Basalt columns in Muş await discovery and protection

MUŞ

Basalt rock formations in the eastern province of Muş's Varto district, believed to have formed millions of years ago through volcanic activity, are waiting to be included in tourism routes.

The pentagon-shaped basalt rocks in the Kaynarca Stream Valley stand out with their striking appearance and natural structure. The columns, estimated to be about 35 to 40 meters high, are considered among the rare geological formations created by volcanic activity along the Varto fault millions of years ago.

İskender Dölek, head of the Disaster Management Application and Research Center at Muş Alparslan University, conducted research in the area and told Anadolu Agency that the formations should be preserved as geological heritage while also contributing to tourism.

“This area should be declared a protected site,” he said, noting that the surrounding ecological diversity adds to the valley’s significance.

“While bringing the area into tourism, it must also be arranged with preservation-focused approaches. This place will offer major benefits to local residents. It should not be considered solely for tourism. When evaluated together with the Varto fault zone, the Leylekdağı segment and the region’s seismicity, this area is one of the key points in understanding its tectonic and volcanic characteristics. It is also an important reference point for earth sciences. Many projects developed for preservation would support rural development along with tourism,” he added.

Dölek said similar basalt formations exist in Türkiye and abroad.

“These structures resemble the ‘Giant’s Causeway’ in Scotland, but what makes this area different is its rich ecological diversity. Near Ankara’s Kızılcahamam, there are geosites and geomorphosites consisting of basalt columns that have been integrated into tourism. This area has at least as much potential,” he said.

Explaining how the formations took shape, he said: “These columns formed as magma rose to the surface along weak fault zones in the Leylekdağı segment. They are generally hexagonal, but the formations here developed mostly in pentagonal shapes. As the basalt cooled, cracks and fissures emerged. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism should submit the area to the Natural Heritage Conservation Board so it can be declared a protected site. It should be preserved and evaluated for archaeological purposes.”