Located just 23 kilometers east of Yerevan, Armenia, near a village of the same name, lies the stunning Garni Gorge—a natural wonder that appears crafted by divine hands for a celestial concert. The gorge features cliff walls adorned with well-preserved basalt columns, sculpted by the Goght River over time. This section of the gorge is aptly named the "Symphony of the Stones," and it's not hard to understand why. The columns, defying gravity as they stand, resemble an organ, earning the site the nickname "Basalt Organ." Adding to this natural orchestra is the melody of the flowing river that echoes through the gorge, enhancing the grandeur of the stone symphony.
These extraordinary basalt columns, reaching heights of nearly 50 meters, exhibit remarkable symmetry, almost appearing as if meticulously handcrafted. The formation of these geological marvels dates back to conditions of high pressure during the cooling and crystallization of volcanic lava.
Armenia's complex landscape owes its origin to geological events approximately 25 million years ago, when a tectonic upheaval uplifted the Earth's crust to form the Armenian Plateau. The specific process that led to the formation of columnar jointing remains somewhat uncertain, but it is often likened to the pattern of mud-cracks seen in dried mud. The polygonal cracks in basalt are believed to result from contraction during cooling, creating a series of cooling centers. As cooling progresses inward, cracks propagate at right angles to the cooling surface, forming the distinctive columnar structure that characterizes this breathtaking natural phenomenon.
