Olive trees are sacred in every religion

The olive tree has been considered sacred for centuries. It has been protected everywhere as a treasure. Afrin is one of these places. In the city, the olive trees are like "prisoners of war". In this article series, we try to explain how the olives of Afrin have been exported and sold to other countries under Turkish brands and what the people of Afrin have faced. In the first article, we spoke to Silava Ealo, a biologist at the University of Aleppo, about the characteristics of the olive tree, the benefits of olives, and products made from olives.

SARA ŞÊX HESEN

Aleppo- The olive tree is always been considered by humanity a sacred plant. The olive branch is a symbol of peace and victory throughout history. The existence of the olive tree dates back to the twelfth millennium BC. According to archaeological research in Syria, the history of olive trees dates back to five-six thousand years in Syria.

Olive has many benefits for human health. We spoke to Silava Ealo, a biologist at the University of Aleppo, about the characteristics of the olive tree, the benefits of olives, and products made from olives.

The importance of the olive tree in religions

Mentioning the importance of the olive tree in religions, Silava Ealo said, “The olive tree is one of the oldest trees on the earth. Therefore, the regions, where olive trees grow are considered wealthy regions. It has been considered sacred in Abrahamic religions. The olive tree is mentioned in the Qur'an seven times and in the Bible 140 times. The olive tree symbolizes enduring life in Judaism.”

Characteristics of the olive tree

Talking about the characteristics of the olive tree, Silava Ealo told us, “As the olives ripen further, their color turns from green to yellow-green and then to reddish-brown color and finally black. Olive trees can live for thousands of years. Olive trees' sizes can reach a height of three to six meters. They sometimes can reach 12 meters. They have strong branches and leaves. Olive trees bloom in late spring. Olive trees produce two types of flowers, female and male parts. The olive pollen is primarily carried by wind and worms. Hundreds of cultivars of the olive tree are known. An olive cultivar has a significant impact on its color, size, shape, and growth characteristics. Olive trees grow quite slowly.”

Olive is used in many fields

Talking about the benefits of olive trees, Silava Ealo said, “The leaves of this tree and olive oil have many benefits for human health. We crush and grind olives to make olive oil and we call this process “kadim”. And then we crush the olives again, we call this process “Mitraf”. The olive oil produced by the process of Mitraf is used to make soaps. After crushing and grinding olives, we use the remaining parts to keep our house warm in winter.” 

Syria ranks sixth

Silava Ealo gave us information about the weather conditions for olive trees:

“Olive trees require a Mediterranean-like climate to survive. They need a long, hot summer and a cool winter. Olive trees can survive in temperatures between 5 to 35 degrees. Olive trees grow mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. They need sunlight.”

Emphasizing that Syria ranks sixth in olive production in the world, “There are 70 types of olive trees in Syria. The city of Aleppo is most famous for its ‘Kurdish’ olives. The types of olive trees are as follows; Sorani olives in Idlib, Shat and Tartus in Damascus, and xideri olives in Lazqiye.”

Benefits of olive oil

Silava Ealo told us the benefits of olive oil, “Olive oil is good for heart diseases. It helps improve blood cholesterol levels. It can also be used in massage therapy because it softens skin and hair. It is also used to treat anemia. The fats in olive oil can help smooth the insides of the bowel.

Tomorrow: They dream of returning to Afrin and getting their olive trees back