(Redirected from Lemesos)
'Limassol' (
Greek: ''Λεμεσός'', ''Lemesos'';
Turkish: ''Limasol'', alt. ''Leymosun'') is the second-largest city of
Cyprus, with a population of 176.900 (2005), the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality of the island. The city is located on
Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of
Limassol District.
It is the biggest port in the
Mediterranean transit trade. Limassol has since then become one of the most important
tourism, trade and service-providing centre in the area. Limassol is renowned for its long cultural tradition. A wide spectrum of activities and a great number of
museums and
archaeological sites are available to the interested visitor.
Limassol was built between two ancient cities,
Amathus and
Kourion, so during
Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis (new town). Limassol's tourist strip now runs east along the coast as far as
Amathus. To the west of the city is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area of the
United Kingdom.
Limassol also attracts a wide range of tourists mostly during the summer season to be accommodated in its several luxurious hotels and apartments. Limassol is also home to the
Cyprus University of Technology.
History
The town of Limassol is situated between the ancient towns of
Amathus and Curium (
Kourion). The English King
Richard the Lionheart destroyed
Amathus in
1191. Lemesos (Limassol) was probably built after Amathus had been ruined. However, the town of Lemesos (Limassol) was inhabited since the very old times. Graves found there date back to 2.000 B.C. and others date back to the
8th and
4th century BC. These few remains show that a small colonization must have existed which did not manage to develop and flourish.Ancient writers mention nothing about the foundation of the town.
According to the
Synod which took place in
451, the bishop of Theodossiani Sotir as well as the bishops of Amathus and Arsinoe were involved in the foundation. Theodossiani is regarded the same as Limassol was known later as Neapolis. Bishop
Leontios of Neapolis was an important church writer in the
7th century.The records of the 7th Synod (787) refer to it as the bishop’s see. The town was known as Nemesos in the
10th century.
Constantine Porfyrogennitos refers to the town by this name.
The history of Limassol is largely known by the events of
1191 A.D. that put an end to the
Byzantine dominion of Cyprus. The king of England, Richard the Lionheart, was travelling to the
Holy Land in 1191. His fiancée Berengaria and his sister loanna, (Queen of Sicily), were also travelling on a different ship. Because of a storm, the ship with the queens arrived in Lemesos (Limassol).
Isaac Comnenus, the Byzantine governor of Cyprus, was heartless and cruel, and loathed the Latins. He invited the queens ashore, with the intention of holding them to ransom, but they wisely refused. So he refused them fresh water and they had to put out to sea again or yield to capture. When Richard arrived in Lemesos (Limassol) and met Isaac Comnenus, he asked him to contribute to the crusade for the liberation of the Holy Land. While at the beginning Isaac had accepted, he later on refused to give any help.
Richard then chased him and beat him. Cyprus was therefore taken over by the English. Richard celebrated his marriage with Berengaria who had received the crown as queen of England in Cyprus. So, the Byzantine dominion in Cyprus came to an end.Richard destroyed Amathus and the inhabitants were transferred to Limassol.
A year later, in
1192 A.D. Cyprus was sold to the
Templars, rich monks and soldiers whose aim was the protection of the
Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The knights enforced high taxes, in order to put back the money that had been given for the purchase of Cyprus. This led to the revolt of the Cypriots. They demanded that they should get rid of the bond of the promise. Richard accepted their request and a new purchaser was found:
Guy de Lusignan, a
Frank, a
Roman Catholic. Cyprus was thus handed over to the Frankish Dynasty of the Lusignan kings of the medieval
Cypriot kingdom.
For a period of about three centuries
1192-
1489, Limassol enjoyed a remarkable prosperity. Cyprus was characterized by its great number of Latin bishops. This lasted until the occupation of Cyprus by the
Ottomans in
1570 A.D. Latin battalions which established monasteries were settled down there.
The settling down of merchants in Cyprus and particularly in Limassol in the
13th century led to the financial welfare of its inhabitants. Its harbor as a center of transportation and commerce, contributed greatly to the financial and cultural development.
