What is the pavement of giants? One of the main natural attractions of Northern Ireland is a surreal object resembling a giant staircase of dark bas alt columns that goes straight into the sea for 150 meters.
Mystery of nature
The Pavement of the Giants is located in County Antrim, not far from the town of Bushmills. The rocky shore, which breaks into the Atlantic Ocean, consists entirely of 40,000 columns with several faces.
The miraculous masterpiece was discovered at the end of the 17th century by the Bishop of Derry. The site, called Giants Causeway, immediately attracted the attention of scientists. And even now, the real mystery of nature, fanned by legends, haunts them. The exact geometric shape and vertical position of the tall columns, very closely pressed against each other, puzzled the researchers of the natural phenomenon.
Versions of scientists
There is a scientific version of the appearancethe UNESCO-protected Bridge of the Giants, according to which millions of years ago a volcano erupted in this area. The fiery lava flowing down the slopes at high speed and colliding with the sea surf formed the vast Antrim Plateau. With rapid cooling, the process of reducing the volume of the substance took place, cracks appeared that split the hardened surface into polyhedral figures that penetrated the lava through and through.
However, not all scientists agree with this theory. Many believe that the famous road is a petrified bamboo forest, and the receding sea only exposed it.
Ancient legend
The ancient Celts, who lived on the territory more than a thousand years ago, tried their best to find an explanation for the appearance of the unusual Bridge of Giants.
Locals love to talk about the exploits of the giants who inhabited this land for a very long time. The hero of the Celtic myths, Finn McCool, dreamed of defeating the one-eyed cyclops from Scotland. To get to it, he had to drive hundreds of high stone pillars into the bottom of the sea, forming a kind of bridge. The tired Irishman lay down to sleep, and his opponent, who noticed the stone road, decided to attack first. A formidable monster that saw a sleeping giant was frightened of his growth.
The hero's wife passed by, who noticed the fear of the cyclops. She added fuel to the fire, saying that this is only the little son of McCool, who has not grown even to the waist of his father. The frightened Gall fled along the road, which he wanted to destroy so that the giant would not catch up with him. But hewas afraid to wake him up, and all that the Cyclops could do was to destroy the second part of the path that approached his coast. That's why the pillars disappear into the waters of the ocean.
This is how the road appeared, the tops of the bas alt columns of which resemble a springboard leading into the sea.
What is the Cave of Giants famous for?
The story of the appearance of a mysterious corner of a small country, which appeared more than 60 million years ago, still disturbs the minds of not only scientists, but also ordinary people. The size of the local attraction is such that tourists really think about supernatural forces. Evenly turned bas alt columns up to 12 meters high fit snugly against each other, and it is impossible to stick even a thin blade between them. And researchers of anomalous phenomena put the Causeway of the Giants in Northern Ireland on a par with the Egyptian pyramids and moai of Easter Island.
The stone pillars look very beautiful from above: it seems as if nature itself laid out paving slabs on an area of 275 meters, located along the coastline and far into the Atlantic Ocean.
Travel Reviews
As travelers who walk along the Causeway of Giants in Ireland say, you just want to admire the unusual road, the beauty of which is admirable. The scale of the amazing natural complex is amazing! Even people who have not believed in fairy tales for a long time are speechless here, and believe that the ancient legend about the giants who allegedly built an unusual path is the real truth.
Surprisingly, all the columnsperfectly preserved, as bas alt successfully resists the destructive effects of powerful ocean waves and strongest winds.
The most popular tourist attraction has been declared a national reserve by the authorities. But, despite this, the Bridge of the Giants is not closed to the public, and guests of the country can walk wherever they want, enjoying the plateau, bas alt slopes and foamy waters towering 100 meters above the Atlantic Ocean.
