After the White Mountains (Chania and Rethymno), Mount Saos (Samothraki), Smolika (Ioannina and Grevena), Mount Tymfi (Ioannina), Taygetos (Lakonia and Messinia), Mount Hatzi (Trikala), Agrafa ( Karpenisi and Karditsa) and Mainalo (Arcadia), the Dikti’s term in Lasithi, the mythical birthplace of Zeus, is the massif that was included in the “Lost Mountains” following a decision by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Giorgos Amyras.
With a total area of ​​66.29 sq.km and an altitude range from 900 to 2,148 meters, Mount Dikti – or otherwise the Lasithio Mountains – extend south of the Lasithi plateau and the Dikteo Andros (place where, according to mythology, Zeus was born).
“The inclusion of Mt. Dikti in the “Lost Mountains” is a great development” said, speaking to APE-MBE, the mayor of Lasithi Plateau Yiannis Stefanakis, who spoke of a special status, through which “the biodiversity of the area is so recognized , as well as its mythological importance” and that it is a “symbolic decision that achieves in a sense the commitment that the mythical term will not be altered, discredited and devalued by human interventions”.
As the mayor of Lasithi Plateau pointed out, through the inclusion of Mount Dikti in the “Unspoiled Mountains”, the legal framework is given, which, as he pointed out, “will be a basis on which we can move, an axis of recognition of this unspoiled Cretan nature , of the wild mountains, which are full of archaeological evidence and distinct elements of flora and fauna”.
With the inclusion of the “Unclaimed Mountains”, on Mount Dikti, the opening of roads or the creation of artificial surfaces is now prohibited, as a means of protecting its unique biodiversity.
One of the unique elements of Mount Diktis is that, despite the fact that it is surrounded by rocky outcrops and grassy areas, in the center of the area stands out the trachea pine forest, while the fauna of the area includes endemic and rare species, such as gastropods and the endemic subspecies of Tranorhinolofos bat. The area is an important point for the passage of rare bird species, such as the vulture and the golden eagle, while in recent years storks have found refuge in the area, appearing both as a migratory and wintering population, and as a population that settles on the island, where builds nests and reproduces.
“Our vision is to highlight this natural wealth. After all, our area has been recognized as an area of ​​special natural beauty with a special gazette and as a Natura 2000 protected area, mainly for its birdlife and for the vultures that reign in the area of ​​Zeus. Our goal is for Mount Dikti to be a viewing point for wild nature, alongside a series of gentle activities, whether it concerns winter or summer tourism, or is related to actions that could bring closer to the Lasithio Mountains, visitors who will will want to discover them through climbing, some special routes or through mountaineering routes from the Minoan paths, which started from the mythological birthplace of Zeus” added Mr. Stefanakis.
“Our main concern is none other than to highlight these beauties and for the world to get to know this unique character of the Cretan land” said Mr. Stefanakis to APE-MPE, pointing out that it is a high priority goal of the municipal authority to make them widely known these paths that have existed in the area since the Minoan era “always based on respect for the environment”.
“In this place, with its special characteristics and incomparable beauty, it was no coincidence that the sages of antiquity placed the birth of Zeus”, emphasized the mayor of Oropedi Lasithi, Yiannis Stefanakis.
Source: Skai
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