Limassol

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Limassol
Λεμεσός
Limasol
Limassol (Cyprus)
Bluedot.svg
Basic data
State : Cyprus RepublicRepublic of Cyprus Cyprus
District : Limassol
Geographic coordinates : 34 ° 40 ′  N , 33 ° 3 ′  E Coordinates: 34 ° 40 ′  N , 33 ° 3 ′  E
Surface: 34.87 km²
Residents : 235,056 (2011)
LAU-1 code no .: CY-05
Postal code : 3010-3150
Telephone code : +357
Mayor : Nicos Nicolaides
Website: www.limassolmunicipal.com.cy
Limassol
Limassol

Limassol ( Greek Λεμεσός Lemesós , Turkish Limasol or Leymosun , formerly Limisso ; in antiquity Neapolis Νεάπολις , Theodosias , Theodosiana and later Lemesos ) is a port city in the south of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus with 235,056 inhabitants (as of 2011) and the capital of the district of the same name .

Limassol is the second largest city on the island and is located on its south coast in the bay of Akrotiri north of the Akrotiri peninsula .

Limassol has experienced rapid economic development since the island was partitioned in 1974 and is now a major financial center, home to many offshoring companies.

Limassol is the seat of the Technical University of Cyprus (TEPAK).

history

The area around Limassol has been populated since the Stone Age, today's city is located between the ancient cities of Amathus and Curium ( Kourion ). Older graves date back to 2000 BC. Chr .; it is believed that the city was founded by settlers from Amathus. The first mention of the place dates back to 451, that of the name Lemesos to the 10th century.

14th century tombstone

The city's history is closely linked to the Third Crusade , when Richard the Lionheart traveled to the Holy Land in 1191 . He took Emperor Isaac Komnenus prisoner and placed the island under an Anglo-Norman administration. Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre in the city. He had Amathus destroyed, the remaining inhabitants settled in Limassol.

The city flourished between 1192 and 1570, and from 1489 the city was under Venetian rule. The city was captured by the Ottoman Empire in July 1570 without any resistance. From the 18th century, Greek scholars settled in the city teaching Greek history, Turkish and French, and three schools were established in the first half of the 19th century.

In 1878 the British took the island and installed Colonel Warren as administrator of the city, investments in infrastructure such as a post and telegraph office, a hospital and, from 1912, electrification followed.

Attractions

Limassol Castle (houses the Medieval Museum)
Agia Napa Cathedral

Museums

  • Limassol Archaeological Museum
  • Kolossi , stronghold built in 1210
  • The Folklore Museum displays Cypriot handicrafts, Cypriot costumes and household items
  • Castle and Medieval Museum: The Limassol Castle was built in the 13th century on the remains of a fortification. It served as a fortification, military headquarters and prison. 1191 married Richard the Lionheart here Berengaria of Navarre . From 1291 the city was owned by the Johanniter . Today there is a museum in the castle, which exhibits medieval finds and chronologically connects to the Archaeological Museum. The castle, which has been partially rebuilt, presents itself today as it was under Ottoman rule.

Churches

tourism

Limassol is a very busy seaside resort with numerous large four-star hotels mostly along the beach promenade. Less crowded beaches can be found just outside on the Akrotiri peninsula near the British military base Akrotiri .

economy

Container loading in the port

Due to the location at the foot of the Trodos Mountains, there are some larger wineries and distilleries . There are 350 industrial plants in Limassol.

Since 1974 the port of Limassol has developed into an important trading center for shipping. The port was expanded after the republic lost its only major port in Kyrenia almost overnight due to the Turkish invasion in 1974 . Today there is an old and a new port and 60  shipping companies are based in Limassol. Cyprus has the tenth largest merchant fleet.

Sports

The Spyros Kiprianou Sports Center

Apollon Limassol and AEL FC are the two main sports clubs with departments for football, basketball and volleyball. Aris Limassol is a pure football club. Another sports club is the Limassol Crusaders rugby club. There are also clubs for athletics and cycling, as well as three water sports clubs that use the Germasoyia reservoir.

The Limassol International Marathon GSO is held annually .

media

Broadcasting station

Limassol is the location of a medium wave broadcast relay for the BBC. It is transmitted on 702 kHz and 738 kHz with 500 kW transmission power. A special feature of the station is that, in contrast to most other medium-wave transmitters, it does not use guyed masts, but free-standing towers that are isolated from the ground.

sons and daughters of the town

Town twinning

literature

  • Kyriakos Nicolaou:  Neapolis (Limassol) Cyprus . In: Richard Stillwell et al. a. (Ed.): The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 1976, ISBN 0-691-03542-3 .
  • Angel Nicolaou-Konnari, Chris Schabel: Lemesos. A History of Limassol in Cyprus from Antiquity to the Ottoman Conquest , Cambridge Scholars Publisher, 2015.
  • Tassos Papacostas: Neapolis / Nemesos / Limassol: The Rise of a Byzantine Settlement from Late Antiquity to the Time of the Crusades , in: Angel Nicolaou-Konnari, Chris Schabel: Lemesos. A History of Limassol in Cyprus from Antiquity to the Ottoman Conquest , Cambridge Scholars Publisher, 2015, pp. 96–188, 507–576 (bibliography) ( academia.edu )

Web links

Commons : Limassol  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikivoyage: Limassol  Travel Guide