This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and the Republic of Bulgaria, program PHARE, BG0202.02 "Development of Bulgarian ecotourism", Project 0202.02.ESC.G.DBET.013 Stob’s Pyramids. The contents of this publication is the sole responsibility of Kocherinovo Municipality and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

        
 The Stob pyramids are located near the village of Stob, in the western approaches of the Rila mountain. These are stone and earth formations, 30-40 m deep. The sediments are coloured rusty-brown, reddish and dark yellow and, because of their location, the pyramids are especially beautiful at sunset or at moonlight. 
 Many of the formations are crowned with rock "hats" - large stone blocks sizing 120 by 80 cm.
Under the influence of wind, rain and snow, the form of the pyramids changes, some of them vanish, the stone hats fall and new pyramids are born.
The pyramids are separated in two distinct groups, called by the people with many different names - Kulite ("The Towers"), Chukite ("The Rocky peaks"), Samodivskite komini ("The Samodivas' chimneys", the samodivas are mythical female creatures living in the forests), Neviastata ("The Bride") etc. The most famous group is called Svatovete ("The In-laws").
   According to the legend, many years ago a wedding procession from the nearby village of Kolibite took a young girl from the Stob village as a bride.  The custom in those days was that the bride must be chosen and bought by the relatives of the groom for him to marry her. Also the young couple must not know each other, so the girl had her face veiled.
When the wedding procession passed by the southern slope of Kulski rid,  strong mountain wind blew and raised the veil ofthe bride reveiling her face. She was so beautiful, that the groom's best man tried to kiss her. Outraged by the sinful act of the best man, the in-laws turned to stone and stayed like this forever – magnificent with their stone hats... There is also a legend about the doomed love between a Bulgarian girl and a Turkish boy. They could never marry because of their different religions. Desperate, the girl threw herself off the rock and on this spot a pyramid formed which was called Neviastata ("The bride").
A mighty stone tower once existed on this site. It was told to be as high as the Rila mountain and from its top one could see as far Macedonia. The tower was of great importance to the local towns and hamlets  and despite their beauty  the site where the pyramids now stand was then known as  Kulata ("The Tower"). But a strong earthquake cracked it and it crumbled.

  


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