Olympus, or Chionistra, ( ''or'' Χιονίστρα; ) at , is the highest point in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

. It is located in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. Mount Olympus peak and the "Troodos Square" fall under the territory of Platres in

Limassol District The Limassol District, or simply Limassol or Lemesos, is one of the six districts of Cyprus. , it had a population of 262,238, 75,7% of which was urban The district's capital city is Limassol. Part of the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri an ...

. A British long range

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

currently operates at Mount Olympus' peak. It has a highland

warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

. Mount Olympus is formed of

ultramafic Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are usua ...

rock, dominantly serpentinized harzburgite which is part of the Troodos ophiolite. The Mount Olympus Ski resort consists of the Sun Valley and North Face areas. Each area has its own ski lifts and runs, operated by the Cyprus Ski Club: * Aphrodite or Sun Valley I, with a 125m T-bar ski lift and beginner-level slopes * Hermes or Sun Valley II, with a 140m T-bar ski lift and intermediate-level slopes * Dias/Zeus or North Face I, with a 380m chairlift and advanced-level slopes * Hera or North Face II, with a 262m T-bar ski lift and beginner-level slopes In the Sun Valley area there is a 55m rope tow baby lift as well. Writing in the late first century BC or first century AD, the

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

reported that on one of its promontories was a temple to

Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...

Acraea () which means Aphrodite of the Heights, which women were forbidden to enter.

. ''

Geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

''
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References

External links

Troodos Tourism BoardCyprus Ski Federation & ClubWebcam on the North side of Mount Olympus
Ski areas and resorts in Cyprus Olympus One-thousanders of Cyprus Temples of Aphrodite Troodos Mountains Highest points of countries {{Cyprus-geo-stub

See also

References

External links