Paralimni () is a town within the Famagusta District of

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, situated on the island's east coast. Since the Turkish invasion in 1974, it has increased in size and status, primarily due to the migration of refugees fleeing from the north. Many workers in the tourist sectors of Protaras and Ayia Napa live in Paralimni, which is now the temporary administrative centre of the Famagusta District and the largest municipality of the district under the control of the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the third lar ...

Natural conditions

The city of Paralimni is located in the extreme southeast of

island. The city is located 110 kilometers east of the capital

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

. The city was traditionally a suburb of Famagusta (until the occupation of the city), just 10 km to the north. Paralimni is located near the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast, about 80 meters above sea level. The city is located at the southeast end of the island's central plateau Mesaoria. This is why the plain extends around the city in the north and the coastal hills rise to the south. The city's population in 2001 was 11,091. In 2011, it was 15,000.

History

The word Paralimni is Greek and means "by the lake". Historically, the town was built on the shores of a shallow lake which filled with water only in the winter. At the beginning of the 20th century, the whole lakebed was reclaimed for agricultural purposes. Paralimni has not always been where it is now, and was built originally on a hill situated between Deryneia and its present location. In the 15th century, it was moved inland to avoid detection by pirates. It is said that the first people to settle in Paralimni arrived just after the capture of the nearby town of Famagusta by the Ottoman Turks in 1571. The first settlement was called Saint Demetrius, and this place still bears his name today. In 1986, after a referendum, the area was declared a municipality with the name "Paralimni". In May 1986, the first elections were held for the office of mayor and municipal council; Nikos Vlittis was elected the first mayor, and served from 1986 to 2006. In December 2006, Vlittis lost the election to Andreas Evaggelou, who served as mayor until 2011. The town is a stronghold for the Democratic Rally, a

centre-right Centre-right politics is the set of right-wing politics, right-wing political ideologies that lean closer to the political centre. It is commonly associated with conservatism, Christian democracy, liberal conservatism, and conservative liberalis ...

party. Architecturally, Paralimni has been undistinguished, as very little remains of the original village. Outside of the town centre, most houses are little more than small rectangular blocks; this is compensated for by their attractive gardens, especially when the trees are in bloom. Younger generations who earn higher salaries have been spending larger amounts of money on the construction of more modern and attractive houses in the town. At the heart of Paralimni lies a shopping centre and a small entertainment scene, including modern cafes and bars. Since Paralimni has rapidly grown in size, Cyprus' largest food retailers like Carrefour have built or rented branches there. Many local supermarkets are also present. The countryside surrounding Paralimni has red soil rich in zinc, which is famous for producing very nutritious and flavourful potatoes. It is also known for its picturesque windmills, which are used to draw water from underground aquifers to irrigate the surrounding land. Many of these windmills are now derelict, having been replaced by electric or diesel-powered pumps. Before the rise of tourism, the rich agricultural land surrounding Paralimni was the source of its wealth, and is still of great importance today.

Sports

Enosis Neon Paralimniou, which plays in the Football

Cypriot First Division The Cypriot First Division (), also known as the Cyprus League by Stoiximan for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Cyprus and the highest level of the Cypriot football league system. Operated by the Cyprus Fo ...

and Basketball

is the team of the town.

Protaras

Protaras (; ) is a predominantly tourist resort which comes under the administrative jurisdiction of Paralimni Municipality.

Climate

Ecology

Paralimni's lake is home to the harmless Cyprus grass snake, which was declared extinct in the 1960s until being rediscovered in 1994. As a result, the lake was designated a Site of Community Interest (SCI).

Notable residents

* Eleanna Christinaki, professional basketball player. * Michalis Konstantinou, footballer, born in Paralimni. * Pelagia Kyriakou, renowned female singer of traditional Cypriot music, born in Paralimni. * Tasos Markou, EOKA fighter and officer of the

Cypriot National Guard The National Guard of Cyprus (), also known as the Greek Cypriot National Guard or simply the National Guard, is the military force of the Republic of Cyprus. It consists of air, land, sea and special forces elements, and is highly integrated wit ...

and the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the army, land force of Greece. The term Names of the Greeks, '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches ...

- MIA during

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cy ...

. * Solomos Solomou, raised in Paralimni, killed in 1996 by a Turkish officer in the UN Buffer Zone

Gallery

File:Protaras beach at Paralimni in the Republic of Cyprus.jpg, A Protaras beach in summer File:Modern new pedestrian seaside road next to Protaras beach in Paralimni.jpg, A wooden pedestrian road beside the beach File:Cosmopolitan Protaras beach in Paralimni Republic of Cyprus.jpg, The promenade next to the beach File:Glamorous cafeteria in Protaras seaside city Paralimni Republic of Cyprus.jpg, A cafe with a view of the beach File:Motorbikes rent shop in Protaras Paralimni seaside paradise city Republic of Cyprus.jpg, A motorbike rental shop File:25 24 plaz v Protaras - Fig Tree Bay.JPG, Fig Tree Bay File:Holdiay destination Protaras Paralimni road in Republic of Cyprus.jpg, A typical road in Protaras File:Beds of Sirena bay beach in Protaras Paralimni Republic of Cyprus.jpg, Sirena Bay beach File:Sirena bay beach in Protaras Paralimni Republic of Cyprus 8.jpg, Sirena Bay File:Sirena bay beach tavern and lounge bar in Protaras Paralimni Republic of Cyprus.jpg, A

taverna A taverna (; ) is a small Greek restaurant that serves Greek cuisine. The taverna is an integral part of Greek culture and has become familiar to people from other countries who visit Greece, as well as through the establishment of tavernes ...

at Sirena Bay File:Paralimni-st-varvara-church.JPG, The Church of St. Barbara File:Protaras-agios-ilias.JPG, The Church of St. Elias File:FamagustaDistrict 01-2017 img03 Paralimni StDemetrius Church.jpg, The Church of St. Demetrius File:FamagustaDistrict 01-2017 img01 Paralimni StGeorge Old Church.jpg, St. George Old Church File:Protaras_road_by_night_Paralimni_Republic_of_Cyprus.jpg, A Protaras street at night File:Protaras blue lagoon.JPG,

Garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s in Protaras File:Pernera-agia-triada-church.JPG, Agia Triada church File:Filippou, Paralimni 5295, Cyprus - panoramio (6).jpg, view from the sea File:Paralimni EL.jpg, Municipal area and road network of Paralimni File:FamagustaDistrict 01-2017 img02 Paralimni StGeorge Metropolitan Church.jpg, St. George's Cathedral in Paralímni File:Старый и новый кафедральные соборы в Паралимни.jpg, Old and New Cathedral of Paralímni File:FamagustaDistrict 01-2017 img10 Cape Greco.jpg, Cape Greco in the territory of the community of Paralimni

References

* https://web.archive.org/web/20100131234233/http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/cyprus-has-failed-protect-grass-snake/20100130

External links

Paralimni Official Municipality

Virtual Tour of Protaras
{{Authority control Municipalities in Famagusta District