Description of the attraction
Stone mushrooms are a kind of rock formations that are located in southern Bulgaria, at a distance of about a kilometer from the settlement of Beli Plast, not far from the town of Kardzhali. This natural phenomenon is located in the Rhodope Mountains, in their southern protected part. In 1974, the Stone Mushrooms rocks were declared a natural landmark of national importance.
The territory, where the rock formations are located, was chosen by birds, there are a huge number of them, including eagles, Egyptian vultures, red-lumbar swallows and Spanish traveling wheelers.
Scientists explain the appearance of stone mushrooms as a result of centuries-old influence of external natural factors on the rock. Millions of years ago, on the site of the "mushroom clearing" there was a sea, after the sea water receded, the rocks of the bottom were subject to corrosion and weathering. The phenomenon of wave mushroom stones is explained by the fact that the upper part - the cap - was above the surface of the lake, the ebb and flow formed a kind of leg. There are many similar stones in Bulgaria, almost all of them are located near the lakes. In addition, the mushroom shape is due to a different mineral composition - from above, the mineral is more resistant to impact and destruction than from below. Also, minerals give the "mushrooms" different color shades - pink, blue and black. The height of the mushroom rocks is from two and a half to three meters.
Folklore explains the appearance of the Stone Mushrooms by a legend associated with the Perperikon fortress. The versions of the legend are slightly different, but in each of them four sisters appear who did not want to surrender to the mercy of the Ottoman invaders, for which they paid. When the girls' heads were chopped off, they turned into stone mushrooms. The invader who executed them also turned into stone - the black rock of Karatepe is actually located near the Stone Mushrooms. In the morning, the stones are covered with dew, but local residents claim that these are the tears of four sisters.
The rock formations can be reached by the Kardzhali-Haskovo highway. There are Stone Mushrooms at the very route.
