Rose Marl Building

Marl is a form of mudstone - material formed primarily of clay and calcium. It was used by some Hellenic colonies in lieu of traditional Greek construction materials. During antiquity marl was the term applied to a variety of sedimentary materials formed in areas of freshwater. The Bosporan region on the northern shores of the Black Sea, and around the inlet Maeotis Swamp, had an abundance of this material, so much so that the Hellenic settlers used it instead of Greek sandstone. When it naturally mixed with red coralline algae from the freshwater marl gave buildings an interesting rose hue. This made the architecture of the Cimmerian Kingdom unique and, to some, profoundly beautiful.