The lost world exists in reality

Tepuis are flat mesas in the Guiana Highlands of South America, specifically Venezuela. In the language of the Pemon people who live in Gran Sabana, the word tepui means "House of the Gods" - because they are very tall. Tepuis are individual mountains, which means they contain a wide variety of endemic plant and animal species, some of which are found only on one tepuis.

Rising above the surrounding forest, tepuis have almost vertical walls, and many of them rise more than 1000 m above the jungle.

The highest tepuis reach 3000 meters in height.

The almost vertical slopes and dense tropical forest on which these tepuis lie make them inaccessible to foot explorers.

Only three Gran Sabana mountains can be reached on foot, and among them is Mount Roraima at 2180 m in height.

Tepuis are the remains of a large sandstone plateau that once covered a layer of granite between the northern border of the Amazon and Orinoco basins, between the Atlantic coast and the Rio Negro, during the Precambrian period.

Over millions of years, the plateaus have been eroded, and all that remains are flat-topped tepuis.

Although the tepuis seem deserted, their peaks are teeming with life.

Due to the high altitude, the climate on the tepui differs from that below.

It is often cooler at the top and rains more often, while the mountains below have a tropical, warm and humid climate.

Many unusual plants have adapted to this habitat and become unique tepui species.

About 9,400 species of tall plants have been recorded in Venezuelan Guyana, of which 2,322 are recorded on tepuis.

About one third of these species are found nowhere else in the world.

There are 115 of these mesas in the Gran Sabana region. They are located in the southeast of Venezuela, where most of the tepuis are concentrated.

The most famous among them is Mount Roraima.

Roraima remained unexplored until 1884.

Today it is a popular destination for tourists.

Mount Roraima is said to have inspired Scottish author Arthur Conan Doyle to write his novel The Lost World.

It is home to small waterfalls, natural quartz pools and the Punto Triangle, the point where the borders of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana meet.

Another famous tepui is Auyantepui, home to Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world.

It is also the largest tepui in terms of surface area (700 km²).