Pomos Village

"Pomos is built next to the sea , in a medium height of 10 metres.The scenery of the village has an obvious leaning to the sea." 

 














 

Guide By area --> Pomos Village

 

Pomos Village

 
HISTORY OF POMOS VILLAGE

The community of Pomos finds itself 60 kilometers of the northeasterly city of Paphos, in the geographic region of Tillyria.
The village is built next to the sea, in medium altitude of 10 meters. Roughly two and a half kilometers in the south-eastern side of the village the altitude reaches the 600 meters (locality Hill Top), and also in a distance of roughly 5 kilometers of southerly-eastern Pomos, very near to its administrative limits, Lorovounos is found, at an altitude of 670 meters.
The village of Pomos accepts a medium annual rainfall of around 440 millimeters of water and in its region they are cultivated citrus fruits, bananas, almond trees, avocado, walnut trees, olive trees, few vegetables and pistachio-nuts. In the region exist many uncultivated areas that are covered by natural vegetation such as pines and thyme. The southern side of the village is included in the government owned forest of Paphos.
As far as transportation is concerned, the village of Pomos is found next to the coastal street of Polis-Xeros. Via the street, the village of Pomos is connected in the northeastern side with the village Pachiammos (5 Km) and in the southwestern side with the village New Dimmata (5 km) and via this village with the village Polis (20 km). In the north side of the village in a distance of 2 kilometers the Cape of Pomos is found, that took its name from the village. The way from the village of Polis up to Pomos, as it is known, is considered to be the most graphic way in Cyprus.
The village is included in the Irrigatory Work of Chrysohous, by which it has been profited, during its second phase, with the irrigation of other important extents of ground in its coastal region.
The coastal position of the village contributed in the growth of fishery. In the coastal of Pomos, it functions a piscatorial shelter, which entertains the fishing boats of the residents of the region.


The village met a continuous demographic increase. In 1881 the residents of village were 183 but 100 years later the residents increased to 543. In the last inventory that took place in 2001 the residents of the community were measured to be 568.
The village existed with the same precisely name at the medieval years and in old maps it is marked as Pomo. Certain researchers and students write the village in the type Pomos, something however that is not explained etymologically. On the contrary, equitable it appears to be the writing type Pwmos, because the name of the village is considered that it has ancient Greek origin, from the word altar or "Vwmos". It is very likely at the antiquity to existed in the region a temple of a goddess (maybe that of Venus) with a famous altar.
In the region of the village it exists an archaeological space of the prehistorically years, that still has not been investigated and studied completely. Exists also the theory that in the same region existed the legendary Cypriot ancient city of Kallinousa, that however is not confirmed in ancient literary sources and has not been supported from the archaeological research. Unique clue on the existence of such an ancient city (if it existed) was the ancient name of the cape of Pomos, that Klavdios the Ptolemaios named Kallinousa. Again, certain old investigators (as the archimandrite Kyprianos) identify the Kallinousan with the also ancient Cypriot City Alexandria , which is found marked in medieval maps as Alexandreta (Alesandreta) , in the region of Pomos.
After some existing clues they report and lead that existed in the region of Pomos some ancient settlements that were not however important cities. Is thus justified the most likely ancient origin of the name of the village.
The region of Pomos is connected likely with the arrival of Agia Eleni there, during the 14th AC century, when the mother of Constantine the Great had visited Cyprus. Once again they do not exist more certain explicit clues, except the fact that near Pomos it existed also another settlement (of the Byzantine years and the years of domination of the Franks), that was named Agia Eleni. This settlement is found in the north side of Pomos. It was destroyed during the period of the Ottoman domination.
In the village, the Virgin Mary is honored particularly. In deed, in the region there is a small monastery dedicated in the Virgin Mary the Chrysopateritsa . The monastery is found roughly 5 kilometers of the northwesterly current settlement.



DEVELOPMENT


Pomos is built next to the sea , in a medium height of 10 metres.The scenery of the village has an obvious leaning to the sea. There are also many uncultivated expansions of land that are covered with a variety of natural planting mostly from pines, ksistarkes (Cyprus bush) and thyme.
From a transporting view , Pomos is next to the coastal road Polis- Xerou.Through this road it is connected in the northeast with the village of Pahyamos (about 5 km) and in the southwest with the village of Nea Dimata (about 5km) and via it with the village of Polis (about 20 km).
On 2 kilometres on the north of the village there is the Akron Pomos where everything smoothes and calm. The route from the nearby village Nea Dimmata until the Akron Pomou is perhaps one of the most picturesque seaside routes. The mountain almost falls vertically in the sea, while the chutes are covered with pines and fruitful –bearing trees. Besides the lacy beaches with the numerous coves and the sharp small capes, give the scenery a unique picturesqueness .

The littoral place of the village contributed to the development of fishery and to the creation of a bigger port. In the offshore area next to the Akron Pomos, there is a fishery shelter which takes in many fish boats .
The dam of Pomos which is in the southeast of the village is made of stone and it is in the district limits of Pomos.Another important fact for the village is a great expanding land of Pomos which is mainly watered from the homonym dam with a capacity of 859.000 m³.
 
All the above constituted in the Tourist steam development mostly in the summer months. The creation of tourist units in the enchanting beach of the village, offered the opportunity to the foreigners but to the local people to enjoy the magic of the scenery and their calm.

