Polemi
Polemi in Cyprus is a village in the province of Paphos and it is situated 19 kilometers northeast of the homonymous city, 81 kilometers northwest of Limassol and 154 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.
Built at an altitude of 470 meters, among large vineyards and very close to the Paphos-Polis Chrysochous road (3 kilometers), Polemi is one of the ampelochoria (wine-producing villages of Cyprus) of the island, but is better known as the village of the tulips. It is probably the only region in Cyprus where the beautiful red flower blossoms in the spring, and here is where the annual festival of tulips of Polemi takes place.
The densely populated settlement consists of several newly built residences and modern buildings built or purchased by English and other foreigners, as the splendid climate and proximity to the capital of the province and Polis Chrysochous make Polemi an ideal place for permanent residence and transportation to the local urban centers. The elements of folk architecture, of course, are prominent in the area, as there are several traditional houses built with local white limestone, but the one standing out is the renovated “Metochi of Kykkos”, which is the cultural center of the community. Most houses are built at two locations on a plateau overlooking the valley, which goes all the way up to the neighboring villages. It seems that originally the settlement was created by many smaller ones and gradually together they formed the present, single settlement around a central core.
Polemi has existed since the Byzantine years and as a matter of fact, under the same name. According to the locals, the village’s name originated from the fact that there used to live “friends of war” (war being polemos in Greek) or fighters (polemii in Greek), meaning the Byzantine soldiers who settled there. From the 12th century on, the community’s relationship with the emblematic Kykkos Monastery is tight and long-lasting. Until the 20th century, much of the land around the village was owned by perhaps the most important monastery on the island.
Today Polemi is an attraction to many visitors for the sights it offers, the organized infrastructure and the beautiful natural environment. In the community there are banks and ATMs, supermarkets, bakeries, hairdresser’s, traditional cafes and cafeterias, taverns, wineries, rooms for rent, luxury villas and much more. Schools are targeted at all levels of education, as there is primary, secondary and high school, which also serve the children of nearby villages.
In the picturesque cafes of the square, the visitor can drink his coffee, while the taverns serve cooked food from traditional recipes, as well as fine meals on the coals. Polemi is famous for its good meats and souvlaki (traditional meat on a spit). Also nearby is the large and technologically advanced “Kamandarena” winery of the cooperative SODAP, which was established in 2004 and in which wine enthusiasts can taste different varieties (Riesling Xynisteri, white and red Mountain Vines and others), learn the secrets of the production and buy bottles of wine. Also in the community there is another state-of-the-art winery that produces high quality wines and offers a tour of its beautiful grounds and testing of various wine varieties.
The main church of Polemi is located in the center of the settlement and is dedicated to Panagia (Virgin Mary) Chryseleousa. The beautiful 13th-century building is protected by the Department of Antiquities. Other local chapels are those of Prophet Elias to the west and of Agios Georgios (St. George).
One of the most important attractions is the detention facilities, which served as a prison and torture site for the EOKA fighters in the 1955-59 liberation fight against the British. The detention facilities were one of the eight "concentration camps" that operated during the British domination and can be visited at the entrance of the community.