Akamas (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: , tr, Akama), is a

promontory A promontory is a raised mass of land that projects into a lowland or a body of water (in which case it is a peninsula). Most promontories either are formed from a hard ridge of rock that has resisted the erosive forces that have removed the so ...

and cape at the northwest extremity of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

with an area of 230 square kilometres.

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits mountain rangerising towards the north. The peninsula is named after

Akamas Akamas (Greek: , tr, Akama), is a promontory and cape at the northwest extremity of Cyprus with an area of 230 square kilometres. Ptolemy described it as a thickly wooded headland, divided into two by summits mountain rangerising towards the ...

, a son of

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describe ...

, hero of the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...

and founder of the city-kingdom of Soli. Until the year 2000, the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

was used by the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

for military exercises and as a firing range. Under the 1960 Treaty of Establishment, the British Army was allowed to use the Akamas for exercises for up to 70 days a year. At the southern end of the peninsula is the town of

Pegeia Peyia (also spelt ''Pegeia''; el, Πέγεια) is a town in the Paphos District of Cyprus. Pegeia is situated mainly on the steep slopes of the coastal hills inland from Coral Bay, at the southern end of the Akamas Peninsula, and it lies 14&nb ...

and on its northeast side the town of

Polis ''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...

. Due to the mountainous nature of the peninsula there are no roads running through its heartland. Furthermore, some roads marked on Cypriot road maps of the area are not

sealed Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

. Visitor attractions in Akamas include a

loggerhead turtle The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when full ...

sanctuary and the Baths of

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...

where the goddess is said to have bathed, near Polis. Akamas

Protected status

Rocky coast of Akamas Peninsula, Cyprus 02

As the area is relatively inaccessible, there is a large diversity of flora and fauna there. Indeed, the

European Environment Agency The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides independent information on the environment. Definition The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides i ...

noted that it was one of only 22 areas of

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

in Europe. In preparation for the

accession of Cyprus to the European Union The largest expansion of the European Union (EU), in terms of territory, number of states, and population took place on 1 May 2004. The simultaneous accessions concerned the following countries (sometimes referred to as the "A10" countries): ...

most of Akamas was proposed to be given protected status. Two turtle-nesting beaches were designated

Sites of Community Importance A Site of Community Importance (SCI) is defined in the European Commission Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as a site which, in the biogeographical region or regions to which it belongs, contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at ...

within the

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

network, the Polis-Gialia area became a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

, and the peninsula was designated a

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cert ...

for birds. However, of the terrestrial area of Akamas proposed as a Natura 2000 area in 2003, only 50% was so designated by the government of Cyprus in 2009. The area is threatened by tourist development and the planned A7 motorway between Polis and

Paphos Paphos ( el, Πάφος ; tr, Baf) is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos. The current city of Pap ...

, and the government is under pressure to enhance the peninsula's protection. Organisations such as the

Green Party of Cyprus Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combina ...

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

and

Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) is an international network of environmental organizations in 73 countries. The organization was founded in 1969 in San Francisco by David Brower, Donald Aitken and Gary Soucie after Brower's split with ...

are taking action to protect the area.

Biology and ecology

Akamas supports a wide diversity of life including many vulnerable species, some of which are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Akamas. Wild flowers include

cyclamen ''Cyclamen'' ( or ) is a genus of 23 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. ''Cyclamen'' species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They grow ...

, turban buttercups, alyssum (''

Alyssum ''Alyssum'' is a genus of over a hundred species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region. The genus comprises annual plant, annu ...

akamasicum'', endemic to Akamas),

Cyprus tulip ''Tulipa cypria'', the Cyprus tulip, is a tulip, an erect perennial bulbous herb, 15–40 cm high (in blossom), with glabrous, glaucous leaves. The four leaves are alternate, simple, entire, fleshy, the two lower ones larger, laceolate, 10 ...