Arrival of Germany
Kourion Theatre outside the city of Limassol
The King of Germany,
Frederick II, urged by the Templars of Cyprus who were enemies of Ibelen, arrived in Limassol and took over in the town in
1228. He then called John Ibelen to come before him, in order to discuss the plans against the
Muslims. John Ibelen came before him accompanied by the under-aged King Eric and all the Templars of Cyprus. When Ibelen refused to cooperate, Frederick had no choice but to let him go. The German King took over in Limassol and in other towns. He appointed his own governors but he finally left Cyprus. The forces of Frederick were finally beaten in the battle of
1229, which took place in Agirta, a village in the
Kyrenia area, between the forces of Frederick and the troops of the Franks, which were led by John Ibelen. The outcome of the battle meant the beginning of the freedom of Cyprus from the
Germans.
Attacks from Egypt
Limassol witnessed the attacks of the
Mamelukes of
Egypt. The harbor of Limassol had become a refuge for the pirates who were ravaging the countries of the Eastern
Mediterranean and were stealing the property belonging to muslims. The lords were getting richer and richer because of the money that was given to them for their assistance to the pirates. Thus, a military force arrived in Limassol in
1424, sent by the Mamelukes of Egypt. The Mamelukes devastated and burned Lemesos (Limassol). A year later, they invaded Cyprus again, this time with greater forces. They plundered
Famagusta and
Larnaca, and then arrived in Limassol where without any difficulty they occupied the Castle, burned many places, plundered others and then returned to
Cairo. The Mamelukes caused even greater destruction in Limassol and other places in
1426.
Janus, the king of Cyprus, was defeated by them in Chirokitia and was sent back to Cairo as a prisoner.
Cyprus was sold in
1489 A.D. to the town of Venice by the Cypriot Queen
Catherine Cornaro. The
Venetians were not interested in Cyprus. They were only interested in receiving the taxes and in exploiting the country’s sources. They destroyed the Castle of Limassol. Travelers who visited Cyprus in the
16th century commented on the poor condition of the local population in the towns of Cyprus.
All the inhabitants of Cyprus were enslaved by the Venetians, and were obliged to pay a tribute of ⅓ of their income, whether this was part of their products of the land, e.g. wheat, wine, oil, or animals or of any other product.
Ottoman invasion
Limassol's seafront
The
Ottoman Empire invaded Cyprus in 1570-
1571 and occupied it. Limassol was conquered in July 1570 without any resistance. Descriptions of different visitors inform us that the town of Limassol looked like a village with a considerable number of inhabitants. The Christians used to live in small houses of such low height, that one had to bend in order to enter the house. This was deliberately chosen in order to prevent the Ottomans from riding a horse, to enter the houses.
Greeks and Turks used to live in distinct neighborhoods. The church played an important role in the education of the country during the years
1754-
1821. During those years new schools were set up in all the towns. Greek intellectuals used to teach Greek history, Turkish and French. The following schools operated in the town of Limassol:
★ The Greek School which was established in
1819.
★ The first public school which was established in
1841.
★ The Girls’ School which was established in
1861.
British takeover
Church, Limassol
Seafront View, Limassol
The
British took over in Cyprus in
1878. The first British governor of Limassol was Colonel Warren. He showed a particular interest in Limassol and even from the very first days the condition of the town showed an improvement. The roads were cleaned, the animals were removed from the center, roads were fixed, trees were planted and docks were constructed for the loading and unloading of those ships that were embarked away from the shore. Lanterns for the lighting of the central areas were also installed in the 1880. In 1912, electricity finally replaced the old lanterns.
From the very first years of the British occupation, a post office, a telegraph office and a hospital began to operate. In
1880 the first printing press started working. It was in this printing press that the newspapers «Alithia» and «Anagennisis» were published in 1897. The newspaper «Salpinx» was published at the same time.
