A natural phenomenon "Stone Mushrooms", also known as "Rock Mushrooms", are rock formations (harmonic rock pieces) in the shape of natural mushrooms, sculpted in rhyolite volcanic tuffs.
The tuffs from which the stone mushrooms were formed are the result of intense underwater volcanic activity dating back to the Paleogene era*.
*The Paleogene is a geological period that began 65 million years ago and ended 23 million years ago. It represents the first part of the Neozoic era and is 42 million years long.
The Paleogene is most significant as the time when mammals evolved from relatively small, simple forms to one large group of diverse animals following the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction that ended the previous period of dinosaur dominance.
Birds also evolved significantly during this period, taking on roughly their modern forms.
The Paleogene consists of three eras - Paleocene, Eocene, and Oligocene.
Yes, you got it right, the whole place was once in the vicinity of a huge sea. After the retreat of the water and the successive rise of the seabed, the action of erosion began on the rocks.
The lower, pink layer turned out to be softer and more easily susceptible to the action of the sun, wind and rain.
The upper, greenish layer contains stronger minerals, mostly volcanic glass, and is more difficult to weather.
Thus, over the course of millions of years, a wonderful composition of unique shapes and colors was formed, which we marvel at today.
In the generous autumn sun, the pink color of the mushroom stumps, due to the mineral cloinoptilolite, is particularly visible.
Blue and black spots on mushroom caps are due to manganese nodules.
The greenish color is due to the mineral celadonite.
Rock mushrooms are up to 2.5 or even 3 meters high.
The area with an area of three hectares, in the middle of which the rock formations are located, was declared a natural landmark on May 13, 1974 by virtue of Order No. RD-552 of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Interesting species of birds can be observed in the protected area - eagle viper, Egyptian vulture, red-throated swallow, Spanish and common tern.
Locals call the phenomenon Mantarkaya and the following story is told about it.
The legend
According to legend, the coal miner Raduil lived with his four beautiful daughters in the nearby fortress city of Perperikon. The girls were incomparable in beauty! People still say today that the girls were more beautiful than the sun, the dawn, the sky and the stars.
One day, the four virgins went to a nearby spring that gushed outside the massive fortress walls to drink water, but at that time they were chased by a horde of cruel robbers. Terrified, the girls ran away, returning to the fortress.
A fierce battle broke out!
The fortress soon fell, and most of the survivors, including the beautiful Raduil daughters, were taken captive.
The maidens could not hide their beauty, and the four were led to the leader of the horde, so that he could examine them and select the most beautiful ones for himself, and sell the rest as slaves.
The chieftain, mounted on his racehorse by the nearby river, looked at the maidens and twisted his large black moustache.
Fury seized the hearts of the girls at the fate that awaited them. They decided not to give up so easily. Together, they grabbed whatever they found - stones and fallen branches - and began to attack the horseman.
The horse got scared, stood up on its hind legs, and the unsuspecting rider fell to the ground.
The four girls rushed at him and tore him apart, then ran away into the nearby forest.
To avenge the fallen warrior, his friend Omur chased the girls.
Catching up with them, he swung his sharp scythe and cut off the head of the first of them, but as soon as it touched the ground, it instantly turned into a stone mushroom.
Omur swung a second time and mowed down the other two sisters and in an instant two more stone mushrooms sprung from the ground.
Omur was frightened, terrified! He dismounted, but before he swung for the last time, the girl's head itself turned to stone.
Overwhelmed with bone-chilling fear, Omur jumped on his horse and tried to run away, but at the first step they both turned into a huge black rock.
People still call the lonely rock near the mushrooms Karatepe (black hill).
How do you get to the village of Beli Plast?
The village of Beli Plast is located in the Rhodopes.
The village is located about 20 kilometers north of the town of Kardjali (about 28 minutes by car).
Beli Plast is only 25 kilometers south of the town of Haskovo (about 31 minutes by car).
Beli Plast remains on:
256 kilometers (about 2 hours and 46 minutes by car) from the capital
127 kilometers (about 1 hour and 34 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
349 kilometers (about 4 hours and 31 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
241 kilometers (about 2 hours and 38 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How do you get to the natural landmark "Stone Mushrooms" (Mantarkaya) near Beli Plast?
Natural landmark "Stone mushrooms", also known as Mantarkaya, is located about 1.6 kilometers north of the village of Beli Plast (about 2 minutes by car).
The rock phenomenon is located right next to the road. There are designed small sections where you can leave your car.
What can you visit nearby?
Only about 13.5 kilometers south of the village of Beli Plast (about 18 minutes by car) is the mysterious ancient Perperikon.
Only 33 kilometers northwest of the village of Beli Plast (about 35 minutes by car) you will find the village of Mineralni Bani, Haskovo Region.
Вin the area of the village of Mineralni Bani, the remains of the ancient, late antique and medieval fortress "Toplica", also known as "Sveti Duh" and which existed in the period from the 2nd century to the 14th century, have been preserved.
Only about 69 kilometers west of the village of Beli Plast (about an hour and 10 minutes by car) you will find the charming waterfall of Saint George - right on the road between the villages of Gornoslav and Oreshets.
Just 4.6 kilometers south of the St. George waterfall (about 7 minutes by car) you will find the Oreshets panoramic site.
Only 6.5 kilometers south of the panoramic site "Oreshets" (about 12 minutes by car) you will find a rock bridge near the village of Mostovo.
And as a finale, my dear friends,
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