Troodos Mountains
Troodos (sometimes spelled Troodos
is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the
center of the island. Its highest peak is Mount Olympus, also known as
Chionistra, at 1,952 meters, which hosts four ski slopes.
The Troodos mountain range stretches across most
of the western side of Cyprus. There are many mountain resorts, Byzantine
monasteries, and churches on mountain peaks, and nestling in its valleys and
mountains are villages clinging 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
were built in the mountains, away from the threatened coastline. The mountains
are also home to RAF Troodos, a listening post for the NSA
and GCHQ
The name Troodos probably comes from one
of two sources: either "tria odos", referring to the three roads that lead to
the mountain, or "to-oro-ados", meaning the mountains of Adonis.
The Troodos mountains are known worldwide for
their geology and the presence of an undisturbed ophiolite sequence, the Troodos
Ophiolite. 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.
Troodos National Park
Troodos Mountains, due to its altitude, is covered in snow during the Cyprus
winter months and has become a very popular resort for skiers. Tourists and
local alike visit the mountains during the summer months to take a break from
the searing heat down at sea level. Walk through the forests on one of the
listed nature trails, taking in the wonderful scents and aromas of the woodland
trees and enjoying the waterfalls and fantastic views.
The Troodos
mountains are unique in their geology and one of the only few places in the
world where scientists can examine oceanic crust without needing to go to the
sea. An underwater volcano that erupted 90 million years ago, and the reason the
island was formed, has given rise to pillow lava which is observable throughout
the mountains. The area of Troodos is also home to one of the 5 most copper rich
areas in the world. Some say the islands name Kypros is derived from the
Latin name for copper, cuprum.
