Olive Trees

The olive tree has been a sacred tree for the Greeks since ancient times and
is under the protection of the goddess Athena.
The Greeks were the first people in the European Mediterranean area to
cultivate the olive tree and, due to the important role played by this tree over
the centuries in the everyday life of the people, the branches, the fruit and
also the olive oil, the "juice" of the olive tree , have a symbolic character and
hold an honorable place in various activities of the life of the inhabitants of the
area.
In the ancient olive grove valley of Aegina are some of the oldest olive trees in
the world, since according to the radioisotope measurements of the
"Democritos" National Center for Natural Sciences Research, which showed a
date of approximately 400 years only for the outer bark, the age of the trees
estimated at 2,000-2,500 years.
The huge trunks, with a perimeter of up to 13 meters and an area of up to 30
sq.m. , can accommodate up to 8 people inside. These olive trees remain
"alive", since several of them still bear fruit today, connecting the people who
inhabited the area from ancient times to the present day.