An area of 2.46 hectares became a third-category natural monument of a geological character, managed by the “Center for Environmental Preservation and Protection”, whose work will be supervised by the competent secretariat.

Belgraders have a unique opportunity to see in the heart of the city what our planet looked like during the era when the Pannonian Sea covered these areas. Layers of the Earth’s crust from the Miocene epoch onward are clearly visible on the reef, above the western stand of “Tašmajdan” Stadium.

At a session held late last year, the City Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the protected area of the Miocene Reef Tašmajdan, turning the 2.46-hectare space into a third-category natural monument of geological character. This unique asset has now received its managing entity, the non-governmental organization “Center for Environmental Preservation and Protection”.

“This area was protected back in 1969. Even then it had a third level of protection, but it was not assigned a managing entity then, nor did that happen in the years that followed. Four years ago, the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia proposed that this area be protected again; the necessary acts were passed, and it was finally confirmed. This means that it will now be cared for—the area will be cleaned, mowed, presented to fellow citizens and guests of our city under controlled conditions, and informational boards will be installed so people know what we have here,” says Maja Jovanović from the Secretariat for Environmental Protection, which will supervise and guide the manager.

Besides the Miocene Reef Tašmajdan, there are four other third-category natural monuments of a geological character in the city: Kalemegdan Cape (managed by JP “Beogradska tvrđava”), Kapela loess profile in Batajnica, and the loess profile in Zemun (managed by NGO “Ecological Movement of Zemun”). Mašin Majdan in Topčider also belongs to this group, but it is currently the only one not assigned to any managing entity. Otherwise, there are 44 third-category protected areas in the city.

The Miocene Tašmajdan Reef consists of three units:

1. Above the western stand: The most visible section where geological layers formed over millions of years can be seen like layers on a cake.
2. Beneath the western stand: The second section located directly under the stands.
3. Tašmajdan Cave: Includes two chambers. Chamber One encompasses General Löhr’s shelter (explored), while behind it lies the second part of the cave that has not yet been thoroughly examined according to professional standards.

The Miocene geological epoch covers the period from approximately 23 million to about 5 million years ago.

(Text taken from the portal politika.rs)