Abandoned
Prickly pears on the side of the hill at their best but no one to pick them.
Sadly, the house in the background is left to decay and will eventually collapse.
Traditional mud brick construction is a cheap and easy form of making all kinds of shelters, either for humans, animals or storage. Mud brick has many positive qualities, it is load bearing and has good insulation properties. It is also fire resistant and forgiving, meaning that if you make a mistake you can correct it by remaking it. Mud brick construction also has the cleanest ecological footprint as it returns to the earth from where it came. The materials used to make mud bricks are available all over Cyprus. This includes clay soil, chopped straw and water. It is most economical to use readily available materials rather than transport soil in from distant areas. All that is needed is water and man power to mix it and the sun to dry it. The external coat of render protects the mud bricks from the rain.
However, this perfect form of construction has been replaced in recent times with imported methods which consist of cement and hollow clay bricks offering little insulation and add significantly to the cost of house bulding.
Abandoned
Prickly pears on the side of the hill at their best but no one to pick them.
Sadly, the house in the background is left to decay and will eventually collapse.
Traditional mud brick construction is a cheap and easy form of making all kinds of shelters, either for humans, animals or storage. Mud brick has many positive qualities, it is load bearing and has good insulation properties. It is also fire resistant and forgiving, meaning that if you make a mistake you can correct it by remaking it. Mud brick construction also has the cleanest ecological footprint as it returns to the earth from where it came. The materials used to make mud bricks are available all over Cyprus. This includes clay soil, chopped straw and water. It is most economical to use readily available materials rather than transport soil in from distant areas. All that is needed is water and man power to mix it and the sun to dry it. The external coat of render protects the mud bricks from the rain.
However, this perfect form of construction has been replaced in recent times with imported methods which consist of cement and hollow clay bricks offering little insulation and add significantly to the cost of house bulding.