Life among the olives

Magic of Olive Tree

Dr Vera Sergeeva
The olive tree is declared by many to be the perfect botanical specimen. A tree with a heart and soul,
it provides health-enriching products, is beautiful to behold and is extremely hardy, being resistant
to both fire and drought.
Olive trees are broad-leaved evergreen trees grown for their fruits which are used for food and oil.
They also are grown as ornamentals. Olive trees can live for centuries, and in many communities are
as treasured and precious as antiques.

Photo: by Antonio Trapero

The ancients said: The Mediterranean begins and ends with the olive tree, indicating the very close
and intimate connection between the plant and the geographical area.
At the end of the Middle Ages the views of the countries bordering the Mediterranean had become
thick with olive groves, and the olive oil trade once again reached the importance of the ancient trades.
Photo by Vera Sergeeva
 Ancient olive trees

Photo: by kadmous.org
Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

The Sisters of Noah, Lebanon Gethsemane, Israel

Vouves, Crete, Greece

Photo: by Jennie Bonifacio,pinterest

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

Mirovica, Near Bar, Montenegro Alentejo, Portugal Photo: by Leonardo Schena

Puglia, Italy
 Photo : by Linda Pappagallo

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

The Sisters, Lebanon

Vouves Olive Tree, Crete, Greece

Located on the Greek island of Crete is a remarkable piece of living antiquity. Estimated at anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000
years old, the
Vouves Olive Tree is fittingly treasured as a Living Monument and still produces highly-prized olives to this
day. In terms of valued produce, however, the Vouves olive tree has some stiff competition from Northern Lebanon.
Trees called
The Sisters produce an award-winning extra virgin olive oil with extremely high polyphenols and acidity levels
of between 0.18º and 0.24º. The taste is described as intense, fruity, medium pepper, with a palette of fresh grass;
buttery with notes of almond and walnut.

The Sisters are said to be from an undocumented olive tree variety, an ancestor of the Balasi Ayrouni. Dating from more
than 6000 years ago, the variety is even claimed to be
the source of that olive branch brought by the dove back to Noah
heralding the end of the flood.
 Photo: by © CNRS / G. Besnard
Photo by© USTHB / D. Baali-Cherif

Sahara olive tree

The Saharan cousin of Mediterranean olive trees remains largely unknown. However, this subspecies
(called the Laperinne's olive tree) is of great interest for several reasons.
Extremely drought-resistant, this "relic" tree could act as a genetic resource to improve its domestic
counterparts, provided conservation actions are implemented to prevent its disappearance.
 Centuries-old olive trees

Photo: by Alfonso Cevola, Italy

Photo: by Antonio Trapero, Spain

Photo: by Leonardo Shcena, Italy

 Centuries-old olive trees

Photo: by Oliver Ross

Bar, Montenegro
Photo: by aziendainfiera.it

Corsica, France

Photo: by deepspirits.com

Ithaca, Greece Photo: by galilee.weebly.com,

Galilee, Israel
 Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Monumental olive trees

The Senia territory in Spain claims the highest

concentration of
monumental olive trees. In particular,
there are currently a total of 4,761 olive trees with a
trunk perimeter measure of more than 3.50m
(measured 1.30m from the ground)

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

 Monumental olive trees

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

The beautiful millennial olive, located in

Traiguera (Castellon), which is full of life and
whose production is intended to develop the
territory Sénia Millennium olive oil

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Monumental olive trees

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo:II meraviglioso mondo dell' olio d'oliva

Monumental olive trees

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

Photo: by Aceite Olivos Milenarios Territorio Sénia

 Photo: by Leonardo Schena

Photo by Jane Avery

Passionate about Puglia

Photo: by ulivisecolaridipuglia
Photo: by ulivisecolaridipuglia
Photo: by ulivisecolaridipuglia

Old olive trees, estimated to be 3,000 years old, supported by bricks, Puglia, Italy. 
Photo: by Leonardo Schena

