Limassol history Cyprus
The Limassol urban area was apparently occupied by small settlements from 2,000 BC onwards. But the town it¬self was of little importance before the Christian era and the time of the crusades, around the 12th century. The main centres of antiquity had been the city kingdoms of Arnathus to the east, now just a heap of ancient rocks, and Curium (Kouri on) to the west, still a place of interest to tourists.
Hence, the probable origin of the name Limassol, conjectured to be a corruption of Nemesos, Greek for 'in be¬tween' (the two ancient cen¬tres), which later became Lemesos and then Limassol. It was here that England's Richard the Lionheart, leading a Crusade to Jerusalem in 1191, stopped off with his fiancee Berengaria. Badly re¬ceived by the tyrant Isaac Comnenius, he took the island away from him and sold it -first to the Knights Templar (who settled in Limassol) and then to the Lusignans .
Other Crusaders, the Knights of St John, settled in Limassol in 1291 and the town flourished as never before. But the repeated natural calamity of earthquakes and the human rapacity of Geno¬ese, Egyptians and Turks re¬duced the city by the early 19th century to a crumbling village. Development of the wine industry under the British breathed new life into the place. Since the 1974 partition, Limassol's population has in¬creased by 50% , second only to that of Nicosia. Besides refugees from the north, it counts a notable community of Leban¬ese and other, mostly prosper¬ous immigrants from the Near East.
Central Limassol and car hire in Cyprus
Car hire in Cyprus provides modern day visitors with a convenient and cheap mode of transport, particularly when car hire is pre-booked and picked up directly from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. With only a few historic or cultural sights, the town's good resort hotels and night¬life nevertheless make it an attractive base from which to explore the outstanding ar-chaeological sites to the west and the Troodos mountain vil¬lages to the north.
The solitary monument to the town's feu¬dal glory the rest have suc¬cumbed to earthquake and enemy fire is the Castle, just a few steps inland from the old port and customs house.
The imposing stone fortification dates from the 13th century. Both the Lusignans and Vene¬tians strengthened this ancient redoubt, which served the Turks as well after their conquest of Cyprus in 1571.
In a pleasant tropical greenery setting, it is surrounded by narrow lanes lined with arti¬sans' shops, where the special¬ity is metalware (copper and tin), and where the craftsmen are bemused rather than amused by tourists. The well preserved castle contains a mediaeval muse-um displaying tombstones and weapons as well as photos of early Christian churches and medieval buildings from all over the island.
The Limassol Museum Cyprus
The Gothic Great Hall, converted for use as a church and then a prison, has been restored. The prison now seems a cosy place, with eight cells in pristine white limestone. The small, modern Limas¬sol Museum in Byron Street behind the Public Gardens contains some fascinating ar¬chaeological treasures.
From shards and tools of Neolithic and Chalcolithic vintage, you'll progress through ceram¬ics of the Bronze and Iron ages, with plenty of pottery right up through the Greco-Roman period (plus coins, rings and other artefacts). Don't miss the display of jewellery from various periods and the expressive terra cotta figurines; one fat lady with a basket looks like a friendly old fashioned washerwoman, while bulls and outsize dogs complete the amusing statuette scene.
There's a beautiful head of Aphrodite from nearby Curium; a headless statue of a youth holding a bird (7th-6th century BC); some funerary stejes; and a massive statue of the Egyptian god Bes indeed an ugly fellow found on the site of ancient Amathus in 1978. The Folk Art Museum, 253 Ayios Andreas Street, provides a glimpse of rural Cypriot life, woodcarving, embroidery, jewellery and weaving all coming together nicely in the display of a bride's robes and the elabo¬rately carved chest for the finery of her trousseau.
As winemaking is not only an industry but also a tourist attraction, you'll find a visit to a winery both instructive and fun. On the outskilts of town, the top houses Kep, Sodap and Etko all offer short tours of their plant. You can see Cypriot wines, beers and spir¬its made and bottled with a chance to taste. Tours usually begin around 10 a.m.
Things to do around Limassol
East of town, hidden among the beach resort hotels, are the fenced-off ruins of Amathus, really of interest only to archaeological experts. Just north of Limassol is the little village of Germasogeia, re¬puted for its excellent tavern as in a pretty rural setting of the Troodos foothills. On the out¬skirts is a picturesque dam where you can, with a licence, go fishing. The coast road west past the wineries takes you along a delightful shady avenue that is a veritable arbour of euca¬lyptus and cypress trees bor¬dered on either side by orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards.
Akrotiri Peninsula Cyprus
It was here that the traces of hunters of pigmy hippos, the earliest human presence on the island, were found (8500 BC). Half of the peninsula is salt lake more flats than lake ¬popular with migratory birds, notably pink flamingoes from October to March. Most of the rest is occupied by the British 'Sovereign Base Area'.
The peninsula's popularity with the British army is attested by a stretch of beach east of the salt flats known as Lady's Mile, after the colonel's mare that was brought here for a daily canter. Just south of Akrotiri vil¬lage, look for a track leading east to St Nicholas of the Cats Monastery, a Gothic ruin on the site where the monks reared their special breed of antiviper cats .
On the west side of the peninsula, Kolossi Castle is an impressive 15th-century keep jutting up out of gently rolling countryside. It was the headquarters of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem for ad¬ministering their considerable sugar plantations and exten¬sive vineyards.
The Commanderie, as the headquarters were known, gave its name to their prized Commandaria sweet red dessert wine. A stone stairway leads across the moat to the en¬trance. On your way in, notice the fleur-de-lys escutcheon over the east side entry, coat of arms of Louis de Magnac, Lusignan Grand Commander of the Order of St John.
Among the spacious rooms with massive walls 3 m (10 ft) thick, the one with a huge walkin fireplace was the kitchen. Climb the steep and narrow spiral staircase for the view from the battlements. Outside you can see traces of an ancient aqueduct. Across from the keep, the imposing stone Gothic structure served as the Knights' sugar refinery.
Hence, the probable origin of the name Limassol, conjectured to be a corruption of Nemesos, Greek for 'in be¬tween' (the two ancient cen¬tres), which later became Lemesos and then Limassol. It was here that England's Richard the Lionheart, leading a Crusade to Jerusalem in 1191, stopped off with his fiancee Berengaria. Badly re¬ceived by the tyrant Isaac Comnenius, he took the island away from him and sold it -first to the Knights Templar (who settled in Limassol) and then to the Lusignans .
Other Crusaders, the Knights of St John, settled in Limassol in 1291 and the town flourished as never before. But the repeated natural calamity of earthquakes and the human rapacity of Geno¬ese, Egyptians and Turks re¬duced the city by the early 19th century to a crumbling village. Development of the wine industry under the British breathed new life into the place. Since the 1974 partition, Limassol's population has in¬creased by 50% , second only to that of Nicosia. Besides refugees from the north, it counts a notable community of Leban¬ese and other, mostly prosper¬ous immigrants from the Near East.
Central Limassol and car hire in Cyprus
Car hire in Cyprus provides modern day visitors with a convenient and cheap mode of transport, particularly when car hire is pre-booked and picked up directly from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. With only a few historic or cultural sights, the town's good resort hotels and night¬life nevertheless make it an attractive base from which to explore the outstanding ar-chaeological sites to the west and the Troodos mountain vil¬lages to the north.
The solitary monument to the town's feu¬dal glory the rest have suc¬cumbed to earthquake and enemy fire is the Castle, just a few steps inland from the old port and customs house.
The imposing stone fortification dates from the 13th century. Both the Lusignans and Vene¬tians strengthened this ancient redoubt, which served the Turks as well after their conquest of Cyprus in 1571.
