Omodos - authentic Cyprus in the modern world

Not far from Limassol, on the very slopes of the Troodos Mountains, there is the ancient village of Omodos.



This is one of those places in Cyprus that is in no way associated with the sea and beach holidays. But for many tourists who are drawn to penetrate deeper into the history of the places they visit, it is the premises of such remote corners that are a real journey. Omodos is about mountains, hills, village landscapes, clean air, old churches and vineyards - everything that embodies the authenticity of Cyprus.

The territory of the village is divided by the Ha Potami River and its tributaries. Here, mulberry trees, olives, reeds, plane trees, pines grow in abundance, and the landscape is decorated with vineyards scattered along the slopes of the mountains. And it is in this village that one of the most important shrines of Orthodox Cyprus is located.

Viticulture has been a traditional occupation of local residents for a long time. Grapes are grown here, they are used to make real wine and vodka, as well as sweets such as paluze, keftedya and shujukos. Our compatriots could taste similar sweets in Georgia. They are obtained by mixing grape juice with flour and boiling this composition over a fire for many hours. Then threads with various varieties of nuts are dipped into this mixture. In Georgia, the resulting product is called churchkhela.

The village also cooks delicious jam, obtained from fruits grown in the area: orange, bergamot, cherry, fig, walnut, quince, watermelon. All of this can be used to make excellent sweets.

Here in Omodos is one of the oldest churches on the island. The abode of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord was known already at the end of the 4th century. Its creation is directly related to the mother of Emperor Constantine - Queen Helena. According to legend, after completing the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Helen arrived in Cyprus in the lands of modern Omodos, where she left a particle of the Cross of the Lord and bonds. On the site of the present monastery, according to legend, a small chapel was built in those years. In the 30s of the 18th century, this monastery was both under the protection of the Turkish sultan, and could boast that it had its own courtyard in Constantinople. Its iconostasis contains Fryazh icons from Russia, icons painted by Greek and Cypriot masters. The relics that got into the temple thanks to Queen Elena are annually exhibited in the center of the temple hall on the day of the Exaltation of the Cross.

Now in the building of the monastery, which after the Turkish repressions in the first quarter of the 19th century, lost its power, there are three small museums dedicated to the icon of Byzantium, applied art and the history of the liberation struggle.

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