Photo: by Leonardo Schena

Olive tree grown on an old abandoned water cistern, Puglia, Italy

 Photo by Jose Penco AEO, Spain
Photo: by Peter Mullins

Meknes (Mequinez), Morocco

Trees are ubiquitous in the stony ground, Israel

How little soil they need

 Olive orchards above ruins,
Knossos, Greece

Lower Beth-Horan, Jerusalem

Photo: by Profburp, wikimedia

Dougga (Thugga) ruines,Tunisia Sparta , Greece

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

Olive trees on the way in Samaria Gorge (18 km long) Old Samaria vilage, Crete, Gree
 Montenegro

Italy
Photo :by Vera Sergeeva

Terraced stone walls support olive trees on the hillside

Italy
Italy

Photo: by Leonardo Schena Photo: by mbb Agriturisimolupupa

Stone wall built around old olive trees to increase the tree's nutritional surface area
 Photo: by Fabienne Maestracci

Photo: by Fabienne Maestracci

The stone walls "tramizzi" protect from wind

olive trees Zinzala of Bonifacio- Corsica

Photo: by Fabienne Maestracci

 Olive terraces

Balearic island, Spain

Douro Valley, Portugal

Photo by Ferrell Jenkins South of Shiloh

photo by Nora Charles
Photo: paskisir.wordpress .

Photo by croatia.hr

Ancient olive trees in Dalmatia, Croatia; some reputed to be older than 1,500 years
and still producing an abundant harvest
 Olive - The Tree of Life

The tree of wisdom: In several cultures the tradition says that the olive tree was gifted to from god
to people. Thus, the symbol of goddess Athena beside the owl symbolized an olive branch.
The tree of peace: Irena, the god of peace, daughter of Zeus and Themed, was always depicted with
an olive branch in her hand. Later, in periods of war, the couriers of peace were sent holding a symbol
olive branch in their hand.
The tree of hope: In the Old Testament a dove returns with an olive branch in the ark, in order to
announce the end of flood and bring hope to people.
The tree of light: The olive oil was used as lighting oil and thus it was considered to be source of ligh
The tree of fertility: In folk tradition of Greek medicine the olive oil is considered to be aphrodisiac
People offered to new couples oval-shaped bread, on which they poured the first oil of the year, as an
antidote to sterility.
The tree of health: The value of olive oil to the health is widely known for centuries. Thus, the olive
tree symbolizes power and health. Moreover, this symbolism is totally accurate due to the fact that
olive trees are long-lived and resistant.
The tree of wealth: For many families the olive trees and their products represent the main source o
income.
The tree of balance: The olive tree was considered to be the tree of balance by the Celts. For this
reason they devoted the day of 23rd of September to it as that particular date the day has the same
duration as the night.
 Photo by Esteve Arturo

These olive trees are next to the VIA AUGUSTA

of the Roman era in the Senia territory, Spain

Photo by Esteve Arturo

The oldest olive trees have survived many wars, diseases, natural disasters and human negligence and are still bearing
fruits. This is one of the reasons why the olive tree is regarded as a symbol of patience: looking at an olive tree gives a
feeling of serenity, peace and tranquility. Furthermore, the olive tree is the symbol of immortality:it gives power to kings
and priests, and its boughs crown heroes and Olympic champions.
 Photo: by wide-wallpapers.net

Temple of Concordia Agrigento, Sicily

Photo by Francesca Mignosa

francescamignosa.wordpress

Olive tree in Agrigento, Sicily – symbol of peace and the human spirit

Blessed are those who give without remembering and take without ever forgetting {Sicilian Arabic Blessing}
 Photo: by Petros Giannakouris/AP

A symbol of peace 
Olive branch is a symbolic symbol
of the Olympic Games

Winners of the Olympic Games

are crowned with olive branches

Olive oil and the olive tree have a very strong religious symbolism.
Olive oil is referred to more than 140 times in the Bible, and the
olive tree is mentioned over one hundred times. In the Quran and
the Ahadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet) and in the Hebrew
Bible, there are numerous references to olive oil as well.

