Thessaloniki Seih Sou

Location: Saranta Ekklisies

Seih Sou, also known as Kedrinos Lofos (hill of cedar), is an exurban forest that extends on the southern and southwestern slopes of Mount Chortiatis. It is the city’s oasis of oxygen and a recreation area for the inhabitants. Seih Sou (Turkish: Şeyh Su), meaning "Sheikh's water", is due to a fountain that lay inside a Muslim funeral monument. The ruins of this structure are preserved at the site of "Hilia Dentra" (as was the first name of the original core of the forest from the time of Turkish rule) to this day. The name “Kedrinos Lofos” was adopted as the preferred Greek name following a proposal by poet Georgios Vafopoulos to Thessaloniki’s Municipal Council.

From about 1800 to 1900, the area was an oak forest. A devastating fire on July 6th, 1997, burnt approximately 56% of Seih Sou. Nowadays, after reforestation actions and natural rebirth, the largest part of the forest is covered by pines, but there are also quite a few cypresses. On the north and north-east sides there are mainly holly trees. Also, sycamores grow along the watercourses, with the most common species being the eastern sycamore.
The forest is home to more than 250 species of fauna, some of which are protected.