Limassol boasts of interesting achievements. The people of that port claim to be more friendly, more cultured and more internationally minded than the Cypriots of any other town. Limassol also claims to be the most friendly and gayest town in Cyprus, its people more pleasure-loving than people of other parts of the island. Certainly, the carnival tradition has indeed lingered on strongest in this sea town.
In addition, Limassol soon hosted the Wine Festival winning another title which it holds to date. Around 1900 the beautiful Municipal Gardens were first planted while the nearby field hosted the first Pancyprian athletic games in 1896. The Gardens grew to become the biggest in Cyprus and to host a small zoo. Limassol still claims to be the town of the merriest people on the island, those who love life and know how to live it. But above all it claims to be a town of visionaries: The first telephone company was formed in Limassol by George Yiordamlis, while the Cyprus Motor Transport and Development Company was initiated in 1912 by the Limassolian brothers John and Michael Colakides; shortly after the first cars on the island appeared in Limassol. In 1906 the first Cyprus Steamship Company was formed; Limassolians took over the postal distribution for the whole island. The first large agricultural farms producing fruit were established by the townsfolk following the example given by the Syrian Colonisation Society. Industry first appeared at this port: Tobacco factories, refreshment factories and wine production and bottling plants made the town famous. The Hadjipavlou winery was established as early as 1844, and it was followed by ETKO and later by KEO. Rossides founded the first tile factory in 1901 which was later sold and renamed the Brick and Tile Factory. The first talking movies were screened in Limassol and the first cameraman, Pilavakis, was from this town. Also, women were more progressive in Limassol: Athenais Lanitis established the first boarding school for girls; Domnitsa Lanitis was the first woman to participate in the Olympic Games of 1936 and 1948. Loukia Nikolaides, having studied in Paris in the 1930s, was the first successful woman artist. The parties given by the beautiful Alexandra Kirzis, who was always dressed in the latest Paris fashion, remained memorable events.
The ‘Did You Know’ series is made possible with the support of OPAP (Cyprus) and the Active Citizens Fund.