Olive oil is one of the four most important symbols in Christianity along

with bread, wine and water.
 Olive plantations

Photo: by Antonio Trapero

Photo: by Leonardo Schena Photo: by Joan Tous

Olive plantations

Photo by Antonio Trapero

Andalusia, Spain

Photo by Antonio Trapero

 Photo by Telegraph Hill

Photo by Tom McNeill , theolivetable.com

Harvesting in 1930s

Photo: by casafontanaumbria

Photo: by sicmasrl
Photo: by notesfromatuscanolivegrove

Mechanised olive harvester

 High density plantations

Photo by UC Davis Olive centre, USA

Photo: by Modern Olives/ Boundary Bend, Australia

Photo: by Modern Olives/ Boundary Bend

Harvesting
Pruning
Photo: by Casa E Cucina Harvesting in Modern Olives/ Boundary Bend, Australia
Photo by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Vera Sergeeva

There are hundreds of varieties of olive trees all over the world, some new and some over a thousand years old
 Olive tree nursery

Photo by chartaolives

Photo by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Vera Sergeeva, Australia Photo by Vera Sergeeva, Australia

 Tipasa

Photo: by graksi,123rf.com Kurion

Olive tree and wind

Photo: by N.Sitkarev, flickr.com

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by AEO, Spain
Unique in the world centuries-old olive trees in Puglia, Italy

Photo: by thefuckitlife.com

Photo by Leonardo Schena, Italy

Wind blown olive trees

Photo by Leonardo Schena

Photo by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Lisa Rowntree, Australia

 A very different way of viewing an olive tree

Photo: by Antonio Trapero, Spain

Photo: by Jacqui Dixon, Italy

Photo by Leonardo Schena, Italy Photo by Leonardo Schena, Italy

 Photo: by Mohamed El-Kholy
Experimental olive tree in Egypt

Lonely Olive

Photo: by @Reuters

Olive tree on the outskirts of Rome

Photo by Drew Haninger

Beautiful olive tree in Israel overlooking Photo by gabachat

the Sea of Galilee
Lonely Olive Tree in Deià
 Largest olive tree in Australia
The battle of life
Victoria state

Photo: by John Wholly

Smallest olive tree

Western Australia

Photo: by Antonio Trapero, Spain

 Ornamental olives

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

Spain

The ancient art of transplanting olive trees

Olive tree garden

Photo by F. Boni

Photo: by Antonio Trapero

Spain

Photo by F. Boni

Portugal Piazza del Duomo, Tuscany, Italy

 Landscape with olive trees

Photo: by artbysaba.wordpress.com

800 year old olive tree in Palma, Spain

Photo: by reeminvestments

This 800 year old olive tree was planted in an Abu Dhabi
development as a centerpiece to be something unique,
 chosen for its character and historic significance, Photo: PikiWiki
imported from Lebanon. Never too old to travel!
Israel
 Macrobonsai

Photo: by macrobonsai

Photo: by paisajesreales.blogspot

Photo: by imagejuicy
Photo: by imagejuicy

Macrobonsai the art is 400 years old and can reach

10 meters in height. This example is one the
Vía Verde de Barrio Peral, Spain
Bonsai olive tree may sound like a myth…

Photo by BonsaiMary.com Photo by imagejuicy

Photo by Swindon&District bonsai

Photo by Walter Pall

Bonsaiby Carlos Huerta
, photo by Antoni Payeras
Indoor olive trees
 Olive tree sculptures

Photo: by Leonardo Schena, Italy Photo: theicenter.org, Israel

Photo: travelblog.org, Tunisia Park of Olives

Environmental Sculpture and Planting
Olive Tree Museum Imperia, Italy Museum of the Olive and
Greek Olive-Oil, Sparta The Olive Tree Museum of
Vouves, Crete, Greece

Olive plantations near museum

Museo de la Cultura del olivo Edremit olive oil museum, Turkey

Baeza (Jaén), Spain

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

Photo by Cary Scott
Photo: by C. Michael Hogan

Ancient olive oil pot

Original olive oil amphora extant in
Phaistos archaeological site, Crete.

