Pobiti Kamani, Varna

Overview

Pobiti Kamani ("planted stones", Dikilitash), also known as The Stone Desert, are rock formations located in the Varna region. They are located 18 km west of Varna, on both sides of the main road Varna - Sofia, between the villages of Slanchevo, Strashimirovo and Devnya district Povelyanovo. Administratively they refer to the municipality of Aksakovo. They are divided into 18 large and small groups with an area of ​​7 km2. They are limestone columns with different height - from 5 to 7 m, thickness - from 0.3 to 3 m and different cross section. They look like they were beaten in the sand and that's where their name comes from. The columns are without solid foundations, hollow and filled with sand. Some of them are located on floors with a total height of 5 m. In 1995 they were categorized as a protected area with an area of ​​253.3 hectares. The flora is represented by rare plant species such as cacti, mountain rose, phlox, acacia and others. There are many hypotheses about their origin, which can be grouped mainly into two groups - for their organic and inorganic origin. The first are related to coral organisms and others. According to the latter, their origin is explained by the prismatic weathering of the rocks or by the formation of sand-limestone nodules and others. In order to be protected, in 1937 they were declared a natural landmark. The Located Stones area is the only naturally formed desert in Eastern Europe and one of the two naturally formed deserts in Europe, the other being the Tabernas Desert in Spain. They are thought to have formed about 50 million years ago. Based on the abundant content of fossils, the stratigraphic range of the formations is determined within the Lower Eocene (48.6 - 53 million years).