Otapi

Otapi(Georgian:ოტაფი;Abkhaz:Уатаҧ) is a village and municipality inOchamchira District,Abkhazia, a partially-recognized state claimed byGeorgia. The village lies on theOtapi River. Otapi is noted for itskarst cave,Abrskil Cave, which is a tourist attraction in the area.
Otapi is also known by several other names such as Atap-Tsarakhmul, Tskar-Khumul, Tskarkhumuli and Tskhar-Khumul.
Otapi is in the northwestern part of Georgia and in the central-eastern part of Abkhazia. Within Ochamchira district it is in the central-northern area, to the northwest ofTkvarcheliand to the southeast ofTsebelda(Lata).Populated towns within 5 km (3.1 mi) distance from  the Otapi are the Mramba (3.1 km (1.9 mi)), the Akhyvaa (3.7 km (2.3 mi)), the Aymara (4.2 km (2.6 mi)) and the Androu (4.8 km (3.0 mi)).
The town is situated in a very mountainous terrain in theGreater Caucasusat an elevation of 255 metres (837 ft). It experiences snowfall for a considerable duration of the year. The climate is cold and harsh during the winter months.
Mountains in this area of Abkhazia includeMount Achimedzmakh,Eisirkhu(1,237 metres (4,058 ft)),Atvazhukhu(895 metres (2,936 ft)) andBeduk(392 metres (1,286 ft)).Gora Atvazhu-Khu and Gora Beduk are the nearest mountains, which surround the town, within 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) distance.Ablaskira Cave lies at an altitude of 600–700 m (2,000–2,300 ft).
The Otapi River flows through the village and continues south.Mokvi Riveris another river that flows through this part of Abkhazia. Approximately 20 km (12 mi) to 25 km (16 mi) north of the village is the greaterKodori River, which eventually flows into theBlack Sea. Two other small rivers which flow close to the town are the Ulys and the Dzhandzhali-Kvara Rivers.
Before the1992–1993 Georgian-Abkhaz war, up to 125 families lived in Otapi.The population of the village has declined considerably due to conflict in the region. As of 2010, Otapi contains about 50 houses and buildings.
The nearest railroad is Stantsiya, Gupi, which is 11.1 km (6.9 mi) away from the town. The nearest airport is at Sukhumi dranda (SUI) 18 mi (29 km) and Georgia is 41.2 km (25.6 mi) away.
There are two caves of note in the immediate region: Abrskila and Achkityzga.
Abrskil Cave (or "Abrskila") is a notable landmark in the area and it is named after the hero of the Abkhazian national epos,Abrskil. According to Prof. Shalwa Inal-yipa, it is the biggest cave in Caucasia.Characteristics of the cave include interior walls that reach a height of 30–40 meters and this karstic cave reaches a length of about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi),although only 1,500–1,700 metres (4,900–5,600 ft) are accessible to tourists.The Achwats stream flows out of the cave and into the Duab River. The part of the cave which is open to tourists consists of four halls withstalactitesandstalagmites. At the cave entrance, tourists can view a waterfall, as well as theGreat Abkhazian Walltowers.On June 6, 2010, PresidentSergey Bagapshvisited the village of Otapi and the Abrskil Cave with MPZaur Adleibaand the Ochamchira district governorMurman Dzhopuaand pledged to provide the assistance needed to restore a tourist route to Abrskil cave.The villagers of Otapi rely heavily on tourists visiting this cave for their livelihoods and selling locally produced farm goods to them.The Abkhaz state-owned company,Chernomorenergo, has been responsible for providing the cave with electricity to light up the tunnels and attract more tourists to fuel the local economy.
Peshchera Achkityzga Cave is situated on the side of a cliff within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) distance from the town of Otapi.