At the end of the
19th century the very first hotels began to operate. Among these were «Europe» and «Amathus».
These changes that the British brought about contributed to the development of an intellectual and artistic life.
Schools, theaters, clubs, art galleries, music halls, sport societies, football clubs etc. were all set up and meant a great deal to the cultural life of Lemesos (Limassol).
Job opportunities concerned the wine and ceramic industries, as well as the commerce and tourism developed by the port.
Government
The first
marxist groups in Cyprus formed in Limassol in the early
1920s. In
1926 the Communist party of Cyprus was formed in the city. Its successor
AKEL dominated municipal elections, since the first free elections in
1943 won by
Ploutis Servas.
The current Mayor of the municipality is Andreas Christou - AKEL member as well - and he was elected Mayor of Limassol in December
2006 to serve a five year term.
Economy
The development of tourism in Limassol began after 1974 when the
Turkish invaders occupied
Famagusta and
Kyrenia, the basic tourist areas of Cyprus. Limassol has some very good beaches, rich in sand and suitable for sunbathing and swimming. A bathing beach with all the necessary facilities, provided by the «Cyprus Tourism Organisation» (CTO), is operating in the town of Limassol, in «Dasoudi» area.
Limassol became the major sea
port of the
Republic of Cyprus in
1974. Before 1974, that role had been filled by
Famagusta which is now located in the
Turkish controlled part of the island).
Limmasol is the base for many of the island's
wine companies, serving the wine-growing regions on the southern slopes of the
Troodos Mountains (of which the most famous is
Commandaria). The most important ones are
KEO, LOEL, SODAP and ETKO. The wines and cognacs (brandies) that are produced by the grapes that grow in the countryside, are of excellent quality. They have won several awards in international exhibitions. There is a considerable consumption of wine products in Cyprus by the locals and the foreign visitors. Big quantities are exported to
Europe.
The Entrance to the Touristic Avenue of Limassol.
The town of Limassol is the biggest industrial centre of the province. There are about 350 industrial units with 90 industry wares. These industries concern dressmaking, furniture, shoes, drinks, food, prints, metal industry, electric devices, plastic wares as well as many other different industries.
Limassol is an important trade centre of Cyprus. This is due to the presence of the
UK sovereign base at Episkopi and
Akrotiri, and to the displacement of the population in Limassol after the Turkish invasion in 1974. The trade markets are gathered in the center of the town and in the tourist area along the coast that begins from the old harbor and ends in Amathus area. Most of the hotels, restaurants, confectioneries, discos and places of entertainment in general, are to be found in this area.
Limassol has two
ports, commonly referred to as the "old port" and the "new port". The new port has the greatest commercial and passenger flow of traffic and it is the biggest port in the free part of Cyprus. The old harbour has a breakwater 250 metres long and it is only able to receive three small ships at a time. It is thus normally used by fishing boats. The new harbour is eleven metres deep and has break-waters that are 1300 metres long. It is able to receive about ten ships depending on their size.
Exports of grapes, wines, carobs, citrus fruits and imports of cereals, vehicles, machines, textiles, agricultural medicines, fertilizers, iron etc. are exported and imported through these ports.
Demographics
View of Limassol's Marina
Internal migration since the
1960s and influx of displaced persons after 1974 significantly increased the population of Limassol and its suburbs. Greater Limassol today includes the municipality of Limassol (includes the suburb of Agia Fyla) and the municipalities of Polemidhia, Mesa Geitonia, Agios Athanasios and Germasogeia.
Limassol traditionally had a mixed population of
Greek and
Turkish Cypriots. The majority of Turkish Cypriots moved to the north in 1974. Accordingly, many
Greek Cypriots who became refugees after they had fled from the north of Cyprus settled down in Limassol. During the
1990s several Cypriot
Roma (people) (considered Turkish Cypriots according to the constitution) returned from the North of the island to the Turkish quarter of Limassol.
Limassol is also where the island's small Jewish population is based, with the island's only synagogue.
The rise of the population birth rate during the late 19th and
20th c. (1878-1960) was 70%. The number of inhabitants was 6.131 in 1881, while in
1960 the number had risen to 43.593. The number of the Greek population was estimated at 37.478, while the Turkish population at 6.115.
Landmarks
★ The medieval
castle is one of the nine castles of Cyprus (the others are at
Kolossi,
Larnaca and
Paphos now in the
Republic of Cyprus controlled area, and
Famagusta,
Kantara,
Buffavento,
St. Hilarion and
Kyrenia now within the ''de facto'' but
internationally unrecognised state of the ''
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus''). It was built by the
Byzantines around 1000 AD. Around the same period, a chapel was also built there.
Richard the Lionheart is supposed to have married his fiancée Princess
Berengaria of Navarre on this site after her ship was grounded nearby in
1191 as she accompanied him to the
Third Crusade, on his way to
Holy Land. The Castle was used as a prison, between 1790-1940.
★ The medieval
castle of Limassol now serves as a medieval
museum. The collection that the museum provides covers the era of
400 -
1870 A.D. A visitor can see numerous exhibits: cannons, wood carvings of the
17th and
18th century, paintings and tombstones, statues, suits of armor, coins, terracotta, metalware and pottery, glass and marble articrafts.
The medieval castle
★ The Archaeological Museum provides a very interesting collection of antiquities found in the district of Limassol, dating from the
Neolithic Age to the
Roman period. Some of the archaeological discoveries are:
Stone axes of the Neolithic and
Chalcolithic period, potteries and objects of the ancient cities of Curium and Amathus, as well as Roman terra cottas, gold jewelery, coins, sculptures, columns, vases, earrings, rings, necklaces, marble statues etc.
★ The Folk Art Museum is beautifully preserved old house which provides a very interesting collection of Cypriot Folk Art of the last two centuries. Some of the most fascinating objects of the collection are: national costumes, tapestry, embroidery, wooden chests, waistcoats, men’s jackets, necklaces, a variety of light clothes, town costumes, country tools etc.
The museum was established in 1985. More than 500 exhibits are housed in its six rooms. The museum was awarded the
Europa Nostra prize in 1989. Here, the visitor can study Cypriot culture through the hand-made exhibits.
★ Public Garden is situated on the coastal road. It provides a great variety of vegetation: eucalyptus trees, pine trees and cypresses. In this beautiful environment the citizens of Limassol and many visitors can walk around and enjoy themselves. Inside the garden, there is a small zoo. There, the visitor can see deer,
moufflons,
ostriches,
pheasants, tigers, lions, monkeys,
vultures, pelicans and other animals and different kinds of birds.Not far from the zoo there is the small natural history museum and the garden theatre that is reconstructed to host famous international groups.
★ A series of public sculptures commissioned by the Limassol Municipality, can be found on the reclamation (now Twin Cities park), spanning one mile of Seafront reclaimed land. The sculptues were created by
Costas Dikefalos,
Thodoros Papayiannis,
Yiorgos Tsaras,
Vassilis Vassili,
Christos Riganas,
Kyriakos Rokos,
Manolis Tsombanakis and
Yiorgos Houliaras from Greece,
Kyriakos Kallis,
Nikos Kouroussis,
Helene Black and
Maria Kyprianou from Cyprus,
Saadia Bahat from Israel,
Victor Bonato from Germany and
Ahmet El-Stoahy from Egypt
Festivals
Scene from Limassol's famous Carnival
Limassol is famous in Cyprus for its festivals, like the
Carnival and Wine Festival. The Limassol Carnival festival lasts for ten (10) days, with jolly and amusing masquerading. This custom is very old, going back to pagan rituals. With the passage of time it has acquired a different, purely entertaining character, with a large, popular following. The festival starts with the entrance parade of the King Carnival, followed by a fancy-dress competition for children. During the Carnival parade in the main streets, large crowds from all over the island gather to watch the floats with the serenade and other masqueraded groups. Many fancy-dress balls and parties take place at many hotels every night.
