Simou

Simou in the Paphos province is situated about 31 kilometers north of the homonymous city, 93 kilometers northwest of Limassol and 150 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.

A mountainous settlement of Cyprus, at an altitude of 420 meters and a vineyard area with winemaking varieties, pulses, grains, citrus, almonds and olive trees, Simou constitutes a small but growing community with a few hundred inhabitants, built on the top of a valley slope of the Stavros tis Psokas river (or else Skarfou), offering a unique view to the visitor. The area combines the traditional architectural character with the stone-made structures and the winding streets in the village’s old core, while ultra-modern dwellings have been erected around its perimeter. The community has existed since Byzantine times under the same name, which it obtain from Simos or Simonas, a settler or landowner of the region or, according to other sources, one of the Apostles of Christ. However, there are also indications that in the wider area there was an archaeological site in which objects dating back to Prehistoric times had been found.

Under the Frankish rule, Simou was a private fief of the Zappe family and was given as a dowry to the noble Charles Luzignan when he married Helene Zappe. Indeed, the descendant of the royal family of the Lusignans was the owner of other villages as well, such as Lapithos and Kiti. Besides the beautiful natural landscape that surrounds the village, the visitor can admire many stone-built drinking fountains in its narrow streets, the central church of Panagia Chryseleousa and several cafes and restaurants in the central square of the settlement. There is also the famous terebinth, a 1,000-year-old tree, which has contributed to the economic development of the entire province of Paphos, since the resin of the terebinth tree is used in the production of the pitch of Paphos (or terebinth pitch), which in turn is used for dental fillings.

Two kilometers northeast of Simou is the well-known and one of the oldest in bridges in Cyprus, the Skarfou Bridge, built over the homonymous river that supplies the nearby dam. The watermills that have been built along the river in the past, fueling the whole area, utilizing the power of the water, as well as the olive mill, the massive millstones, and the lake of the Evretos dam, complement the enchanting landscape of Simou.