Why do tourists make rock pyramids?

Gateway to Russia

Sep 11 2023

If you find yourself in the highlands, you will probably spot many small mountaintops made of stones, which are called ‘gurias’ or ‘tours’ in Russia (‘cairns’ in England). Most of the time, it’s simply tourists that leave them as a memory. But where did this tradition come from?

In ancient times, people around the world would build such pyramids as landmarks. For example, large pyramids pointed to burial mounds or dolmens. ‘Gurias’ placed at regular intervals could indicate a direction of movement. ‘Gurias’ on the top of a mountain, meanwhile, marked the highest point.

Buryats and Tuvinians have similar structures called ‘obo’, which are also found near roads and mountain trails. You can also see ribbons on them. ‘Obos’ are placed as a sign of respect to local spirits.

Modern hikers who like to explore the mountains also construct them to mark their route, not to get lost and to leave a mark of themselves to future hikers.

However, there are also such tourists who make pyramids just out of inertia. It’s something akin to the inscription: “Ivan was here”, but made of stone.

#traditions #tourism