Cyprus, a historic island, the third largest in the Mediterranean where modern travelers retrace the footsteps of legendary figures as diverse as Alexander the Great, St. Paul, and Leonardo da Vinci.

Today Cyprus is a modern country that effortlessly marries European culture with Ancient Greek-Roman enchantment.

You will discover a compact world of alluring beaches and fragrant mountain peaks, vineyards studded with olive trees, citrus groves, old stone villages and ancient ruins that stir the imagination.

The warm welcome of Cypriots, and the unhurried pace of daily life, makes Cyprus an instant favourite of anyone who comes here.

Limassol (Lemesos, in Greek) is situated between the ancient towns of Amathus and Curium. Amathus, the actual location of the Symposium, was populated at least 3000 years ago. The settlement took its name from Amathusa, the mother of King Kinyras from Paphos. Over centuries, it became a rich kingdom with a port, constructed around 800 BC, serving the trade with the Greeks and the Levantines. A temple, high on a near-by cliff, became a special site of worship to Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. In the Roman Era, Amathus became the capital of one out of Rome’s four administrative regions. Later, in the 4th century AD, it became the Episcopal See and continued to flourish until the Byzantine Period.

In 1191, the English King Richard the Lionheart, en-route to the Holy Land, destroyed Amathus and put an end to the Byzantine dominion of Cyprus. Lemesos is assumed to have been established by Amathus’ refugees. In 1192 AD, Cyprus was sold to the Templars, rich monks and soldiers whose aim was the protection of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Following a revolt, because of high taxation, Cyprus was sold to Guy de Lusignan, a Frank and Roman Catholic. Cyprus was thus handed over to the Frankish Dynasty of the Lusignan who ruled the medieval Cypriot kingdom.

For a period of about three centuries, 1192-1489, Lemesos enjoyed aperiod of increasing prosperity, became, through its harbour, a centre of transportation and commerce, and this contributed greatly to the financial and cultural development of the region. Cyprus was sold in 1489 AD. 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 Lemesos in 1539, and Cyprus entered a long period of decline and poverty, worsened when the Turks invaded Cyprus and occupied Lemesos (Limassol) in July 1570.

The British took over in Cyprus in 1878, and this marked the start a period of revival, leading up to modern Limassol, which grew in size to 43000 inhabitants in 1960, 80% of Greek and 20% of Turkish origin. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, most of the Turkish Cypriots left Limassol and settled in the Turkish North, while many Geek Cypriots from the North settled in Limassol.   Limassol is now the second biggest city in Cyprus and its biggest Municipality.