Pentadactylos
Encyclopedia
The Pentadaktylos is a mountain mass which makes up the western half of the Kyrenia Mountains, a long, narrow chain which runs 160 km (100 mi) along the Northern coast of Cyprus
. Both the Greek
name (Pentadactylos, also rendered as Pendathaktilos) and the Turkish
name (Beşparmaklar) for these mountains come from the five finger-like projections of a mountain near Kyrenia
. The names are also sometimes used synonymously with Kyrenia to refer to the entire range.
A devastating fire in July 1995 burned large portions of these mountains, resulting in the loss of significant forest land and natural habitat.
These mountains have many historical castles and monasteries including the St. Hilarion Castle
.
in the Karpas, a perilous journey in those days. The man set off and after several weeks returned with a skin full of that precious water. The queen was most dismayed to see that he had succeeded, but still refused to marry him. In a fit of rage, he poured the water on to the earth, seized a handful of the resulting mud and threw it at the queens head. She ducked and the lump of mud sailed far across the plain to land on top of the Kyrenia mountain range, where it is to this day, still showing the impression of the thwarted villager’s five fingers.
Another famous one is of the Byzantine hero Digenis Akritas. Tradition has it that Digenis Akritas's hand gripped the mountain to get out of the sea when he came to free Cyprus from its Saracen
invaders, and this is his handprint. (He also threw a large rock across Cyprus to get at the Saracen ships. That rock landed in Paphos
at the site of the birthplace of Aphrodite, thus known to this day as Petra Tou Romiou
or "Rock of the Greek".
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Both the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
name (Pentadactylos, also rendered as Pendathaktilos) and the Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
name (Beşparmaklar) for these mountains come from the five finger-like projections of a mountain near Kyrenia
Kyrenia
Kyrenia is a town on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. Internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyrenia has been under Turkish control since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974...
. The names are also sometimes used synonymously with Kyrenia to refer to the entire range.
A devastating fire in July 1995 burned large portions of these mountains, resulting in the loss of significant forest land and natural habitat.
These mountains have many historical castles and monasteries including the St. Hilarion Castle
St. Hilarion Castle
The Saint Hilarion Castle lies on the Kyrenia mountain range, in Cyprus. It was originally a monastery, named after a monk who allegedly chose the site for his hermitage. Later fortified by Byzantines, it formed the defense of the island with the castles of Buffavento and Kantara against Arab...
.
Legends
There are many legends about the Pentadactylos mountains. One tells the story of a conceited villager who fell in love with the local queen and asked for her hand in marriage. The queen wished to be rid of the impertinent young man and requested that he bring her some water from the spring of Apostolos Andreas monasteryApostolos Andreas Monastery
Apostolos Andreas Monastery is a monastery situated just south of Cape Apostolos Andreas, which is the north-eastern most point of the island of Cyprus, in the Karpass Peninsula. The monastery is dedicated to Saint Andrew. The monastery is an important site to the Cypriot Orthodox Church...
in the Karpas, a perilous journey in those days. The man set off and after several weeks returned with a skin full of that precious water. The queen was most dismayed to see that he had succeeded, but still refused to marry him. In a fit of rage, he poured the water on to the earth, seized a handful of the resulting mud and threw it at the queens head. She ducked and the lump of mud sailed far across the plain to land on top of the Kyrenia mountain range, where it is to this day, still showing the impression of the thwarted villager’s five fingers.
Another famous one is of the Byzantine hero Digenis Akritas. Tradition has it that Digenis Akritas's hand gripped the mountain to get out of the sea when he came to free Cyprus from its Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
invaders, and this is his handprint. (He also threw a large rock across Cyprus to get at the Saracen ships. That rock landed in Paphos
Paphos
Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...
at the site of the birthplace of Aphrodite, thus known to this day as Petra Tou Romiou
Petra Tou Romiou
Petra Tou Romiou , or Aphrodite's Rock, is a sea stack in Pafos, Cyprus. Its status in mythology as the birth place of Aphrodite makes it a popular tourist location.-Birthplace of Aphrodite:...
or "Rock of the Greek".