The stone mushrooms

Overview

The natural phenomenon Stone Mushrooms (also known as Rock Mushrooms) is located about 1 km north of the village of Beli Plast, next to the road between Haskovo and Kardzhali. The locals call it Mantarkaya.

The mushroom-shaped rock formations are sculpted in rhyolite volcanic tuffs. The pink color is due to the mineral cloinoptilolite, and the blue and black spots are from manganese nodules. Greenish dye comes from the mineral celadonite. The rocks themselves are up to 2.5 - 3 m high.

The area with an area of ​​3 ha, in which the rock formations are located, was declared a natural landmark on May 13, 1974 by order №RD-552 of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Interesting species of birds can be observed in the protected area: snake eagle, Egyptian vulture, red-breasted swallow, Spanish and common stonecrop.

According to legend, the coal miner Raduil had 4 daughters. One day they went for water, but were chased by a horde of invaders. The girls frightened the driver's horse, which fell to the ground and was torn to pieces by the girls.

The four were caught by the deceased's friend - Omur. He swung his scythe and cut off the head of the first of them, but as soon as he touched the ground, it instantly turned into a stone sponge.

He swung and mowed the other two sisters, but the same thing happened. Omur got scared and got off his horse, but before he killed the last girl, her head turned to stone.

Terrified, he jumped on his horse and ran away, but on the first step he turned into a black rock. People still call the lonely rock near the Karatepe mushroom (black hill).