‘Mystery stone craze started by 2 children’
A MYSTERY over stone structures at Alsancak’s national park has taken a new twist, with fresh claims that the craze was started by two children on a New Year’s Day outing.
Cyprus Today’s report of puzzlement over the proliferation of the cairn-like stone structures caught the attention of Kyla and Mila Ben, the grandchildren of Mustafa and Lynn Topcu, co-owners of Edremit’s Hideaway Club Hotel.
Mrs Topcu, 62, said their granddaughters had been “baffled” when they saw the story last month.
“They piled the very first stones together at the park on New Year’s Day during a family trip there that morning,” she said.
“Mus thought, ‘let’s do something with these stones’ and the kids managed to pile up seven on the first structure. Then, as time went on they did more until we noticed other stone structures mushrooming everywhere.
“It felt so good to see the kids inspired and thrilled, and they felt even better that it has made it to the newspaper and that their ‘work’ has caught on with the public. There are now 1,000-plus dotting the park.
“It’s fantastic and gives people something to talk about.”
Another reader, Auriana Stevens, had already approached
Cyprus Today after the initial report, saying she was responsible for making the stone “towers”, and Mrs Topcu said: “Our grandchildren think that Mrs Stevens must have been inspired upon seeing their first stone towers that they built on New Year’s Day this year.
“I can vouch that they were definitely the first in the park as my husband and I have been walking the park since the paths were first laid . . . We had the girls on a sleepover on New Year’s Eve and went for a family morning walk.”
She added that they had spotted about 300 towers in February, but more than 1,300 at the last count, and said: “They . . . hoped that they would inspire more tower makers! Well that certainly worked.”