Armenia’s ‘Symphony of Stones’ is an incredible natural wonder that you don’t want to miss. This geological formation, situated in Garni, looks like a colossal organ with numerous pipes, and it will leave you awestruck with its stunning beauty. The basalt columns, which have been shaped over millions of years, create a towering amphitheater that is truly awe-inspiring. You can easily reach this place by taking a short drive from Yerevan, the capital city. These columns vary in size, ranging from a few inches to several feet in diameter. So, pack your bags and get ready to be mesmerized by this magnificent natural wonder known as the ‘Symphony of Stones.’
Located in close proximity to the capital of Armenia, this stunning natural wonder appears as though it was created by divine forces for the sole purpose of making music.
The organ is composed of massive symmetrical hexagonal and pentagonal columns made of basalt, towering nearly 50 meters high. They look as if they were crafted by hand because of their exceptional symmetry. These remarkable rock formations were shaped by the cooling and crystallization of volcanic lava under intense pressure conditions.
Armenia’s unique terrain was created by a geological event that occurred 25 million years ago, where the Earth’s crust uplifted to form the Armenian Plateau. The formation of columnar jointing, however, remains uncertain but is often compared to mud-cracks resulting from the surface shrinkage of dried mud. The contraction during cooling in basalt leads to the creation of multiple cooling centers and tension cracks between them, forming a multi-sided polygonal crack system. As cooling progresses inward, cracks form at right angles to the cooling surface, resulting in the distinctive columnar structure of the rocks.
