Some of the oldest dovecotes in the Aegean are located near Tarambados village in Tinos island, Cyclades, Greece
Although dovecotes can be found in most Cycladic islands, Tinos has the greatest number of all and the oldest ones. The most well preserved in the Aegean, are located near Tarambados village. Locals have been always breeding pigeons since Venetians introduced its "Know-how", for their tasty meat but also for their dropping, which they used as an excellent fertilizer. Most of these stone-built structures are dated back in the 18th and 19th centuries and consist of two floors. The ground floor is used for storing agricultural products and tools and the upper one by the pigeons. They are built mainly on slopes, are water oriented, face the more sheltered side and have openings to the south. The number of dovecotes is estimated to be between 800-1300. Most of them are located in the central and central-eastern part of the island, in the valleys of Agapi, Potamia, Tarampados, Livada and Kardiani. These are the most fertile regions of the island, where there is plenty of food for the pigeons and their feces are used as fertilizer in the cultivation Artistic decoration and traditional ornaments on one or more facades of the building, constitute expression of local popular art and are considered each one and all of them as a whole, a unique in the world architectural monument
Size: 4672px × 7000px
Location: Tarambados village, Tinos island, Cyclades, Aegean Sea, Greece, Mediterranean sea, Europe
Photo credit: © GERMAINE ALEXAKIS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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