Troodos is the biggest mountain range of Cyprus, located in the center of the island. Troodos' highest peak is Mount Olympus at 1,952 meters.

The Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus. There are many famous mountain resorts, Byzantine monasteries and churches on mountain peaks, and nestling in its valleys and picturesque mountain villages clinging to terraced hill slopes.

There are nine churches and one monastery in Troodos that are counted among UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

One church we will be visiting is Asinou Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with frescoes of the 12th century and later periods. It is considered to be among the finest examples of Byzantine mural painting on the island.

 

The area has been known since ancient times for its copper mines, and in the Byzantine period it became a great center of Byzantine art, as churches and monasteries were built in the mountains, away from the threatened coastline.

During the Roman Empire, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum.