Filenews 20 December 2021 - by Angelos Nikolaou
The declaration of the Path Panagia - Kykkos in the valley of Roudia of the Pafos Forest as a forest monument was decided by the Department of Forests in the context of the protection and promotion of the cultural heritage of the place. The path follows the course of an ancient path that was first mapped in 1882 by the British officer H. Kitchener. It refers to writings of travellers such as the Russian monk Bark'kyj (1726 - 1736). It is within the Natura 2000 Network in an area of great environmental and ecological value and carries a valuable cultural heritage that is linked to the life and experiences of the inhabitants of the area.
The 20km long trail extends to the Roudia valley of the Pafos Forest, which in the past was important as a pasture, for its wood products and resin, as well as for the quarries and mines that were active in the area. Today this part of the forest survives mainly for its ecological, ornamental and aesthetic value. An area with unspoiled landscapes, undisturbed ecosystem and unique ecological value for the island.
The path faithfully follows the course of an ancient path that was abandoned about 70 years ago and was originally mapped in 1882 by H. Kitchener, an officer of the British army who arrived on the island in 1878 and was assigned to map the whole of Cyprus. The existence of the path is mentioned and confirmed in maps of the National Library of Scotland that present the first mapping of the island in 1882 although the path is estimated to have been built several centuries ago, as evidenced by clusters of age-old olive trees found in the area more than 400 years old, but also by reports of foreign travellers who visited the island such as the Russian monk Bark'kyj (1726 - 1736).
The old path was part of a wider network of trails that connected the villages around the Pafos forest. This route crossed the southeastern part of the forest, connecting the mountain villages and monasteries around the village of Panagia with the Monastery of Kykkos as well as the districts of Pafos and Nicosia. It was used by monks, pilgrims, shepherds, merchants and workers.
The trail carries a valuable cultural heritage that is linked to the life and experiences of the local residents. Along the route through the area of the forest are found centuries-old trees, monuments of nature, but also many monuments of man, the historic Monastery of Panagia of Kykkos, Venetian bridges, which were part of the ancient camelstrata, which crossed the mountainous areas for the transport of goods to the ports, hideouts used by the fighters of EOKA during the Liberation Struggle of Cyprus against the British colonialists, but also other anthropogenic elements associated with historical activities of the inhabitants, such as old mines, kilns, watermills, sawmills and abandoned settlements.
Part of the 11 km long trail route was recently reconstructed (2019 - 2020) within the framework of the co-funded project Mo.Na (Monuments in Nature) of the INTERREG programme, while the old Forest Station was maintained at the location "Giofyrka" and other cultural elements along the path were highlighted.
At the same time, in collaboration with an external partner, a process is underway for the historical documentation of the cultural and historical value of the trail which, together with its declaration as a forest monument, will be used for the evaluation and certification of the area with the "Mo.Na Label", a new Trademark for the protection and promotion of the natural and cultural environment applied in the framework of the project Mo.Na but also for the purposes of certification of the trail by others. European agencies.
River exploration mission
The decision of the Minister of Agriculture to proceed with the declaration of the Path Of Panagia - Kykkos, in the Roudia Valley of the Pafos Forest, in a forest monument, was preceded by a mission to explore the river Roudia, which is part of the wider path. The mission was organized by the Department of Forests on 22 October 2021 with the aim of exploring and studying the River Roudia, in the southern part of the Pafos Forest. The excursion to the river Roudias took place in the framework of the implementation of actions carried out by the Department of Forests, at regular intervals, with its forest employees, aiming at the exploration and study of the lesser known fauna and flora of cypriot nature. Similar excursions took place, in the past, in the area of "Mavri Gremmos", in the Pafos Forest, and in the river "Kyparissia", in the Limassol Forest. During the mission, all the important environmental elements of the area were recorded. Indicatively, apart from the riverside habitats, the following important species were also found: Mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion), Perticosiachino (Aquila fasciata), double-sided (Accipiter gentilis), nests of the ashtraysourada (Montacila cinerea), Cypriot snake (Hierophis cypriensis), fresh water crab (Potamon potamios), oregano the cardiofyllon (Origanum cordifolium), flomis the Cypriot (Plomis cypria subsp). occidentalis) and hypericon the goat (Hypericum hircinum).
For centuries it served the needs of the inhabitants of the area
Nowadays, the primary goal of the forest management of our country is to protect and maximize the ecosystem services they offer. Thus, through the sustainable management of our forests, the aim is, among other things, to protect biodiversity, environmental education and to provide services and infrastructure for forest recreation. In the context of promoting environmental education and information as well as forest recreation, the Department of Forests has created a network of 65 nature study trails, with a total length of 316 km. "I have personally walked many of these paths and I highly recommend them to your readers. Unique routes, images with breathtaking views, unique biodiversity, familiarity with important elements of our natural and cultural heritage, are some of the characteristics of these paths.
One such path is the one you are presenting today in your newspaper, the Path of Panagia-Kykkos in the Forest of Pafos", the Minister of Agriculture, Kostas Kadis, said in a statement to "F". Following the recommendation of the Department of Forests, this path has been declared as a Forest Monument. For centuries the path served the needs of transportation and other needs of the residents of the area of Panagia - Kampos. Many of its points are connected with historical events, while its value as a landscape is excellent. "I believe that the protection of this 11 km long path is on the one hand a debt to previous generations and on the other hand a means of highlighting the cultural heritage of our country and the great environment of the region. The environmental and aesthetic value of the Roudia valley, through which the path passes and which, as you know, we have just recently visited with a team of officials of the Department of Forests and other friends, is extremely important. The preservation and proper management of all the environmental elements that constitute it, as well as its promotion in an environmentally friendly way, is our goal and priority", says Mr. Kadis.
