Pag island never ceases to surprise. A look to a yet unexplained phenomenon on April 12, 2018
I spent a good part of the last week presenting the many enchanting features of Pag island. Ancient Roman structures, forts and churches, salt and cheese factories, the unforgettable olive gardens of Lun, all of them rising from the harsh karst terrain. As I was giving the pieces another read, I noticed a certain case of constant repetition that had previously slipped my attention – I called all the places otherworldly.
A fair assertion on one hand, a serious omission on the other: I forgot about the only location on Pag island that literally deserves the otherworldly title.
Meet the Pag triangle: a couple of kilometres away from Novalja, you’ll find a bemusing patch of land, a triangular shape pressed into the rocky ground by the hand of an unknown force.
An uncanny example of an isosceles triangle you’d never dream of finding in nature, the shape measures 32x32x22 metres and is often described as resembling an iron imprint. A negative of one, to be more precise, as its surface has a much lighter shade than the stone surrounding it.
The Pag triangle was first discovered on May 9, 1999 by a surveyor from Zadar named Zdenko Grbavac. He was carrying out a land survey in the area that was supposed to house a stone quarry, when he and his son came upon a spot bearing a strange difference in colour. They also noticed its distinctive shape, took some measurements, realised they were looking at a geometric shape, and notified the reporters. The triangle was quick to gain traction from the public, with many a curious visitor popping by to witness the peculiar phenomenon in person: it’s estimated some 150.000 people visited the site in the 20 years that have passed since.
The phenomenon hasn’t yet been explained by scientists nor by various experts who had visited the site thus far, and there have been many: geologists, paleontologists, even ufologists. The last ones coined the most popular theory explaining the triangle’s origin, claiming the mark is a result of an extraterrestrial craft landing on Pag at one point in time. See what I meant by otherworldly? Another theory says the imprint was left behind by a highly developed civilisation that inhabited the area tens of thousands of years ago. And while both might be met by a raised eyebrow, no experiment or scientific research project has yet managed to produce a convincing alternative.
Want to see the site with your own eyes? There are two ways to reach the mysterious triangle: take the road from the ferry port Žigljen, and you’ll see a sign pointing you to a macadam path of some 1.800 metres that will take you to the controversial site. If you’re feeling more adventurous, start from Vidalići village, but know that particular route will take you over a somewhat challenging terrain. You never know – you just might come up with an origin theory of your own – let us know!
