Rock formations are amazing creations of nature. These magnificent rock formations have been sculpted by nature through weathering and erosion hundred to million years ago.
Ergaki Hanging Rock, Russia
Ergaki mountain range is located in Central Siberia, Russia. The Hanging Rock an enormous block of granite-syenite rock weighting 10 tones and a volume of 30m3 which lies on top of one of Ergaki’s peaks. It’s quite a mist.
Queen’s Head, Taiwan
This formation is located in Yehlia Geopark, Taiwain – an area of unusual natural formations of sandstone with limestone rocks which have been sculpted by wind and sea erosion. The erosion process left interesting pillar and mushroom-shaped formations scattered throughout the site. Many of them have interesting names such as the Queen’s Head (the most famous formation shaped like Queen Nefertiti), Fairy’s Shoe, Candle, Stone Heart, Bean Curd, Dragon Head.
James Bond Island, Thailand
Originally known as Ko Tapu (Nail Island), this island gained fame when it was featured in a 1974 James Bond film “The Man with the Golden Gun”. Ko Tapu is a rocky monolith about 20m tall and is located in the Phang Nga Bay, which is known for it’s beautiful rock formations.
Perce Rock, Canada
Perce Rock (from French rocher Perce, “pierced rock”) is an island and sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence just off the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. The limestone stack is 433m long, 90m wide and 88m tall at its highest point. The formation gets its name from a small arch located at the bottom. The arch can only be visited for four hours at a time during low tide.
The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland, UK
The Giant’s Causeway is an area of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns that were formed in an ancient volcanic eruption 50 to 60 million years ago. The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also columns with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest columns are about 12 m high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 m thick in places. The area gets its name from an old Irish legend that tells us the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner.
Devils Tower, United States
Devils Tower is America’s First National Monument. Also known as Bears Lodge, it is a sacred site for many American Indians. Erosion revealed this curiously shaped rock over time. Devils Tower was formed approximately 60 million years ago when a volcanic eruption pushed molten lava upwards. As the lava cooled, it formed these incredible basalt columns.
Three Rondavels, South Africa
Three Rondavels are located in Blyde Canyon (third deepest in the world), in South Africa. These huge, round rocks are thought to be reminiscent of the houses or huts of the indigenous people, known as rondavels. This landscape is thought to have inspired the setting in Lord of the Rings by South African-born JRR Tolkien.
Pasabag, Turkey
Incredible pillars located in Pasabag Valley, Turkey are called fairy chimneys. They were formed from soft volcanic rock that eroded over 30 million years. Some of the pillars have double and triple mushroom-shaped caps. A hermit named Saint Simeon was living in seclusion at a top of a chimney like this in 5th century in the area of Aleppo – when the rumours of his miracles spread, he tried to escape this attention by living in a taller cell carved into one of these formations (comprised of three chimneys). At first he lived at the top of a 2m column and later on moved on to one of 15m in height. Since then, several hermits carved cells and a church in the chimneys. There is still a small church dedicated to St. Simeon still operating in one of the chimneys.