, and many species of orchid, yellow gorse and white rock rose. The following 39 of the 128

plant species of Cyprus are found in the Akamas peninsula: ''

akamasicum'', ''

Anthemis ''Anthemis'' is a genus of aromatic flowering plants in the family (biology), family Asteraceae, closely related to ''Chamaemelum'', and like that genus, known by the common name chamomile; some species are also called dog-fennel or mayweed. ''An ...

tricolor'', '' Arenaria rhodia'' ssp. ''cypria'', '' Asperula cypria'', ''

Astragalus ''Astragalus'' is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to tempe ...

cyprius'', ''

Ballota ''Ballota'' (horehound) is a genus of flowering evergreen perennial plants and subshrubs in the family Lamiaceae. native to temperate regions. The Mediterranean region has the highest diversity in the genus, with more isolated locations in Sou ...

integrefolia'', ''

Bosea cypria ''Bosea cypria'' is a species of flowering plant in the Amaranthaceae family. It is a highly branched, evergreen shrub, 1–2 m high, erect, suberect, or hanging on walls, cliffs or trees, with hairless angular shoots. Leaves, opposite, simple, e ...

'', ''

Carlina ''Carlina'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. It is distributed from Madeira and the Canary Islands across Europe and northern Africa to Siberia and northwestern China.Kovanda, M. (2002)Observations on ''Carlina bieberstein ...

involucrata'' spp. ''cyprica'', ''

pygmea'', ''

Centaurea akamantis ''Centaurea akamantis'', the Akamas centaurea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in Cyprus. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation. It is threatened by habitat loss. It was first publ ...

'', ''

Centaurea calcitrapa ''Centaurea calcitrapa'' is a species of flowering plant known by several common names, including red star-thistle and purple star thistle. It is native to Europe but is rarely found there, it is known across the globe as an introduced species an ...

'' ssp. ''angusticeps'', ''

Centaurea ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere; the Middle East and surrounding reg ...

veneris'', ''

Crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain undergro ...

veneris'', ''

Cyclamen cyprium ''Cyclamen cyprium'' (Cyprus cyclamen) is a perennial growing from a tuber, native to woodland at elevation in the mountains of Cyprus. It is the national flower. '' Cyclamen persicum'' and ''Cyclamen graecum'' are also found on Cyprus, but are ...

'', ''

Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to t ...

cypria'', ''

Gagea juliae ''Gagea juliae'', the yellow star-of-Cyprus, is a plant species in the lily family, native to Cyprus and southern Turkey. ''Gagea juliae'' is a bulbous perennial herb with erect stems 2–20 cm high. Flowers yellow internally with a broad ...

'', ''

Gladiolus triphyllus ''Gladiolus triphyllus'', the three-leaved gladiolus, is an erect perennial herb, 15–30 cm high, glabrousness (botany), glabrous, glaucous, with an ovoid corm. Leaves usually 3 or 4, alternate, simple, entire, linear, the two lower 10-30 ...

'', ''

Helianthemum ''Helianthemum'' , known as rock rose, sunrose, rushrose, or frostweed,' ...

obtusefolium'', ''

Odontites ''Odontites'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Phylogeny The phylogeny of the genera of Rhinantheae has been explored using molecular characters. ''Odontites'' belongs to the core Rhinantheae. It is the sister genus to ...

cypria'', '' Onobrychis venosa'', ''

Onopordum ''Onopordum'', or cottonthistle, is a genus of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. They are native to southern Europe, northern Africa, the Canary Islands, the Caucasus, and southwest and central Asia. They grow on disturb ...

cyprium'', ''

Onosma fruticosum ''Onosma fruticosa'' is an erect, much branched shrub, 30-100 cm high, young shoots covered with bristles. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, stalkless, oblanceolate, 7-20 x 2-5 mm, thick, margins revolute, with a mixture of short hairs and long ...

