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290:. Reaching a height of up to 100 m these sandstone pyramids are shaped in forms, resembling giant mushrooms, ancient towers and obelisks. They were formed primarily due to erosion from rainfall and bedrock wear. The Melnik Earth Pyramids are a geological phenomenon of global importance and were declared a natural landmark in 1960. The rock formations are home to rich flora and fauna heavily influenced by the Mediterranean climate. They are a tourist destination due to the natural environment of the area, the cultural sights of Melnik and the
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ancient towers and obelisks spanning a territory of 17 km. The landscape includes both deep river valleys at the bottom of the site and spacious meadows in the highest sections. The Melnik Earth
Pyramids reach a height of up to 100 m near Karlanovo, where the oldest Neogene formations are situated. To the south of Rozhen there are sand chimneys crowned by rock pieces. Near Melnik they form the distinctive backdrop of the town.
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by rain drops or washed away by the rivers, especially during the snow melting period in Pirin. On the other hand, the clays in the uppermost sections harden as a result of multiple wetting and sun burning and form a 1–2 cm thick layer that significantly delays the washout. There are also processes of secondary pyramid-forming.
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The principle factors for the formation of the Melnik Earth
Pyramids are the suitable sedimentary rocks and erosion due to rainfall and bedrock wear from the Melnishka River and its tributaries, and to lesser extend – wind abrasion. The lightly soldered sandstone and conglomerate is easily penetrated
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11 to 7 million years ago. The
Kalimantsi Formation is divided into a lower layer dominated by sandstone and an upper one dominated by conglomerate with a total depth of 600 m, formed 6 to 2 million years ago. In its upper layer there are remains of late Miocene fauna, such as ancient horses of
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used to be a lake. The lower
Neogene layer is over 100 m deep and is composed by lightly soldered grey to yellowish sands and gravels made up mainly of quartz grains and clay strata. The 100 m deep Quaternary layer above forms most of the pyramids and is composed by lightly soldered or
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The combination of light
Neogene sandstone and red Quaternary conglomerates creates not only pleasing yellowish and reddish colour gamut, but also determines the extremely diverse forms of the pyramids. They are shaped in a diverse variety of forms, resembling pyramids, cones, giant mushrooms,
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About 113 bird species have been identifies from the Melnik Earth
Pyramids and they have been declared a site of ornithologic importance. There are five species with high conservation value for the Mediterranean biome, whose range in Europe is limited to its south-eastern or southern parts –
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with well preserved national revival houses, several churches and ruins of a medieval fortress. The town is also a centre of red wine production with numerous cellars dug in the sandstones and vineyards.
637:, and is nestled among the earth pyramids a few kilometres to the north-east of Melnik. Next to the monastery, the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius houses the tomb of the Bulgarian revolutionary
1016:Мичев (Michev), Николай (Nikolay); Михайлов (Mihaylov), Цветко (Tsvetko); Вапцаров (Vaptsarov), Иван (Ivan); Кираджиев (Kiradzhiev), Светлин (Svetlin) (1980).
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granites. The
Sandanski Formation includes some 830 and 1,550 m deep grey and white sandstones, aleurolites and conglomerates that formed during the
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The Melnik Earth
Pyramids were declared a natural landmark in 1960 with a total extension of the protected area of 1165.6 hectares, or 11.656 km.
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periods. The sediments were deposited 5 to 3 million years ago when the graben valley surrounded by the mountain ranges of Pirin,
508:). The latter is the predominant species, often forming woods in association with Mediterranean shrubs, such as prickly juniper (
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unsoldered rust and reddish conglomerate. That colour is due to the iron hydroxides produced by the decomposition of minerals.
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that will run in parallel to the first class road has been completed in the section between the border and Novo
Delchevo.
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at the border with Greece. The 13 km long third class III-109 road links Melnik to the I-1 road at the village of
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at an altitude between 350 and 850 m. They are part of the valley of the
Melnishka River, a left tributary of the
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Other than the landforms themselves, the town of Melnik has been designated an architectural reserve and is among the
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484:. There are diverse habitats. Most of site is pasture-ground but there are also deciduous forests of pubescent oak (
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The Melnik Earth Pyramids are a year-round tourist destination. They are accessible via the first class
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582:. The use of traditional vine growing methods creates favourable conditions for species such as the
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The area of the Melnik Earth Pyramids is covered in lush vegetation and is heavily influenced by
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in Bulgaria and the European Union, and maintains populations of national significance of
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342:. The rock formations are located at some 180 km south of the national capital
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The Melnik Earth Pyramids are located at the south-western foothills of the
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The pyramids are built up by sedimentary rocks dated from the Neogene and
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1024:] (in Bulgarian). София (Sofia): Наука и култура (Nauka i kultura).
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810:"The Pyramids of Melnik – a Natural Phenomenon of World Significance"
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Geologically, the earth pyramids are part of the Sandanski or Struma
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1124:"Official Site of the Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria"
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550:. The rock formations host of the most important populations of
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1069:. United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
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Official Site of the Executive Environment Agency of Bulgaria
919:"Register of the Protected Territories and Zones in Bulgaria"
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520:), as well as ever-green shrub habitats of green olive tree (
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609:, along the Struma valley that links the capital Sofia and
894:"Sites of Ornithologic Importance – Melnik Earth Pyramids"
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Tectonic Development of the Eastern Mediterranean Region
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282:. They span an area of 17 km near the town of
947:"A Map of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria"
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374:deposits bordering the older rocks of the Pirin
1065:Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J. (1980).
