Avdimou Village Limassol
Where Is It?
The community of Avdimou is located about 13 kilometres west of Episkopi and Limassol and lays to the east of Paphos.
What Is There?
The community receives an annual rainfall of about 450 millimetres; vines of the table-grape variety, cereals, legumes, vegetables, carob-trees, and citrus-trees are cultivated in the region. Stockbreeding is also developed.
What Else Can you Tell Me?
As Avdimou is close to the sea the climate is humid in the summer and mild in the winter.
Regarding transportation, Avdimou is connected with the new Limassol to Paphos highway in the south, Anogyra and Agios Thomas in the north-west, and with Prastio and Pachna in the north.
The community's south section is included in the territory of the British Sovereign Bases.
What About The History Of The Village?
There are two interpretations regarding the village's name. The first reports that the Phoenician prince Abdemon took refuge there, after his expulsion by Evagoras I in 411 BC, giving his name to the settlement.
The second and most probable interpretation reports that it took its name from the first settler, who was named Evdemos.
The village's history begins in the very ancient times.
In the Lusignan era, Avdimou developed and was one of Cyprus's 12 districts. During the times of Venice's domination Avdimou was a significant centre.
Since that time it became one of the three precincts of the Limassol district and a central point throughout the years of the Turkish and British domination.
Until 1963 the village had a mixed population with a small number of Greek inhabitants (905 Turkish-Cypriots, 10 Greek-Cypriots).
After the inter-communal conflicts of 1963, all the Greek-Cypriot inhabitants abandoned the village and it became completely Turkish-Cypriot.
After the 1974 Turkish Invasion, the village's Turkish-Cypriot inhabitants transferred to the occupied territory of Cyprus and Greek-Cypriot refugees from 42 different villages of the occupied area settled in the village.
Anything Else Worth Noting?
Despite the many financial difficulties that the inhabitants face due to their refugee status, Avdimou's community today can be considered as prosperous.
Several inhabitants are employed in the British Sovereign bases, in various occupations in Limassol; the women are mostly employed in the various fruit-packaging or other factories in Limassol.
At the same time, they maintain viable agricultural plots, which have been converted to very productive plantations mainly of Sultanina (Thompson's seedless) grapes with the support of the government. Also, there are several stockbreeding units in the community.
Text Credit:
Avdimou.org.cy
for the text. I have adapted it for this page.
So Is It Worth A Visit?
Definately. But I would suggest you go when you want to eat because there is a fantastic taverna there called the Famagusta Taverna. Or if you served in the forces in Episkopi it was affectionately known as Fama G's
It was more often than not, the venue for an evening out with your team from work. I guarantee the walls in this restaurant can tell a few tales!
This is the restaurant as seen from the main road and it is the back of the restaurant
This is the front entrance
Here is the very traditional interior
The family that own and run the taverna George, his wife Maroulla and their daughter Soulla
What Kind Of Experience Should I Expect?
The family will welcome you to their restaurant. Mum Maroulla is often seen at the barbecue cooking the food, which is typical cypriot pork chop, sheftalia, halloumi etc.
The pork chops are the width of your dinner plate and the sheftalia are made locally in the village.
Greek salad is always on the menu and there will the opportunity to try village wine.
The portion sizes are huge and you will always get chips unless you say otherwise.
But...
Cyprus is the only place in the world I welcome chips on my plate as the potatoes are fabulous and the taste is excellent!
It you want the real cyprus.. then you will find it here.
How Do I Contact The Restaurant?
The telephone number is: 00357 25 221545
How Do I Find The Restaurant?
Very easy to find. If you are coming along the main highway, from either direction you turn off for Avdimou Village.
On the sign it will say, Avdimou, Anogyra, Prastio, Pachna.
When you get to the village follow the signs for Anogyra and then turn left into Avdimou and you almost come back on yourself.
As you come into the village you will probably be able to see the restaurant from that main road but there is a one way system in place that you have to follow.
What If I Don't Have Time To Eat?
Go anyway. It is such a quiet little village but it has it's charm. Particularly because of the turkish influence.
You will see this in some of the buildings. Incidentally it is worth mentioning that the Cyprus government have a strict property and land ownership policy in this village.
Any turkish cypriot owned property cannot be bought by a local greek cypriot and land cannot be built on. They may rent it or restore a house, and I believe grants are available, but they are never allowed to own it.
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