Troodos Mountains
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Troodos or TrodosTemplate:Efn is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the center of the island. Its highest peak is Mount OlympusTemplate:Sndalso known in Greek as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}Template:Sndat Template:Convert.<ref name="sumpo">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Covering a third of Cyprus's area,<ref name="cypal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus. The mountains form a significant rainshadow on the island.<ref name="ring">Template:Cite journal</ref> There are many mountain resorts, Byzantine monasteries, and churches on mountain peaks, and, nestling in its valleys and mountains, villages which cling to terraced hills. The area has been known since antiquity for its mines, which for centuries supplied copper to the entire Mediterranean. In the Byzantine period it became a centre of Byzantine art, as churches and monasteries<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> were built in the mountains, away from the threatened coastline.
The mountains are home to Troodos Station, a listening post for both the American National Security Agency and the British GCHQ.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The name Troodos probably comes from one of two sources: either Template:Wikt-lang + Template:Wikt-lang ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} + {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), referring to the three roads that lead to the mountain, or Template:Wikt-lang + Template:Wikt-lang + Template:Wikt-lang ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} + {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} + {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), meaning the mountains of Adonis.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
It has many endemic plants and animals,<ref name="cypal"/> including the endemic Cyprus cedar.<ref name="osu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GeologyEdit
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The Troodos Mountains are known for the presence of an undisturbed ophiolite sequence, the Troodos Ophiolite.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> These mountains slowly rose from the sea due to the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, a process that eventually formed the island of Cyprus. The slowing and near-cessation of this process left the rock formations nearly intact, while subsequent erosion uncovered the magma chamber underneath the mountain, allowing a viewing of intact rocks and petrified pillow lava formed millions of years ago, an excellent example of ophiolite stratigraphy. The observations of the Troodos ophiolite by Ian Graham Gass and co-workers was one of the key points that led to the theory of sea floor spreading. A detailed descriptive geological survey of Troodos was published in 1959.<ref>Wilson, R.A.M. The Geology of the Xeros-Troodos Area: Geological Survey Department, cyprus, Memoir No. 1. Nicosia, Cyprus: Government of Cyprus, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1959, reprinted 1971.</ref> This document predates the modern theory of plate tectonics, but contains exhaustive descriptions of rocks and structures.
ClimateEdit
Like the rest of Cyprus, the climate is Mediterranean but with somewhat greater diurnal ranges in temperature than coastal locations.<ref name="cypal"/> For example, at Prodromos, daily mean temperatures are around Template:Cvt in January and Template:Cvt in July.<ref name="cypal"/>
Flora and faunaEdit
The most ubiquitous trees in the Troodos mountains are the Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) and the golden oak (Quercus alnifolia).<ref name="cypal"/> Some plants of the Olea, Rhus and Rosa genera populate the mountains, in particular Crataegus azarolus, Crataegus monogyna, Rhus coriaria and Rosa canina.<ref name="cypal"/>
At higher altitudes, Anatolian black pine-dominated forests (Pinus nigra ssp. Pallasiana) grow,<ref name="cypal"/> with several Juniperus species (J. excelsa, J. foetidissima and J. oxycedrus). The common whitebeam (Sorbus aria) also grows, along with the endemic shrubs Rosa chionistrae<ref name="kew">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> and Berberis cretica.<ref name="cypal"/> The Cyprus cedar (Cedrus libani subsp. brevifolia) is seen at the highest peaks.<ref name="cypal"/>
Chief among the fauna is the endangered Cyprus mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion).<ref name="cypal"/> The venomous Cypriot blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebentinus lebentinus) is present in the mountains,<ref name="cypal"/> as well as a bird population including the common raven (Corvus corax), Bonelli's eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus), Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) and the Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus).<ref name="cypal"/>
ChurchesEdit
The region is known for its many Byzantine churches and monasteries, richly decorated with murals, of which the Kykkos monastery is the richest and most famous. Nine churches and one monastery in Troodos together form a World Heritage Site, originally inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1985. The nine Byzantine churches are:
- Stavros tou Agiasmati
- Panagia tou Araka
- Timiou Stavrou at Pelendri
- Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis
- Panagia Podithou
- Assinou
- Agios Ioannis Lampadistis at Kalopanagiotis
- Panagia tou Moutoula
- Archangel Michael at Pedoulas
- Transfiguration of the Saviour Palaichori
- Stavros Agiasmati.JPG
Church in spring
Selected villagesEdit
- Agros
- Agios Epifanios Oreinis
- Arsos
- Dora
- Evrychou
- Farmakas
- Fikardou
- Galata
- Kakopetria
- Kalopanagiotis
- Koilani
- Kouka
- Kourdali
- Kyperounta
- Lania
- Louvaras
- Malia
- Marathassa Valley
- Moutoullas
- Omodos
- Pachna
- Palaichori Oreinis
- Pedoulas
- Pelendri
- Phini
- Platres
- Prastio
- Prodromos
- Spilia
- Vasa Koilaniou
GalleryEdit
- Troodos Mountains (Cyprus).jpg
Troodos Mountains
- Lazanias.JPG
Lazanias village
- Pinus nigra Troodos.jpg
Troodos black pines are 3,000 years old
- Cedars Tripylos.JPG
Forests in Troodos Mountains
- Pinus brutia forest Cyprus.jpg
Pinus brutia, foothills of Troodos Mountains
- Troodos12.jpg
River tributary in Troodos
- PARAKENTRO 2.jpg
Parakentro is a non-profit cultural centre in Lemythou village
- Millomeris Waterfall - Καταρράκτης του Μιλλομέρη.JPG
Millomeris Waterfall, Platres
- Milia Bridge - Γεφύρι της Μηλιάς.JPG
Milia Bridge, Platres
- TzielefosBridgeCyprusMar152023 02.jpg
Tzielefos bridge
- StatueArchbishopMakariosIIINikosKotziamanisMar162023 04.jpg
The statue of Archbishop Makarios III near the Kykkos Monastery
- OmodosMar152023 02.jpg
- Kalidonia Waterfall.JPG
Kalidonia Waterfall, Platres
- Troodos Mountains 2.JPG
Part of Troodos Mountains
- Farmakas Mountains, Cyprus.jpg
View of Farmakas region
- Prodromos in Winter.jpg
Prodromos in winter
- Road through the woods (15425086000).jpg
Road through the forest
- Troodos Mountains 1957.jpg
Troodos Mountains in 1957