Olive Trees in Afrin Region

Olive trees have a glorious history , and fictional stories about their place and root . The myth says that the branch which the peace-pegion holds by its peck announces the end of flood .Olive branch returns peace and happiness to earth . It is told that the queen of wisdom " Minirva"  promised to give people a valuable present, It was an olive-plant .All heavenly Books mentioned it ,It And Islam blessed olive trees and mentioned in the Holy Quran . Our great prophet , peace be upon Him, mentioned in many Hadeeths and said : "Eat olive oil and rub with it , there is a cure of seventy diseases ; e.g. liprosy .

In the International Conference which held in Louk , Italy 1969, that physicians from
Italy , Greece , France , Tunisia , Yougoslavia and Spain , representing Mediterranean states , held a meeting to study the biological and medical features of olive oil . All confirmed that olive oil is the best .

Syria is considered the original home for olive trees , from which they spread to Greece by phoeni cians sailors whom they called "liquid gold ", and soon they spread to all countries of the Mediterranean sea . Syria occupies great places is growing olives . It takes the second position on Arab level and the fourth on world level . Afrin , which is located in the north of Aleppo-Syria , is famous for planting olive trees . There are about (13) thirteen million trees which produce the best kind of olive oil , that comes out by squeezing the ripe olive crops .

The Nutrient Value of Olive Oil

Olive oil is considered an important food . It gives the quick feeling of satisfactory and facilitates digestive operation . In addition to its high nourished value and it can preserve its very useful properties that the acidity percentage in good oil reaches
0.5 – 1.5 % and dissociation degree is 210  C dg  it is remarkably high . Perhaps the degree of fried food or cooking does not exceed  180 C dg  ; e.g. for frying potatoes the large scope of olive oil never allows to reach the temperature which makes it smoke on blacken .
It is experimentally proved in Italy , louk conference that olive oil is the most bearable for heat 170 C dg   during two hours . These properties are found in other kinds of oil . The most important benefit of olive oil is the containing of many kinds of balanced and in saturated essential fat acids . It contains 9% of  linolic acid . This is essential for our bodies . It can not be made by itself . The necessary amount of it is 6.5 Gr. daily . This is easily available in olive oil . It is rich for colic acid 75%  . This makes it the first in the olive oil list , concerning digestion easiness . It is notably mentioned that olive oil contains vitamins , hermons , and minerals which play an  important role in growth , body-building . and microbe resistant as well as effective participation in nervous , muscular and sexy balance . This interprets why is olive oil fundamental  in food system for athletes?

The Hygienic Value of Olive Oil

Olive oil is entered in medicine-making after adding some plants and perfume material . It helps the flexibility of muscular for athletes if it is rubbed . It also keeps the elegancy of girls' faces and the softness of their skin and the brilliance of their hair . It keeps the brightness of  teeth and cure the diseased gun as well .

Olive Oil and The digestion system

Stomach bears olive oil very well . It is fast digestive if it is taken raw . It results to improve the taste of many food , opens the appetite , helps to secrete gastric juice , lightens the stomach acid ( according to prof . junil's opinion ). It also reduce the ulcer illness and helps to cure diseased men . To take two spoons of olive oil before breakfast , have a great effect for the treatment of chronic constipation . And taking two spoons before  food is an effective medicament for gastric spasm . It has laxative role and it also protects the digestive canals in case of food poisoning . It can replaces the chemical purgatives .

Olive Oil and Cardiac Diseases and Atherosclerosis

Cardiac diseases ratio becomes less four or five times to peoples who use olive oil in their food . Recent studies proved that consuming olive oil reduce the ratio of cholesterol and prevent gathering it in blood . It decreases the atherosclerosis casualty and myocardiac infarction .

Olive Oil and Skin Diseases

Olive oil takes the role of softening the skin and cuticle and mucus . It strengthens the skin and tissues . It comes in many kinds of skin ointment , and dissolves  medicine , treats burns and pustule . It is used to stop hair fall , abscess strengthen it . Also , it can reduce the skin rubbing and the pain of insects sting.

Olive Oil and Childhood

Olive oil contains vitamin "D" . This protects children from rickets . It also contains vitamin "B" and "E" . These strengthen skin and tissues . Physicians advise to give it to babies and children to improve their growth and activity and increase the ability of thinking and intelligence .

In Syria there are about 67 million trees . In Afrin region , are about (13) million trees . ( small and fruitful trees ) . The number of olive presses is (250) . (92) of them are developed and modern technical presses . (158) the others are old technical presses. There are (18) olive pomade factories and (10) soap factories as well .

Timetable states the number of olive presses , pomade and soap factories :

Total	Jendeiras	Sheikh Al-Hadid	Mabatly	Rajo	Bulbul	Sharran	Center
92	22	10	15	10	7	12	16	Central Modern press
158	15	6	35	26	20	36	20	Old press
250	37	16	50	36	27	48	36	Total
18	1		1			3	13	Olive pomade
10						1	9	Soap factories

Syria is very important for food security crops . Olive oil comes in the third grade after cotton and grain crops . It forms more than 60 % of the whole area concerning the income after other fruitful trees .
 
Syria occupies the second center according to production on Arab homeland level . The important of this farming comes from that olive trees relate to old period , the sixth on the level of its giving good-quality . Because of its physiological and morphological form , they live longer and bear hard environmental circumstances . They grow in less fruitful land ( hill and stone ) .They grow waterless in limited rainy circumstances , while other plants and trees can not .
 
Olive in Afrin Region, occupies the first grade because of suitable climate and land. Peasants are hard-working in digging the rock with their nail to plant the blessed trees . Afrin people eagerly receive oil harvest season , they wait for crops to fulfill their obligations . Some get married , and others build a house or a room to live with their family ….etc .

So , men and women , young and old rush to olive farms in morning . You see all of them there . In the evening , peasants and owners go to the olive press. At season  days (between November and December) every years , this view recurs happily  penetrating the silent wall of nature . The season days change workers' songs and  chanting to read wedding . So , men indulge in nature and unity with it forming symphony of olive harvest , full of hope and life aspiration .

Sources:
1)The Hygienic value of olive oil , Agricultural engineers :
 1- Muhammad Karabij              2-Malek Abdeen
 2-Nizar Issa                               4-Mustafa Muallem
2)Administration of olive bureau , Ministry of Agriculture and land Reform in Syria.
3)Technology of oil , Dr.Eng.Mahmoud Dahhan , Faculty of Agriculture , Aleppo University . 
4)Mr. Khalil Othman's brochure. Basota oil
5)Tirej .Soft studies – Afrin .