 

These tourist units are the most impressive sight in the sand .the sand between the blue color of the sea and the pines, remote and almost unknown to most people is challenging to the people who are interested in relaxation, peace and calmness. At night there is the same quietness too.

 


TOURIST ATTRACTION


The visit to the offshore village of Pomos will be an experience that will remain unforgettable to our memory .There a lot of things in the village that worth for someone to see and admire the masterpieces that nature and human beings can do. Apart from the nature's tricks that created marvelous natural scenery, where the mountain and the sea join together in a fantastic background, human being is coming to add his own special stroke of the brush, in order to offer to the visitors this unique and special setting which only Pomos can offer.
Let ' s see together these special things of the village that makes it so unique .

PORT
The littoral place of the village contributed to the development of fishery. In the offshore area next to the Akron Pomos, there is a fishery shelter which in 1984 took in four fish boats that kept busy seven residents of the area. With state expenses since 1983 the port of the area developed significantly .
The professional fishermen but the amateurs too have enclosed the area all over enjoying the fresh alluring fish.
Today, the development is enough bigger, in an extent that fresh fish does not only serve the people who are there to enjoy the marvelous sight but also the restaurants of the area.

DRAGON'S CAVE
In the past tradition said that ships arrived in the area and made burglaries. In this cave there was the famous Dragon who protected the area from all the evil things that happened then. It is a rocky cave, with an opening to the sea some kilometers further from the port, to the cape. The cave has lots of depth and sweet water comes from there.

 

CAPE
The cape of Pomos or the Akron Pomos as it is more known , is in the area of Tilirias about two kilometers north of the village in which he took its name . Its formation took place because of the hard rock that is around it and which resisted the mordant energy of the waves . The route from the nearby village Nea Dillimata until the Akro Pomo is perhaps one of the most picturesque offshore routes in Cyprus. The mountain falls almost vertically to the sea while the steep slopes are covered with pines and fruit bearing trees .Besides the lacy seaside with the numerous coves and the sharp small capes give the scenery a unique picturesqerness .If you visit the area today you will meet the new villas and the unique restaurant that serves the visitors.

FOREST
Pomos bears an annual rainfall of 440 millimeter .There are a lot of uncultivated areas that are occupied by a various natural vert, mostly pines and thyme. Part of the state forest of Paphos, on the south of the village, falls into its management lines. Part of this forest has been shaped as a hospitality place and relaxation during the weekends .

 

DAM
The dam of Pomos is made of stone with a capacity of 859.000 m ³. It is situated in a bout three kilometres south east of the village.
The dam is built on the river Livadi in a medium altimeter of 75 meters and in a distance 3, 5 kilometer from the sea . It is 168 meters long , 38 m high, capacity of 150.000 m ³ and with a surface of 83.000 m ².
The dam construction was completed in 1966 and its cause was the irrigation of the land of 380 hectares (2.850 acres ) for the cultivation of immature vegetables.
A great area of land of Pomos (130 hectares in 1985) is watered mainly from the homonym dam of 859.000 m ³ capacity.
From a geological point of view the area of the dam is on the fords of the Ofiolitihikou cluster of Troodos.

VIRGIN MARY OF HRYSOPATERITISSA
In the village Virgin Mary is especially honored. There was a small monastery dedicated to Virgin Mary Hryssopateritisssa .About five kilometers on the northwest of the village today, there is a recent renovated temple of the monastery of Virgin Mary Hrysopateritissa.
It is a building of 1520. Today, only the homonym church is saved which has been recently renovated.
There are two versions for the name dedicated to Virgin Mary .The first one mentions that the name was the one because in this monastery there were a lot of ‘pateres' (priests).The second version says that the then abbot of the monastery with the name Thomas always kept a gold crutch (stick), was an hagiographer and painted the icon of Virgin Mary that's why he gave her the name Hryssopateritissa.
It is built in a woodland area ,there where everything hush and smooth ,further down from the Pomos dam .In The last years the temple was expanded. An expansion of 2o meters was built in the west side of the temple and in a higher level from the rest of the ancient temple.
Internally the people stand opposite the beautiful gate on a higher level and watch the priest. The old church is in a lower spot from that of the expansion, and in order to pass the old church you have to descend 3 -4 stair steps.
It is a small chapel made of stone. The outside wall is one metre wide. It has two outside doors in the same side of the temple. The one is in the old area of the temple and the other is in the new expanding area. The roof is bent. Apart of the roof is from the recent expansion and it is made of cement. The other one, of the ancient temple, is covered with tiles.
Internally it is painted white and with hagiographies. The old iconostasis was ruined from worms .They made a new one which is wooden curved. Due to the woodland where it is built and from the years, the hagiographies were destroyed from humidity. From the old icons that exist , and efforts are being made from the antiquity department for their conservation, there is the one of Christ's mother Hrysopaterrisis ,the three hierarchs ,other old ones such as Christ's ,John the precursor Saint Catherine ,Saint Thekli ,two icons of Galataries ,the one dedicated to women and the other to animals, two of Saint Georgio and Eleousa .The dedicated icon of Hrysopaterrissas is a construction of 1520 and it is saved in the central church of the village which is dedicated to Saint Efpsihio.
The church functions eight times a year, when it's the day of Virgin Mary.









Sources:  http://www.pomos.org.cy (The Pomos Municipality website)
Please visit this gratwebsite for more information about Pomos Village.