Kuklici - Stone Dolls

 

Last Sunday we visited the geological reservation "The Merry Wedding" known among the natives as "Kuklici" ("kukla" in Macedonian means "doll"). The reservation is a masterpiece of nature, yet there is a legend associated with this place.

It says that a young man was in love with two girls, the first rich but plain, the second poor but beautiful. He arranged marriage with both of them, but on the day of the wedding he decided to marry the rich girl. 

Upon hearing the procession, the poor girl came out to see if her bethroted one is coming with the guests only to find out that he was marrying the other girl. Angered and devastated she cursed them to petrify the moment they kiss. So the whole procession turned into stones. 

The two big rocks in the middle are the bride and the groom and the two smaller ones at the sides are the brother in law and the maid of honor. The stone doll behind them is the best man. There are about 148 dolls.

 

Here's the best man in full view. 

 

The guests

 

 

Still, the creator of the characteristic erosive forms, also called earthen pyramids is the powerful nature. The stone dolls are created from volcanic mass in the period between the Eocene and Pliocene. These erosive forms are 10 million years old and they were created by vertical erosion of the volcanic rocks. Scientists believe that this area was once under salty water, because scrapings taste of salt.  

Apart from the stone dolls, fossil remnants of dendo flora were also found here.

This is one of those places worth seeing in person.