Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region

The Ohrid town is among the primitive human colonies in Europe, which is placed on the banks of a Lake having the same name. An example of a natural and cultural heritage area is the Ohrid region. Under the Criterion of UNESCO, the lake was included on the List of World Heritage Sites. Next year, the historical portion of the town was also listed under the several other Criteria of UNESCO.

The lake contains very fresh and pure water. It is a natural house of freshwater vestige organisms from the Tertiary period, and the relatives of such organisms can only be found as fossils.

Location

This Lake named Ohrid is located in Macedonia. The Ohrid region is between 40º 54’ to 41º 10’N and 20º 38’ to 20º 48’E. The town of Ohrid is situated on the northeastern shore of the river, adjacent to the National Park of Mt.Galichica.

Features

Ohrid is a primitive lake of natural and cultural heritage. The lake is very wide and 31km long. It has an average depth of 165m. It spreads over an area of 359 sq. km. Its lagoon of 3,922 sq. km spreads over a few countries. This partially Greek lake is 158 metres higher in elevation, nearly as large as Lake Ohrid, and substantially expands the catchment area. It gets roughly half of its water from  Prespa Lake, on the other side of the Mountain of Galichica,   underwater or via shoreline springs. The Mt. Galichica National Park, a huge limestone ridge separating Ohrid Lake from  Prespa Lake, is adjacent to the  Ohrid town on the lake’s northeast bank. The most powerful spring, near Sveti Naum on Lake Ohrid’s southeast coast, has 15 exits above and 30 below the water level, producing a fourth of the lake’s total intake.

Vegetation

The occurrence of Eutrophication is seen in the lake. The lake has several water sources, and Zooplankton associated with it is slightly monotonous. This is a hotspot for waterbirds and fishes. Because of the low concentrations of phosphates and nitrates, its water comes from springs, and its shoreline is cleared of reeds. 

Fauna

The lake has two major ecological sections:  offshore and near the shore. Many invertebrate species, e.g., crabs, shells, and freshwater sponges, are endemic. Hundreds of species have been recognised which are endemic. Endemism among these species is 60% in fish,66% in small crabs,71% in flatworms,88% in parasitic infusoria, and 90% in snails. Many species are bound inside the lake. Among the 17 fish species of the lake, ten species are endemic. They encompass several unique species of fish. Several species are Anguillid, Cyprinidae, and Cobititidae, Hundreds of thousands of wintering waterbirds use the coastal wetlands as a home.

Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region

The cultural heritage of the Ohrid Region includes the Neolithic settlements. A town popular as Lychnidos was present on the site in primitive times. Ancestral Illyrians and Phrygians populated this place. It was significant because it served as a vital crossroads on the Roman Via Egnatia, which connected the Adriatic to Constantinople. It possessed a university, the oldest Slav monastery, and numerous churches that flourished under the Ottomans. There are several churches in this area, many of which are particularly listed in the list of World Heritage sites. The churches are decorated with almost 800 idols painted in a special style.          

Scientific Research and Facilities

Many studies have been done on cultural artefacts of this area. The lake has been well researched for centuries, and several kinds of research have been conducted on the lake. A new Hydrometeorological Institute was recently established on a distant part of the lake.

Conclusion

Lake Ohrid is composed of natural and cultural heritage, and it offers shelter to several endemic classes of freshwater fauna and flora dating back to the tertiary period. Lake Ohrid, an ancient and deep lake of tectonic origin, has continuously existed for almost two to three million years. The cultural heritage of the Ohrid region is known globally. 

Its waterbody shelters over 200 species of animals and plants unique to the lake, e.g., turbellarian flatworms, snails, algae, crustaceans, and 17 endemic fish species, including two trout species as a rich birdlife.