 1051<ref>{{Cite web|title=Domica|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1051|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>
| designation2 = Ramsar
| designation2_offname = Baradla Cave System and related wetlands
| designation2_date = 14 August 2001
| designation2_number = 1092<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baradla Cave System and related wetlands|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1092|accessdate=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
'''Baradla-Domica Cave''' complex is {{Convert|21|km|abbr=on}} long with approximately one fourth of that on the Slovak side and the rest in Hungary. The first written mention of Baradla cave dates back to 1549 and from 1920 it serves as a tourist attraction. Ján Majko discovered Domica Cave (Slovak part of the complex) in 1926 and the tourist circuit opened to public in 1932 has more than {{Convert|1700|m}}. Cave was inhabited as far as 5000 BC and is an important archeological site of Bükk Culture. Temperature in the Slovak part varies between {{Convert|10|and|12.3|C|F}} with a humidity above 95%.

'''Gombasek Cave''' was discovered in 1951 with 530 out of its {{Convert|1525|m|abbr=on}} opened to the public from 1955. The cave is also experimentally used for "speleotherapy" as a sanatorium, focused on airway diseases thanks to constant temperature of {{Convert|9|C}}, high humidity of 98% and favorable microclimate. Geomorphologically it is one of the youngest but nevertheless also one of the most impressive caves in Slovakia with extraordinary decoration that gave it the nickname "Fairy tale cave".

'''Dobšiná Ice Cave''' was added to the list of components of this World Heritage Site only in the year 2000. The cave was discovered in 1870 by Eugen Ruffinyi, though the entrance was known long before. Being open to the public just one year after its discovery, in 1887 it became the first electrically lit cave in Europe. Approximately one third of its {{Convert|1483|m|abbr=on}} length is open from May to September. Thickness of the ice on the floor approaches {{Convert|25|m|abbr=on}}, with a surface area of {{Convert|11200|m2|abbr=on}} and estimated volume of {{Convert|145000|m3|abbr=on}} of ice. Average temperature is {{Convert|-1|C}} and relative humidity between 96 and 99%. This cave is among the most beautiful and the most richly decorated ice caves in the world.

Although '''Ochtinská Aragonite Cave''' is just {{Convert|300|m|abbr=on}} long with a tourist circuit not longer than {{Convert|230|m|abbr=on}}, it is famous for its rare [[Chemistry:Aragonite|aragonite]] filling since there are only three aragonite caves discovered in the world so far. In the so-called Milky Way Hall, the main attraction of the cave, white branches and clusters of aragonite shine like stars in the Milky Way. The cave was discovered in 1954 and opened to the public in 1972. Temperature in the cave is around {{Convert|7|C}} with relative humidity between 92 and 97%.

'''Jasovská Cave''' was partly opened to the public in 1846, making it the oldest publicly accessible cave in Slovakia. The lower parts of the cave were discovered from 1922 to 1924. More than one third of its {{Convert|2148|m|abbr=on}} total length is open to the public. Paleolithic and Neolithic archeological artifacts were found in the cave together with those of Hallstatt Culture.

{{Location map+
|Slovakia
|float=left
|width=500
|relief=1
|caption=Location of caves inscribed on the World Heritage Site list
|places= 
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=49|lat_sec=14|lon_deg=20|lon_min=21|lon_sec=57|position=top|label=Dobšiná}}
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=34|lat_sec=12|lon_deg=20|lon_min=27|lon_sec=58|position=right|label=Gombasek}}
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=41|lat_sec=8|lon_deg=20|lon_min=58|lon_sec=21|position=right|label=Jasov}}
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=29|lat_sec=6|lon_deg=20|lon_min=27|lon_sec=9|position=left|label=Baradla-Domica}}
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=39|lat_sec=59|lon_deg=20|lon_min=18|lon_sec=40|position=left|label=Ochtina}}
  {{Location map~|Slovakia|lat_deg=48|lat_min=24|lat_sec=55|lon_deg=20|lon_min=43|lon_sec=30|position=right|label=Szendrő-Rudabánya}}
}}
{{clear left}}


== See also ==
*List of caves in Slovakia
*[[Earth:Slovak Karst National Park|Slovak Karst National Park]]
*Aggtelek National Park
*Slovak Karst

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Cave 2 by andy205.jpg|Baradla Cave
File:Ochtina Aragonite Cave 54.jpg|Ochtina Aragonite Cave
File:Jaskinia Gombasecka 3.jpg|Gombasek Cave
File:Dobsinska ladova cave.jpg|Dobšiná Ice Cave
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* Explore the [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/TQURhwBUcELjcQ Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst] in the UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture

=== Resources ===
*{{cite web|url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/725|title = Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst|accessdate = 2008-10-01|work = UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}

[[Category:Lists of caves|Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst]]

{{Sourceattribution|Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst}}