Stone town of Kuklica
Encyclopedia
The stone town is an area consisting of over 120 naturally formed stone pillars, located in the village of Kuklica
, near Kratovo in Macedonia
.
valley. The area has an altitude of 415-420 m and extends over an area of 0.3 square km.
Another popular legend is that there was once a forest in the area, but due to battles it was burned down. Then, the area became a wasteland. The temperatures were very low and when the army passed through the wasteland, all of the soldiers turned into rocks.
According to the local villagers, new figures appear every 5-6 years.
, during the past 100,000 years. Differences in the erodibility of the volcanic rocks of the area are the main factor for the pillars creation. Thus, soft tuffs rocks on the base are overlaid by solid, sturdy andesites and ignimbrites on the top, which are nearly 30 million years old.
Kuklica
Kuklica is a small village near Kratovo, in the Republic of Macedonia. It is known for the hundreds of naturally formed stone pillars that resemble humans. The village has about 100 inhabitants.-Geographic location:...
, near Kratovo in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
Location
Kuklica is located 8 km northwest of Kratovo. The stone formations are situated on the right bank of the Kriva RiverKriva Reka
The Kriva Reka , is a 75 km long river in northeastern Macedonia, and the biggest left tributary of the Pcinja River.- Geography and Tributaries :...
valley. The area has an altitude of 415-420 m and extends over an area of 0.3 square km.
Legends
There are two main legends surrounding the formation of the strange stone pillars in Kuklica. The most famous legend is that of a man who could not decide which of two women he should marry. So, the man planned to marry each woman on the same day at different times. When the first wedding was in progress, the woman to marry the man second went to see who was getting married on the same day as she. When she saw her future husband marrying another woman, she cursed all in attendance at the wedding and turned them into stone.According to the local villagers, new figures appear every 5-6 years.
Formation
Aside from mystic stories and legends, the earth pyramid in Kuklica was formed as a result of natural erosion processes in the HoloceneHolocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
, during the past 100,000 years. Differences in the erodibility of the volcanic rocks of the area are the main factor for the pillars creation. Thus, soft tuffs rocks on the base are overlaid by solid, sturdy andesites and ignimbrites on the top, which are nearly 30 million years old.