92 million years ago at 8000 meters below sea level, two gigantic pieces of Earth’s crust, the African and Eurasian plates, collide. A piece of oceanic crust begins to rise. Today it forms the mountain range of Troodos and is considered the most complete ocean crust of its kind in the world.
These vast geological changes gradually gave rise to the whole of Cyprus and brought to the surface a variety of minerals. One of them was asbestos (Greek=amiantos). At a Troodos location also called Amiantos, various foreign companies extracted asbestos between 1904 and 1982. They exported it to Europe and the USA where it was used to make buildings, textiles and other products. The Amiantos mine has been the biggest deposit of its kind in Europe.
A 2-year restoration project (2013-2015) aimed at halting loss of biodiversity at and around the Amiantos asbestos mine included transport and covering with natural topsoil, ground preparation, planting and sowing.
But how about the industrial and intangible heritage of the site? Who actually did the work at the Amiantos mine? And why did the mine close in 1988?
Let’s find out!
Route Content
a. For Students: If you Want to Learn More
A few words about the name Troodos: http://www.troodos-geo.org/cgibin/hweb?-V=index&_FAA=1&-dindex.html&_VLANGUAGE=en
The Abestos Mine: https://www.visitsolea.com/amiantos-asbestos-mine/?lang=en
Unesco Global Geoparks: https://www.unesco.org/en/iggp/geoparks/about
The Rio Tinto Mine (scroll down and press the dots under the images for more): https://www.erih.net/i-want-to-go-there/site/riotinto-mining-park
The Sardinia Geo-Mining Park: https://parcogeominerario.sardegna.it/en/
b. Visual Sources
Amiantos Mine in the Past https://www.amiandos.eu/en/amiandos-mine-en/mine-past-times-en.html#prettyPhoto
The Amiantos Mine https://allaboutlimassol.com/metalleio-amiantoy
PEO - Pancyprian Federation of Labour Museum: https://www.peo.org.cy/el/ypiresies/mouseio/anakoinoseis-mousiou/istoriko-ergatiko-mouseio-peo
Sample of PEO photographic collection: https://www.flickr.com/photos/187166930@N03/albums/72157717024287147
G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection (1945), Library of Congress
https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/matpc.21897
Pattichion Municipal Museum – Historical Archive – Limassol Studies Centre: https://www.limassol.org.cy/en/istoriko-arxeio-kentro-meleton
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zoumides/albums/72157658216662120
Galleria Henry, Mine of Planu Sartu, Sardinia: https://parcogeominerario.sardegna.it/en/galleria-henry-2/
MineHeritage EIT RawMaterials European Project https://mineheritage-project.eu/
c. Other sources
Troodos - Oceanic stories of a unique mountain: http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/gsd/gsd.nsf/824F2BAF9C982B73C22589E10040BDB6/$file/Oceanic%20Stories%202022%20www.pdf
The Troodos Geopark: http://www.troodos-geo.org/cgibin/hweb?-V=index&_FAA=1&-dindex.html&_VLANGUAGE=en
Troodos Geological Treasures: http://www.troodos-geo.org/cgibin/hweb?-A=177&-V=troodos
Geological Survey Department of the Republic of Cyprus – Geoenvironment: http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/gsd/gsd.nsf/All/6507EC6A0BACDEFBC22585F1003DF9F6?OpenDocument
Infographic - The Impact of Asbestos on Workers’ Health: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/impact-asbestos-workers-health/
Biodiversity Conservation in Restoration and Management of the Amiantos Asbestos Mine, in Troodos National Forest Park: https://www.amiandos.eu/en/plan-info-en.html
Geological, Mining Park of Sardinia:
