About Us
History of the olive tree
The history of the olive tree begins 7000 years ago and historians have set the Mediterranean as the place where the olive trees first appeared. The Greeks were the first people to cultivate olive trees in the European Mediterranean. The olive tree is an age-old tree which loves the Mediterranean sun and the sea, grows in barren soils and has great resistance to drought. The cultivation of olive trees is very widespread throughout the Mediterranean and the consuption of olives is a key element if the Mediterranean diet. In Greece, people loved the olive tree and deified its origin, giving it a cult and religious character. The olive tree has been sacred since antiquity, so anyone who destroyed an olive tree was condemned
For the Greeks, the olive tree is much more than a tree. It is a culture, history, tradition and mythology, but mainly a symbol of peace. The messengers came with an olive branch for peace, while at the Olympic Games the only price for the winners was a wreath made of “kotinos”, ie the wild olive. It also symbolized peace and the obligatory armistice in antiquity, all over the world, during the Olympic games. The olive tree accompanied the Greeks both in times of prosperity and in times of deprivation. The fruits of olive, its oil, its trunk, its branches are used in trade, they nourish and grow healthy generations, while offering longevity and protection from various diseases. In its long course, the olive tree appeared strongly even in the artistic and cultural life of Greece. It particularly influenced the way of life in Crete, since the time of the Minoan civilization.
I was born and raised in a village named Apesokari ( Απεσωκάρι ) in South Crete, in a Cretan rural family, which fed me through our family olive groves. So, it was next to honor and the promotion of healthy and unique products, originating from the olive tree, the purpose of my life. For all these reasons,in our workshop we decided to create handmade wood carvings with passion, shaping the trunk only from Cretan olives, transforming it into the best that this tree can give. We bow to the special colors and shapes of the olive. With imagination and love for the olive, but also with respect to our customers, ie all of you, in Olive Source, we offer you what spings from the heart of the olive. The olive for us is a tree blessed by God, a precious gift of the earth, a miracle of nature