EU v vrtnicah | The EU and Rose
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Vrtnica damaščanka
Država tradicionalne rabe: Ciper
Po starogrških pripovedkah se je Afrodita, boginja lepote in ljubezni, rodila na obali otoka Cipra. Na kopno je stopila iz bele morske pene in zrak je ob tem dišal po vrtnicah. Vrtnica damaščanka je bila spremljevalka boginje Afrodite in eden od njenih atributov.
Damaščanka je starodavna vrtnica, verjetno stara kot človeška civilizacija. Sklepamo, da bil kraj njenega nastanka nekje na srednjem Vzhodu v predgorju Himalaje, kjer se v naravi srečajo vsi divji šipki, katerih gene so s sodobnimi raziskavami prepoznali v genetskem zapisu damaščank. Ta tip vrtnice so od začetka gojili predvsem zaradi vonja, manj zaradi videza cvetov. Že v antiki so poznali načine, da so vonj vrtnic damaščank, ki cvetijo dva tedna v začetku poletja, ohranili do naslednjega poletja.
Damaščanka je preživela kulte starega veka in našla pot v krščanstvo. V pravoslavju, predvsem v njegovem grškem in jugovzhodnem delu, ima rožna voda, tradicionalno izdelana iz damaščank, mesto v obredih in velikonočni liturgiji.
Na Cipru, ki je politično že pol stoletja razdeljen na grški in turški del, je damaščanka eden od redkih simbolov, ki ju povezuje. Tudi muslimani cenijo damaščanko in rožna voda iz nje je pomembna v običajih in kulinariki.
Vrtnica je del razstave EU v vrtnicah.
(ENGLISH)
The ‘Damask’ Rose
Country of traditional use: Cyprus
According to ancient Greek legends, Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, was born on the shores of the island of Cyprus. She emerged onto land from white sea froth, and the air around her was suffused with the scent of roses. The Damask Rose was associated with Aphrodite and considered one of her symbols.
The Damask Rose is an ancient rose, probably as old as humanity itself. It is conjectured that it originated somewhere in the Middle East, in the Himalayan foothills, the natural home to all varieties of wild roses found in the genetic code of the Damask roses. From the very outset, the rose was grown for its scent rather than its look. The ancient world was familiar with ways of preserving the scent of Damask roses, which only flower for two weeks at the beginning of summer, until the following summer.
The Damask Rose found its way from ancient cults into Christianity. In Orthodox Christianity, especially in Greece and in the regions of the South-East, rose oil traditionally produced from the Damask Rose has been used as part of ceremonies and Easter liturgy.
The Damask Rose is one of the rare unifying symbols in Cyprus, which has been politically divided into Turkish and Greek parts for over half a century. Muslims also hold the Damask Rose in high regard and use it in their customs as well as traditional cuisine.
The rose variety is a part of the exhibition The EU and Rose.
