Mountain Paiko in (

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

: Πάικο; in Bulgarian: Паяк or Pajak) is a small

mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...

(surface area: 399 km²) that lies on the border of the

Pella Pella () is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It served as the capital of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. Currently, it is located 1 km outside the modern town of Pella ...

and

Kilkis Kilkis () is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2021 there were 24,130 people living in the city proper, 27,493 people living in the municipal unit, and 45,308 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional un ...

regional units in

Central Macedonia Central Macedonia ( ; , ) is one of the thirteen Regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece, consisting the central part of the Geographic regions of Greece, geographical and historical region of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. With a ...

, Greece.

Monasteries, Churches and Chapels of Paiko, in the Prefecture of Kilkis

The Administrative Head of the Monasteries and Churches of Paionia is the Metropolitan of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastro Dimitrios.

Church of Agios Athanasios

The Church of Agios Athanasios is located in Griva.

Monastery of Panagia Goumenissa

The monastery of Panagia Goumenissa, was the occasion to create the small town of the same name which is the seat of the newly established (since 1991 AD) Diocese of Goumenissi, Axioupolis and Polykastro.

Holy Monastery of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene

The Holy Monastery of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene is located on a verdant slope of Mount Paikos, at an altitude of 600 m. Overlooking the valley of Axios, in the area of Griva and at a distance of 7 km. from Goumenissa.

Chapel of Saints Antonios and Theodoros Grivas

Outside Griva and at a distance of about 1.5 km, in a lush oak forest, is the chapel of Agios Antonios, a single-aisled basilica with a dome, which dates from 1901. The church was rebuilt in 1993.

Holy Monastery (convent) of Saint Nicodemus of Mount Athos

The Holy Monastery of Saint Nicodemus of Mount Athos is located in Central Macedonia and Paeonia of Kilkis. It is built on the eastern slopes of Mount Paiko at an altitude of 700 meters and west of the river Axios. It is 70 km NW. from Thessaloniki, 53 km W. from Kilkis and 22 km W.-ND. from Polykastro. To the east is Goumenissa, to the southeast is Pentalofos and to the northeast is Griva. The monastery is manly and was founded in 1981. It is part of the Holy Monastery of Simon Petra of Mount Athos and ecclesiastically belongs to the Diocese of Goumenissa, Axioupolis and Polykastro.

Geography

Morphologically, Paiko is a curvy extension to the north east of the adjacent Voras mountain range. Together they surround the plain of Aridea. East and south of Paiko are the plains of the

Vardar The Vardar (; , , ) or Axios (, ) is the longest river in North Macedonia and a major river in Greece, where it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of ...

(Axios) river and the plains of

Giannitsa Giannitsa ( , in English also Yannitsa, Yenitsa) is the largest city in the regional unit of Pella and the capital of the Pella municipality, in the region of Central Macedonia in northern Greece. The municipal unit Giannitsa has an area of 2 ...

respectively. The highest peaks are Skra (), Tsouma (), Vertopia (), Pirgos (), Kadasti () and Ghola Tsouka (). Pirgos, Vertopia and Kadasti surround a large

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

(formerly native

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

) at altitude around . Most areas of the plateau are residential or cultivated.

Geology

Paiko is composed of

igneous Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...

and

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...

s, mainly

carbonatite Carbonatite () is a type of intrusive rock, intrusive or extrusive rock, extrusive igneous rock defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50% carbonate minerals. Carbonatites may be confused with marble and may require geoche ...

and

ophiolite An ophiolite is a section of Earth's oceanic crust and the underlying upper mantle (Earth), upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed, and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks. The Greek word ὄφις, ''ophis'' (''snake'') is ...

. Sedimentary rocks are found mostly in the north eastern areas.

Hydrology

Paiko is rich in surface and underground bodies of water, often potable. Springs exist at the foothills and small

wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

s, connected by several streams, can be found at high altitudes. Two waterfalls and a lagoon of blue-green waters are located near the Skra peak. East of the mountain is a small artificial lake (Lake Metalleiou) 35 m deep and of circumference around 4 km.

