Salamiou

Salamiou is a village in the province of Paphos in Cyprus and it is situated 37 kilometers northeast of the homonymous city, 56 kilometers northwest of Limassol and 106 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.

Built at an altitude of 650 meters and among the valleys of the rivers Diarizos and Xeros (or Asprokremos), which gave it its rich and fertile land, Salamiou is surrounded by forest, olives, almond trees and large vineyards, while it belongs to the ampelochoria (wine-producing villages of the island) of Cyprus. Here the visitor can relax in a beautiful natural landscape, taste the local wines and experience the sights of the place. Salamiou is one of the large traditional villages of the province with about 300 inhabitants and consists of restored houses of traditional folk architecture and many preserved buildings.

A settlement with a history of 4,000 years, the community probably took its name from Salamina, the ancient city of Paphos and not the famous Salamina of Famagusta. The latter was founded in the middle of the 11th century BC, while written references to the ancient city of Salamina are made even 500 years before its foundation, so they refer to the modern Salamiou. According to the researchers, the word ending of “-iou” is diminutive, has a comparative meaning and denotes the small one, thus indicating that the village’s name has an etymological origin in Salamina. This ancient city reached its peak in the 2nd century AD and today, there are still remains from the Bronze Age, as the site was a station fro the transportation of copper from Troodos to the port of Paphos, then the capital of Cyprus. In fact, the existence of a local kingdom in the area of ​​present- day Salamiou, apart from written sources in ancient texts, can be confirmed by a stone column with a bearded archer and a Cypro-syllabic inscription found here and transferred to the British Museum in 1874.

Salamiou, the former principal village of the wider region, has a lot to offer to its visitor. Just outside the village there is a beautiful excursion area with three centenarian cypresses and overlooking the Xeros valley, while upon entering the settlement and passing the refurbished drinking fountain at its entrance, the central church you come upon is dedicated to Agia Varvara. The temple, a 20th-century building that was inaugurated in 1953, is located in the beautiful and renovated village square of Gerovrisi and is one of the largest temples in the province of Paphos. In the community there are also the stone churches of Agia Paraskevi and Agios Georgios. The most important church in the settlement is the Monastery of Panagia Salamiotissa, from the original buildings of which only the church that dates back to the 16th century is preserved.

The “Kyparisos”, as the locals call it, is an 800-year-old cypress that is still another community attraction and a tree that the inhabitants have dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

A contemporary part of the history of the place is also the “Neophytidios” cinema, a summer cinema that offers a unique note to the life of locals and foreigners. The cinema, which was operating in the 1960s and reopened in 1993, hosts every summer, in addition to films, also various events of the community and of the Association of Overseas Expatriates and Friends of Salamiou.

At the Environmental Education Center of Salamiou, tourists can get information on the flora and fauna of the area. Besides, the community is a passage for migratory birds traveling from Europe to Africa and vice versa during spring and winter. The beauty of nature can also be enjoyed along the Nature Trail “Mouti of Salamiou”, a path that was followed by the Apostles Paul, Barnabas and Markus after they preached in the area and started their journey towards Paphos.

In the village there is a local winery, which attracts many tourists who come here to taste its fine varieties and buy the 4 types of wine it produces (white dry, red dry, Cabernet Sauvignon and rosé). A guided tour of the winery is held in Greek and English, and then a free wine testing is offered.

For those who want to stay in the community, there are rooms for rent, traditional stone-built guest houses and a traditional agrotouristic accommodation, while restaurants and taverns offer local appetizers and homemade recipes with ingredients that they produce themselves.

In October, in Salamiou, the homonymous festival of palouzes (Cypriot traditional sweet jelly made out of grape juice) is organized with great success and it attracts a multitude of people from the surrounding villages as well as from the whole of Cyprus.