The catastrophic fires in Northern Evia, burned not only thousands of acres of virgin forest, but also the ancient Olive grove of Rovia, with the 2,500 years old olive tree among the victims.
Ahistoric, 2,500-year-old olive tree on the Greek island of Evia has been destroyed amid ongoing wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
Local resident Apostolis Panagiotou posted images of the tree on Twitter Sunday, showing it before and after the fires.
The tree, which was fertile and still producing olives, was so large that 10 people could fit along the diameter of its trunk, according to the Greek Reporter.
The ancient tree, located in the olive grove of Rovia, even featured in the writings of renowned Greek geographer, philosopher and historian Strabo, who lived about 2,000 years ago.
But images taken after fires ravaged the ancient olive grove in the north of the island show that the tree had been reduced to a hollowed out stump, with only fragments of its trunk remaining.
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