During the first quarter of September, the great Wine Festival of Cyprus takes place in the Municipal Garden of Lemesos (Limassol), every evening between 8.00 hrs - 23.00 hrs. During the festival the visitor has the chance to taste some of the best Cyprus wines, which are offered free of charge. On some evenings, various groups from Cyprus and abroad perform folk dancing and there are also choirs and others.
Other festivals are Flower Festival (May), Festival of the Flood (June), Shakespearean nights and Ancient Greek Drama Festival.
In
2008, the
Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Limassol.
Sports
AEL FC and
Apollon Limassol are the two major sport clubs in Limassol, which have
football,
basketball and
volleyball teams. AEL has the records of the most trophies in totally all the sports together. In basketball, Apollon and AEL are very powerful teams. AEL dominates the Cypriot basketball, while it has the record of the most time champions. They were the Cyprus Champions for five concecutive years (the last five years). In football, both teams Apollon and AEL play in
First Division.
Aris Limassol is another football team which plays in First Division. AEL women volleyball teams is the permanent champion of Cyprus. There are also teams in
athletics,
bowling,
cycling and other sports.
The football stadium of Limassol is
Tsirion, with capacity of 16 000, which hosts the three football teams of Limassol and in the past it hosted
Cyprus national football team. It was used also for athletics. There are various other stadiums for other sports in Limassol.
The Apollon Limassol basketball stadium, hosted the 2003
FIBA Europe South Regional Challenge Cup Final Four. The two basketball teams of Limassol participated and AEL became the first Cypriot sport team to win a European Trophy. In 2006, Limassol hosted the
FIBA Europe All Star Game in
"Spyros Kiprianou" Sports Centre, as it had the year before.
Also, in Limassol and around, is hosted
the Cyprus Rally for
World Rally Championship.
Twinned Cities
★
Nanjing,
PR China
★
Prague,
Czech Republic
★
Alexandria,
Egypt
★
Marseille,
France
★
Niederkassel,
Germany
★
Ioannina, Greece
★
Heraklion,
Crete, Greece
★
Patra, Greece
★
Rhodes,
Greece
★
Thessaloniki, Greece
★
Zakynthos, Greece
★
Haifa,
Israel
★
Tel Aviv,
Israel
Famous people
★
Adamos Adamou, a
Member of the European Parliament and chairman of the Delegation for relations between
EU with the
Palestinian Legislative Council.
★
Marcos Baghdatis, an internationally famous
tennis player and who was finalist in the
2006 Australian Open
★
Michael Cacoyannis, a
filmmaker, director of
Zorba the Greek movie
★
Constantinos Christoforou a Cypriot singer.
★
Spyros Kyprianou, the former president of Cyprus (1977-1988)
★
Markos Kyprianou (Spyros Kyprianou's son) is a Cypriot politician, currently serving as
European Commissioner for Health.
★
Sotiris Moustakas, 1940-2007, theatre, cinema and tv
actor.
★
Ioannis Phrangoudis, Olympic medalist shooter in 1896
★
Marios Tokas, Famous music composer.
See also
★
Limassol District
★
Amathus
★
Kourion
★
Knights Templar
★
List of Cypriot companies
★ For more info you can also visit Cyprus' most comprehensive eating out guide that features Limassol restaurants
CyprusEatOut
References
★
Municipality of Limassol - History of Limassol
External links
★
Official site of Limassol Municipality
Other uses
''Limassol'' is also the title of a song by
Maxïmo Park from the album ''
A Certain Trigger''.
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