Asomatos Lemesou

Asomatos Lemesou is a village in the homonymous province in Cyprus and is situated 14 kilometers from Limassol, 80 kilometers southwest of Larnaca, 96 km southwest of Nicosia and 64 km southeast of Paphos.

Situated at the southernmost tip of the island at an altitude of 4 meters above sea level and very close to Cape Alyki, Asomatos Lemesou may be reached by a long road shaded by tall cypress trees, creating a green tunnel right out of a movie. It is one of the few villages which, for climatic reasons, are green throughout the year and where citrus trees, a few grape varieties, vegetables and more are cultivated.

The densely built village of about 400 inhabitants, has known development due to its proximity to Limassol and the lovely beach Lady’s Mile located 4 km away, with many new buildings erected by companies and many foreigners who visit the area especially during the summer months.

Historically the village belonged to the Order of the Knights of St. John of the Great Commandaria, which was based in nearby Kolossi. In the most recent past, Asomatos Lemesou was a mixed community inhabited by Turkish and Greek Cypriots, but after the 1963 inter-communal riots, the Turkish Cypriots moved to Episkopi Lemesou and after some time returned to their homes. In the end, they finally abandoned their homes after the Turkish invasion in 1974, and moved to the occupied territories of northern Cyprus.

The name of the settlement is associated with the archangels Michael and Gabriel, also called Assomati and who are the patron saints of the community (asomatoi means immaterial in Greek, suggesting the spiritual status of the Saints).

There are many religious sights in the village, some modern and some older. The main church is the Gennisi tou Sotira Christou (Birth of Christ the Savior) in the center of the village which was built in 2000. The Chapel of Archangel Michael is also located at the center of the village and is a stone building that was renovated in 2006. But the most important of the churches, is the chapel of Panagia Galaktotrofousa to the west of the village near the Fasouri region. After the great fire that broke out in 2000 (when, according to the locals, the icon wept), significant evidence suggesting that the church is ancient was revealed and it dates back to the late 11th or early 12th century, while under the Frankish rule, in 1790, it suffered some reconstructions. According to the architectural remains found and the continuous changes of the chapel over the centuries, the researchers identify the chapel with the church of the Monastery of Panagia tou Stylou (Our Lady of Stylos) which already existed in the 11th century and was a dependent to the Monastery of Megalos Agros in the homonymous settlement. The Chapel of Agia Thekla (St. Thecla) with the old icon of St. Thekla is in Lanitis Farm and was restored by him in the 1970s.

Visitors to Asomatos Lemesou will also see the municipal park with a fountain and opposite from it, the tavern of the village and the nearby cafe, as well as the two nurseries of the area. In general, the flora of the area includes hundreds of species of plants, many of which are endemic or rare throughout the island and are associated with the important ecosystem of the area which is protected by international and European conventions and treaties.

In the community there is a botanical garden that also functions as a park for some peace and quiet and has an educational character as visitors can see trees, shrubs, grasses and creepers, or herbs labeled with information signs.