In a pleasant tropical greenery setting, it is surrounded by narrow lanes lined with arti¬sans' shops, where the special¬ity is metalware (copper and tin), and where the craftsmen are bemused rather than amused by tourists. The well preserved castle contains a mediaeval muse-um displaying tombstones and weapons as well as photos of early Christian churches and medieval buildings from all over the island.
The Limassol Museum Cyprus
The Gothic Great Hall, converted for use as a church and then a prison, has been restored. The prison now seems a cosy place, with eight cells in pristine white limestone. The small, modern Limas¬sol Museum in Byron Street behind the Public Gardens contains some fascinating ar¬chaeological treasures.
From shards and tools of Neolithic and Chalcolithic vintage, you'll progress through ceram¬ics of the Bronze and Iron ages, with plenty of pottery right up through the Greco-Roman period (plus coins, rings and other artefacts). Don't miss the display of jewellery from various periods and the expressive terra cotta figurines; one fat lady with a basket looks like a friendly old fashioned washerwoman, while bulls and outsize dogs complete the amusing statuette scene.
There's a beautiful head of Aphrodite from nearby Curium; a headless statue of a youth holding a bird (7th-6th century BC); some funerary stejes; and a massive statue of the Egyptian god Bes indeed an ugly fellow found on the site of ancient Amathus in 1978. The Folk Art Museum, 253 Ayios Andreas Street, provides a glimpse of rural Cypriot life, woodcarving, embroidery, jewellery and weaving all coming together nicely in the display of a bride's robes and the elabo¬rately carved chest for the finery of her trousseau.
As winemaking is not only an industry but also a tourist attraction, you'll find a visit to a winery both instructive and fun. On the outskilts of town, the top houses Kep, Sodap and Etko all offer short tours of their plant. You can see Cypriot wines, beers and spir¬its made and bottled with a chance to taste. Tours usually begin around 10 a.m.
Things to do around Limassol
East of town, hidden among the beach resort hotels, are the fenced-off ruins of Amathus, really of interest only to archaeological experts. Just north of Limassol is the little village of Germasogeia, re¬puted for its excellent tavern as in a pretty rural setting of the Troodos foothills. On the out¬skirts is a picturesque dam where you can, with a licence, go fishing. The coast road west past the wineries takes you along a delightful shady avenue that is a veritable arbour of euca¬lyptus and cypress trees bor¬dered on either side by orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards.
Akrotiri Peninsula Cyprus
It was here that the traces of hunters of pigmy hippos, the earliest human presence on the island, were found (8500 BC). Half of the peninsula is salt lake more flats than lake ¬popular with migratory birds, notably pink flamingoes from October to March. Most of the rest is occupied by the British 'Sovereign Base Area'.
The peninsula's popularity with the British army is attested by a stretch of beach east of the salt flats known as Lady's Mile, after the colonel's mare that was brought here for a daily canter. Just south of Akrotiri vil¬lage, look for a track leading east to St Nicholas of the Cats Monastery, a Gothic ruin on the site where the monks reared their special breed of antiviper cats .
On the west side of the peninsula, Kolossi Castle is an impressive 15th-century keep jutting up out of gently rolling countryside. It was the headquarters of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem for ad¬ministering their considerable sugar plantations and exten¬sive vineyards.
The Commanderie, as the headquarters were known, gave its name to their prized Commandaria sweet red dessert wine. A stone stairway leads across the moat to the en¬trance. On your way in, notice the fleur-de-lys escutcheon over the east side entry, coat of arms of Louis de Magnac, Lusignan Grand Commander of the Order of St John.
Among the spacious rooms with massive walls 3 m (10 ft) thick, the one with a huge walkin fireplace was the kitchen. Climb the steep and narrow spiral staircase for the view from the battlements. Outside you can see traces of an ancient aqueduct. Across from the keep, the imposing stone Gothic structure served as the Knights' sugar refinery.
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