Souvalas of Aegina
Souvalas of Aegina
Makrosouvala in Sfendouri, the largest suvala of Aegina islandς
Throughout Aegina we will meet the characteristic, typically small and often very shallow, reservoirs, dug in the harsh, impermeable ground or opened at the base of rocks, after the removal of fragmented parts. These reservoirs are called souvalas, a term originating by the Slavic word ‘suvala’, meaning ‘stagnant water’ and is used throughout continental Greece to define basins (plateaus, dolines or polje) holding water in seasonal or permanent basis. Some very small ‘souvales’ consist of a small naturally formed basin in a hollow cavity of the rock, where sometimes locals have engraved a suitable ditch. In almost all cases, a built wall is present in the perimeter of the reservoir and water is taken with the use of a bucket, typically hidden somewhere near.
Each ‘souvala’ is complemented by a number of stone troughs, engraved always on impermeable and solid volcanic rock. These troughs keep also rainwater.
The very old souvala of Sfyrictres, beside the temple of Zeus Ellanios
The total number of ‘souvales’ in Aegina is unknown, as every now and then new small ones are revealed, lost under dense shrubland. Some of them are quite large and hold water in a permanent basis, constituting actually small wetlands with unexpected presence of wildlife (plants, amphibians and so on), while others, probably roughly formed or half-finished, are just simple dry pits.
The largest of the three suvalas in Mardies
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