Bidnija Olive Grove

Bidnija Olive Grove site is divided into two distinct, but connected, areas. The first consists of around 20 large olive trees. The olive grove was protected in 1933 by the Antiquities Preservation Act and has been granted the highest level of protection ever since. It remains home to the oldest known specimens of the Bidni variety olive. The grove is important for a number of reasons: • Age – Recent Carbon dating on the trunks of the oldest specimens estimate a living age of around 500 years. • Uniqueness – Studies have found that the olive trees in this grove, commonly known as Tal-Bidni, have a unique genetic signature that is specific to this grove. This variety is also the only known species in the Mediterranean that is immune to certain types of pests that usually target olive trees. This makes these 20 tree specimens a unique living monument of importance for the study of past olive production and for the future proliferation of this stronger olive tree. The second area contains