951:Official Site of the Road Infrastructure Agency
514:). There are also small forests of kermes oak (
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848:
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814:Official Site of the Bulgarian National Radio
16:Geological formation in southwestern Bulgaria
1046:Robertson, A. H. F.; Mountrakis, D. (2006).
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346:and 65 km south of the regional centre
1163:Tourist attractions in Blagoevgrad Province
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1029:Душков (Dushkov), Добри (Dobri) (1972).
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981:Official Site of Sandanski Municiplaity
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773:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
382:that divides the Kalimantsi Formation
1110:. Official Tourism Portal of Bulgaria
1041:): Наука и култура (Nauka i kultura).
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802:
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451:Panorama of the Melnik Earth Pyramids
390:. The Melnik Earth Pyramids lie over
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866:Official Tourism Portal of Bulgaria
681:List of rock formations in Bulgaria
274:, situated at the foothills of the
125:A view of the Melnik Earth Pyramids
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1050:. London: The Geological Society.
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1153:Landforms of Blagoevgrad Province
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1022:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria
1094:. Geologic Phenomena of Bulgaria
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278:mountain range in south-western
270:) are rock formations, known as
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834:Robertson & Mountrakis 2006
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750:Geologic Phenomena of Bulgaria
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378:. They fall within the Melnik
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1037:] (in Bulgarian). София (
1018:Географски речник на България
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626:100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
386:from the Sandanski Formation
1067:Natural Wonders of the World
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536:eastern black-eared wheatear
362:A view of the earth pyramids
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1148:Rock formations of Bulgaria
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1031:Пирин. Туристически речник
849:Scheffel & Wernet 1980
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409:and elephant-like mammals
1035:Pirin. Tourist Dictionary
544:eastern subalpine warbler
502:) and Oriental hornbeam (
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476:The pyramids near Melnik
312:Sandanski-Petrich Valley
1108:"Melnik Earth Pyramids"
1092:"Melnik Earth Pyramids"
862:"Melnik Earth Pyramids"
746:"Melnik Earth Pyramids"
635:Second Bulgarian Empire
564:greater short-toed lark
556:European honey buzzard
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394:metamorphic rocks and
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336:Sandanski Municipality
306:mountain range in the
686:Geography of Bulgaria
673:Earth sciences portal
482:Mediterranean climate
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354:Geology and Formation
260:Melnik Earth Pyramids
206:41.52556°N 23.39472°E
22:Melnik Earth Pyramids
532:black-headed bunting
340:Blagoevgrad Province
322:and the villages of
288:Blagoevgrad Province
226:Blagoevgrad Province
691:Stob Earth Pyramids
560:long-legged buzzard
523:Phillyrea latifolia
511:Juniperus oxycedrus
505:Carpinus orientalis
412:Anancus arvernensis
202: /
28:Stratigraphic range
607:European route E79
580:common rock thrush
540:olive-tree warbler
490:), Hungarian oak (
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211:41.52556; 23.39472
898:Birds in Bulgaria
576:red-backed shrike
548:Sardinian warbler
517:Quercus coccifera
496:), Austrian oak (
493:Quercus frainetto
487:Quercus pubescens
406:Hipparion mathewi
334:, all of them in
268:Мелнишки пирамиди
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572:barred warbler
499:Quercus cerris
468:An autumn view
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1001:Dushkov 1972
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403:the species
384:conglomerate
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259:
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242:Type section
172:conglomerate
977:"Landmarks"
588:tawny pipit
460:Environment
443:Description
392:Precambrian
348:Blagoevgrad
310:facing the
209: /
184:Coordinates
1142:Categories
1010:References
605:, part of
420:Quaternary
197:23°23′41″E
194:41°31′32″N
154:17 km
36:Quaternary
702:Citations
432:Maleshevo
428:Ograzhden
424:Belasitsa
396:Paleozoic
388:sandstone
324:Karlanovo
264:Bulgarian
247:Named for
168:Sandstone
159:Lithology
645:See also
603:I-1 road
586:and the
568:woodlark
298:Location
280:Bulgaria
236:Bulgaria
178:Location
1129:30 June
1114:19 June
1098:30 June
986:30 June
956:30 June
928:30 June
903:30 June
871:30 June
819:30 June
755:30 June
597:Tourism
400:Miocene
372:Neogene
272:hoodoos
232:Country
164:Primary
141:Unit of
109:↓
40:3
32:Neogene
1073:
1054:
617:. The
611:Kulata
368:Graben
328:Rozhen
320:Melnik
316:Struma
284:Melnik
251:Melnik
222:Region
1158:Pirin
1039:Sofia
1033:[
1020:[
696:Pirin
380:Fault
376:Horst
344:Sofia
304:Pirin
276:Pirin
145:Pirin
1131:2018
1116:2016
1100:2018
1071:ISBN
1052:ISBN
988:2018
958:2018
930:2018
905:2018
873:2018
821:2018
757:2018
578:and
546:and
430:and
330:and
258:The
151:Area
131:Type
48:PreꞒ
526:).
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170:,
98:Pg
42:Ma
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262:(
103:N
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
