Ecology & Safety, Volume 10, 2016

Abstract: The heterogeneity of the Mediterranean rural landscape is the outcome of a combination of natural and cultural evolution which has a very rich biological and cultural diversity. Development of rural settlements with rural planning attitude is very important in terms of protection of local socio-cultural characteristics and plant biodiversity. In rural areas, the courtyard houses have a great value in terms of herb biodiversity. The rural village gardens should be assessed in a holistic perspective with ecological, local and cultural structure. There has been relatively little research on the courtyard gardens in traditional villages of Cyprus. The objective of this study was to record and value edible herbs and fruits derived from courtyard gardens in a rural village from Kyrenia region, Cyprus. This study has been carried out in Karmi village on the slopes of the Kyrenia Mountains facing towards the north. During the surveys in 2015-2016 the characteristics of the traditional courtyard houses were visited and edible plant species were determined within their courtyard gardens. A total of 16 different herb species and 20 different fruit trees were recorded during the surveys. Most widely used herb species in courtyard gardens which are also used in local cuisine as well were Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), Sage (Salvia officinalis L.l) and Thyme (Thymus spp.). With this research the information of local herbs that have been used in traditional courtyard gardens was investigated, in addition the importance of protection of the natural and semi-natural landscapes in rural areas in terms of “Rural Landscape Protection” has been underlined.