Courtesy Powerhouse
Museum, Australia

Remains from ancient olive oil making in

museum space below Pula's Roman amphitheater
Olive oil was bottled as a medicine
8000 year-old fragment olive oil and purchased from chemist
(1950-1970)
Olive oil
Olive oil bolsters the immune system and helps to protect against viruses. Olive oil has also been found to be effective in
fighting against diseases such as: cancer, heart disease, oxidative stress, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis,
osteoporosis.
Olive is antiseptic, astringent and is known to lower blood pressure and fevers.
The Romans of course used olive oil to cleanse their skin as part of their bathing ritual.
Mediterranean women with their glorious glossy hair have known for centuries the value of applying warm olive oil to
revive dry lifeless hair.
Less familiar are the medicinal benefits, which include making use of the leaves and bark as well.
The ancients saw olive oil as healing, no matter what was wrong with you.  
A rub down with olive oil would help your body to heal itself. 
Massage is extremely healing on its own, a coating of olive oil would double this effect. 

Kew's Herbarium, Kew Gardens in London,  contains a wreath of folded olive leaves, which was found in the sarcophagus
of King Tutankhamun, and is over 3,300 years old. 
 Yellow Gold ... almost a medicine

Photo by: Ulivitasocial oil

Photo: by Vera Sergeeva

The health benefits of olive oil are extensive with new positive attributes discovered all the time.
The recommended dose is at least two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil each day to enjoy the many ways
olive oil can be beneficial to your health and well being.
Photo by Telegraph Hill

Photo by Telegraph Hill

Photo by Telegraph Hill

Photo by Telegraph Hill

Photo by Vera Sergeeva
Photo by Telegraph Hill
 Photo by Caviaroli
Photo by Ian Wallace

Olive oil caviar with prosciutto

Chocolate mousse with olive oil

Photo by Loftsocial

Sardines marinated with

caviar of olive oil

Photo by groceryeats.com

Freezing fresh herbs in Ice cream with

olive oil to preserve them olive oil Photo by Kalofaga.ca

Kalamata olive ice cream

Photo by Kenton Kotsiris

Sliced feta with oregano

and olive oil
 Olive oil in cosmetics, shaving oil and soaps

Olive leaf extract Olive leaf tea

 Hand made with olive wood

Photo by erdwallet.com

Photo by houzz.com

Photo by houzz.com
 Interior design

Photo: by touchofclass.com
Photo: by touchofclass.com

Metal wall sculpture

Phot: by valaes.gr

Olive tree and its products

stamp, Cyprus, 2014

Photo: by valaes.gr

Golden olive tree in a meeting room

Photo: by Caroline Sipos

1954 Greek 20 lepta

Photo: by armenianceramics.com
1957 Italian 100 Lire Photo: Shawana olive ring
Ceramic tiles Olive Tree of Jerusalem
Photo: by Pentheroudakis
 Digital Art

Photo: by AZZY

Photo: by TileE
 Kyneton

greenprophet.com
 You can marry it with aceto balsamico
MAY 2005: POETRY to dress your salad, gilding emerald
by Barbara Crooker and ruby leaves. You can ladle
ODE TO OLIVE OIL it on white beans and sage, drizzle
it on sun-warm tomatoes, lace it
From hard green drupes
in minestrone, bathe garlic heads
of bitter flesh, a river for roasting. You can make it
of gold and green into soap, rub it with mint leaves
From trees bent like old women for migraine. Take a spoonful
whose leaves flash to prevent hangover. Mash
olive drab to silver it with rosemary and all the pain
in the hot breeze,
is gone from creaky knees.
a bowlful of summer Velvet on the tongue. The light
The transmutation: of late afternoons. I am eating
flesh of the tree to liquid amber sunshine, spread on bread;
Picked by hand, collected in nets,
primroses open in my mouth.
the willow baskets fill with fruit, My chin gleams yellow,
spill into wooden boxes, the opposite of a halo,
are crushed between wheels but one surely even the saints
of stone, pits and all. would recognize and bless.
 Following  Olive Footprints - Cultivation and Culture, Folklore and History, Tradition and Uses 
The title of this book has been chosen to reflect its documentary nature and its pivotal theme of Olive and People.
Featuring written contributions 99 authors from 41 countries.

http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/store/index/49-general-publications
Thank you