Life

Flora and Funga

The vegetation of Paiko is considered lush. Large trees include: *

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

* ''Quercus'' (oak) (especially ''

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It ...

'' and ''

Quercus frainetto ''Quercus frainetto'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''Quercus conferta'', ''Quercus farnetto''), commonly known as the Hungarian oak, is a species of oak, native plant, native to southeastern Europe (parts of Italy, the Balkans, parts of Hungary, ...

'') *plane (especially ''

Platanus orientalis ''Platanus orientalis'', the Oriental plane, is a large, deciduous tree in the family Platanaceae, growing to or more, and known for its longevity and spreading crown. In autumn its deep green leaves may change to blood red, amber, and yellow. ...

'') *alder (especially ''

Alnus glutinosa ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family (biology), family Betulaceae, native plant, native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. ...

'') *

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

cedrus ''Cedrus'', with the common English name cedar, is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae (subfamily Abietoideae). They are native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitud ...

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

*apple trees Smaller plants and fungi include: *Species of

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

*Shrubs such as wild strawberries *Mushrooms - a rare species (''

Daedaleopsis ''Daedaleopsis'' is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The name ''Daedaleopsis'' is a reference to Daedalus, the labyrinth-maker of myth. Similarly, the maze-like pattern of pores is taxonomically described as being daedaloid. DNA was ...

septentrionalis'') known only in northern areas was discovered in 2009. *

Fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

*Flowers like ''

Primula vulgaris ''Primula vulgaris'', also called the common primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Primulaceae, native plant, native to Eurasia.''Flora Europaea'Primula vulgaris''/ref> The common name of this plant is prim ...

'', ''

Scilla bifolia ''Scilla bifolia'', the alpine squill or two-leaf squill, is a herbaceous plant, herbaceous perennial plant growing from an underground bulb,Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia - Edagricole – 1982 Vol. III, pg. 365 belonging to the genus ''Scilla'' of ...

'', ''

Viola odorata ''Viola odorata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Violaceae'' native to Eurasia. The small hardy herbaceous perennial is commonly known as wood violet, sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden viol ...

'', ''

Galanthus elwesii ''Galanthus elwesii'', Elwes's snowdrop or greater snowdrop, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to the Balkans and Asia Minor, where it is found in the countries of Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Moldova, Ukr ...

'' and ''

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

veluchensis''

Fauna

Beside mammals (deer, rabbits) and vultures, notable animals include: *

Amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

s such as the

great crested newt The northern crested newt, great crested newt or warty newt (''Triturus cristatus'') is a newt species native to Great Britain, northern and central continental Europe and parts of Western Siberia. It is a large newt, with females growing up to ...

and the

yellow-bellied toad The yellow-bellied toad (''Bombina variegata'') belongs to the order Anura, the family Bombinatoridae, and the genus of fire-bellied toads. The toad is distributed mainly across western Europe as well as a handful of countries in eastern Eur ...

. *

Reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

s such as

Hermann's tortoise The Hermann's tortoise (''Testudo hermanni)'' is a species of tortoise native to Europe. Etymology The specific epithet, ''hermanni'', honors French naturalist Johann Hermann. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Epo ...

. *The fish '' Sabanejewia aurata'' and the rare Mediterranean barbel. *

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

(57 species have been identified) such as the

large copper The large copper (''Lycaena dispar'') is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. ''L. dispar'' has been commonly arranged into three subspecies: ''L. dispar dispar'', (single-brooded) which was commonly found in England, but is now extinct, ''L. d ...

butterfly and the '' Callimorpha quadripunctata'' moth. At Lake Metalleiou humans have introduced trout. Fishing is allowed under controlled conditions.

References

External links

Paiko terrain map
by Geopsis {{Authority control Paiko Landforms of Central Macedonia Paiko

Monasteries, Churches and Chapels of Paiko, in the Prefecture of Kilkis

Church of Agios Athanasios

Monastery of Panagia Goumenissa

Holy Monastery of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene

Chapel of Saints Antonios and Theodoros Grivas

Holy Monastery (convent) of Saint Nicodemus of Mount Athos

Geography

Geology

Hydrology

Life

Flora and Funga

Fauna

See also

References

External links