'', ''

Ophrys kotschyi ''Ophrys kotschyi'', the Cyprus bee orchid, is a terrestrial species of orchid native to Greece and Cyprus. ''Ophrys kotschyi'' occurs in grasslands and in open pine woodlands. It is listed as "near-threatened" by the International Union for Co ...

'', ''

Ophrys The genus ''Ophrys'' is a large group of orchids from the alliance Orchis in the subtribe Orchidinae. They are widespread across much of Europe, North Africa, Caucasus, the Canary Islands, and the Middle East as far east as Turkmenistan. These p ...

lepethica'', ''

Origanum majorana Marjoram (; ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted ma ...

'', ''

Ornithogalum ''Ornithogalum'' is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear ba ...

pedicellare'', ''

Phlomis ''Phlomis'' is a genus of over 100 species''Phlomis''.
Flora of China. of

cypria'' var. ''occidentalis'', ''

Pterocephalus ''Pterocephalus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopol ...

multiflorus'' ssp. ''multiflorus'', ''

Ptilostemon ''Ptilostemon'' is a genus of plants in the tribe Cardueae within the family Asteraceae. ; Species References External links

* Cynareae Asteraceae genera {{Cynareae-stub ...

chamaepeuce'' var. ''cyprius'', ''

Rubia ''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-known spe ...

laurea'', ''

Scutellaria ''Scutellaria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. They are known commonly as skullcaps. The generic name is derived from the Latin ''scutella'', meaning "a small dish, tray or platter",Sedum cyprium ''Sedum cyprium'', the Cyprus stonecrop, is an erect, monocarpic, succulent herb with an unbranched stem, 10–30 cm high. Leaves succulent, simple and entire reddish in sunny positions, the basal leaves in rosettes, hairless, spathulate, 3 ...

'', ''

Sedum porphyreum ''Sedum eriocarpum'', the purple stonecrop, is a small, annual, succulent herb, 3–6 cm high, with hairless, reddish-green stems. Leaves succulent, simple, entire, spirally arranged, hairless, stalkless, elliptical to oblong, 3–15 x 2–8 ...

'', '' Senecio glaucus'' ssp. ''cyprius'', ''

Taraxacum aphrogenes ''Taraxacum aphrogenes'', the Paphos dandelion, is a perennial, lactiferous, rosulate, hairless herb, up to 12 cm high. Leaves all in rosette, simple, divided almost to midrib, into unequal, bluntish, suborbicular lobes, fleshy, oblong, 3-8 ...

'', ''

Teucrium ''Teucrium'' is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, commonly known as germanders. Plants in this genus are perennial plant, perennial herbaceous plant, herbs or shrubs, with branches that a ...

divaricatum'' ssp. ''canescens'', ''

micropodioides'', ''

Thymus integer ''Thymus integer'' is a strongly aromatic, sprawling, gnarled subshrub generally less than 10 cm high. It produces white to dark rosy purple flowers between March and June.Cyprus Flora in Colour the Endemics, V. Pantelas, T. Papachristophoro ...

'', ''

Tulipa cypria ''Tulipa cypria'', the Cyprus tulip, is a tulip, an erect perennial bulbous herb, 15–40 cm high (in blossom), with glabrous, glaucous leaves. The four leaves are alternate, simple, entire, fleshy, the two lower ones larger, laceolate, ...

''. Animals found in Akamas include fruit bats, shrews, hedgehogs, foxes, snakes, lizards,

griffon vulture The Eurasian griffon vulture (''Gyps fulvus'') is a large Old World vulture in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. It may also be known as the Griffon vulture, though it may be used for the genus as a whole. It is not to be confused with Rü ...

Cyprus warbler The Cyprus warbler (''Curruca melanothorax'') is a typical warbler which breeds only on Cyprus. This small passerine bird is a short-distance migrant, and winters in Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Like most ''Curruca'' species, it has distinct male ...

s, and Cyprus scops owls. Vulnerable species include bats,

monk seal Monk seals are earless seals of the tribe Monachini. They are the only earless seals found in tropical climates. The two genera of monk seals, ''Monachus'' and ''Neomonachus'', comprise three species: the Mediterranean monk seal, ''Monachus mona ...

s and sea turtles. At Lara Bay there is a turtle hatchery, where the eggs are protected.

