Pobiti Kamani

Pobiti Kamani ( Bulgarian Побити камъни; translated: "In the ground rammed stones ") is a widespread group of rock formations in Bulgaria. The north - south extent of the area is 8 km, the east- west distance 3 km. The rock formations are located one kilometer east of Devnya, 18 km west of Varna and extend over an area of 7 km ². Occasionally made ​​of stone because of the similarity trees is also the name of Stone Forest used.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, to the detailed description by a Russian officer, these columnar rock formations were held for the remains of a Greek city. After all, are 10 km further west, the remains of Marcianopolis, the largest ancient Roman city in what is now Bulgaria.

Location

The rock formations Pobiti kamani lie close to the both sides of the highway Varna - Sofia ( E 70 ), between the villages Slantschewo, Banowo and Straschimirowo and the place Poweljanowo, a district of Devnya. The stone formations can be combined into single groups:

  • Diklitasch group,
  • Banowo group ( near the village of the same name ),
  • Slantschewo group ( near the village of the same name ),
  • Straschimirowo group,
  • Beloslaw group,
  • Kanarata,
  • Karierata,
  • Kuwanlaka,
  • Stanzijata.

The Diklitasch group ( Bulg Дикили Таш, name borrowed from Turkish ) is the largest, most impressive and best preserved formation. Here are located more than 300 stone columns on a long narrow strip (approximately 850 x 120 m). Due to the northern part of this group leads the highway. A further 50 stone pillars stand a little further south in a smaller group.

The Straschimirowo group is located south of the Diklitasch group and consists of four rows extending in a north-south direction. This is where most columns have a significant thickening in the middle.

The stone columns

This rock formation is a rare natural phenomenon. There are stone columns 5-7 m height ( some up to 10 m height) and a thickness of 30 cm to 3 m, with very different cross-sections. Some columns are broken into two or more parts. They stand upright in the landscape, as if she has a powerful force intentionally rammed into the sand individually or in groups. Hence the name Pobitite Kamani ( with item; Pobiti or Kamani - without the definite article ), which is " The driven- stones " or can be translated " The chosen stones " around with. Because of the similarity with a petrified forest the name Stone Forest (English Stone forest ) is also sometimes used, not to be confused with the Stone Forest, a karst landscape in the autonomous district of Shilin in China.

The columns do not have a solid surface. They are filled with sand and hollow. In addition to the visible columns, there are other columns that are hidden in the ground. These hidden columns are arranged in the underground in three floors. Only in the group of columns Karierata these floors are exposed, so that there a total of four layers of columns are visible, extending over a total height of 25 m. Each layer is on a separate base layer of limestone, which probably all have the same formation mechanism.

Exposure of the lower floors in the group Karierata is partly done by human hands, probably in connection with the mining of construction sand. This sand pit but is no longer used.

The stone pillars were a sacred place in ancient times. For the first time they were documented in 1829. To obtain this natural phenomenon, it was in 1937 declared a protected area ( " National Natural Landmark "). Many stone columns reminiscent of animals or people and were given appropriate names:

  • " The Stone Watcher "
  • " The Camel "
  • " The Throne "
  • " The stone forest "
  • " The Lion "
  • " The Waterfall ".

Origin

On the origin of the formations that have arisen under the seabed 50 million years ago in the lower Eocene, there are several hypotheses. On the one hand, an organic origin is suspected and returned to the emergence deposits of corals and algae. On the other hand, a mineral origin is assumed, where the weathering has formed prismatic rock formations, similar to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Also the formation of sand -lime deposits is suspected as the cause.

These formations have been exposed by erosion and tectonic uplift.

43.22638888888927.706666666667Koordinaten: 43 ° 13 ' 35 " N, 27 ° 42' 24" E

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