Cyprus city of Limassol part 1

CYPRUS city of LIMASSOL part 1

Lemesos, the second largest city of the Cyprus island. Lies Between two ancient city-kingdoms. Amathus to the East and Kourion to the West. The city developed after the destruction of Amathus by Richard the Lionheart in 1191. Many important antiquitites, Byzantine and Frankish monuments are found in the city of Lemesos, evidence of its long history.

Today Lemesos is an important modern city, the island’s main port, the centre of Cyprus wine industry and a major tourist resort.
The city is also known for its lively Carnival celebrations. The annual Wine Festival and the traditional, spontaneous hospitality of its inhabitants. In the nearby mountainous regions of the district one finds beautiful wine producing villages, the relaxing mountain resort of Platres and the picturesque region of Pitsilia.

In the city one can visit really interesting places like the old Carob mill. The Carob mill was built in 1900, at a time when carobs were a major export of Cyprus. They were used to make a wide variety of products such as photographic filmplates, medicines, sweets and chocolates. The machinery used in processing the carobs is preserved and displayed in a renovated building, blending the authentic atmosphere of the past with the sophisticated high-tech look of the present.

Another place to visit is the Wine museum. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about the history of wine production in Cyprus. The various stages of wine production and consumption, as well as the various uses of wine. Ancient jars and canisters, medieval drinking vessels, old documents and instruments illustrate the social, economic and symbolic aspects of wine production.

West of Limassol is Kourion, an important city-kingdom in antiquity and one of the most impressive archeological sites in Cyprus. The magnificent Greco-Roman theatre was built in the 2nd century BC and extended in the 2nd century AD. Today the theatre has been completely restored and is used for musical and theatrical performances. The stadium lies 1km to the West, on the right side of the road towards Paphos.

Apollon Hylates, god of the woodland, was the protector of Kourion. According to archaeological sources he was worshipped here from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. His sanctuary was an important religious centre. It consisted of Apollo’s temple, pilgrim halls, the palaistra, a bath complex and a holy precinct.

In Anogyra village one can find Pastelli museum (traditional sweet delight made from carobs and nuts). Olive park, an educational and fun park that houses an ecological oil mill as well ass demonstrations of various methods of olive pressing from the beginning until modern times.