Akamas in local and popular culture

The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

broadcaster and naturalist,

Sir David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...

has filmed at Akamas. The film

Akamas (2006 film) ''Akamas'' is a 2006 Cypriot feature film directed by Panicos Chrysanthou about a love affair between a Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot despite their families' opposition and the intercommunal violence of the 1960s.

, which premiered at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

was mostly filmed in Akamas. In

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, it is where

met her lover,

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis, ; derived from the Canaanite word ''ʼadōn'', meaning "lord". R. S. P. Beekes, ''Etymological Dictionary of Greek'', Brill, 2009, p. 23. was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite. One day, Adonis was gored by ...

and some natural landmarks have associations with this tale, for example Fontana Amorosa (Love’s Spring), near Polis, is said to be Aphrodite’s Fountain of Love and anyone who drinks from the

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

is said to become overcome with youthful desire.

Gorges

Avakas Gorge, Akamas Peninsula, Cyprus - panoramio (10)

The Androlykou Gorge and Petratis Gorge, both on the northern side of Akamas may be seen from the village of

Androlykou Androlykou ( gr, Ανδρολύκου, tr, Gündoğdu) is a Turkish Cypriot village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located 5 km southwest of Polis Chrysochous. It is currently mostly empty, but before invasion it had a population of 498.PRIO ...

. On the south westerly side the Avakas Gorge has high sheer cliffs which come closer together until they meet, leaving a tunnel formation through which a stream runs.

Tourism

Akamas has branded itself as an exclusive destination and tourists who come tend to be seeking more than "sun, sea and sand", being more interested in culture, biodiversity and specialist sports such as golf or hiking.

Repeated arson

In 2019, several fires broke out by simultaneous arson attacks. Six aircraft from the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

, the

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

and the

Forestry Department The Forestry Department (; Jawi script, Jawi: جابتن ڤرهوتنن), also referred to as the Forest Department, is a Ministry (government department), department overseen by the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT). Through the ...

, were deployed. The fires were extinguished nine hours after they broke out. The head of the forestry department Charalambos Alexandrou called the arsonists ‘senseless’ as they were calculating the scale of the damage. “Whenever a meeting is planned to discuss Akamas, the day before a fire breaks out in the area,” he said. Following the fires, Save Akamas, Save Cyprus organisation protested with the slogan ‘Hands off Akamas’. Since 2017, arsonists have set approximately 80 fires in or around the National Forest Park, they said. “The state is at best tolerating and at worst encouraging such criminal behaviour.” Agriculture Minister

Costas Kadis Costas Kadis ( el, Κώστας Καδής) is a Cypriot politician. He was the Cypriot Minister of Health from July 2007 to February 2008. He served as Minister of Education and Culture in 2014–2018, and as Minister of Agriculture since 2018. ...

said that economic interests are behind fires that were deliberately set in a bid to sabotage plans to declare the area as a National Forest by 2022. He made clear that the 'Akamas National Forest' plan remains on track.

References

* *

Richard Talbert Richard John Alexander Talbert (born 26 April 1947) is a British-American contemporary ancient historian and classicist on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is William Rand Kenan, Jr., Professor of Ancient ...

Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World The ''Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World'' is a large-format English language atlas of ancient Europe, Asia, and North Africa, edited by Richard Talbert, Richard J. A. Talbert. The time period depicted is roughly from Archaic Greece, ...

, (), p. 72.
Akamas
* An in-depth travel feature about the natural beauty, flora and fauna of the Akamas Peninsula https://web.archive.org/web/20070101203048/http://www.nhavers.8k.com/cyprus.htm {{Authority control Cyprus Mediterranean forests Peninsulas of Cyprus Natura 2000 in Cyprus