Paralimni () is a town in the Famagusta District of Cyprus. The town's population in 2011 was 15,000. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, it has increased in size and status, primarily due to refugees fleeing from Northern Cyprus. It is the main commuter town for people working in the tourist sectors of nearby Ayia Napa and Protaras. It is also the temporary administrative centre of the Famagusta District, and the largest municipality in the district under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.
Overview
Paralimni is located in southeast Cyprus. It is 110 km east of the capital city
Nicosia. It was traditionally a suburb of
Famagusta, just 10 km to the north, until the Turkish occupation of the town. It is near the Mediterranean coast, about 80 m above sea level. The town is located at the southeast end of the island's central plateau
Mesaoria, which is why the plain extends around the town in the north and the coastal hills rise to the south.
History
The word Paralimni is Greek and means "by the lake". The town is built on the shores of a shallow lake, which fills with water in the winter (the only time it experiences rainfall) and dries up at every other time of year. At the beginning of the 20th century, the whole lakebed was reclaimed for agricultural purposes. Paralimni has not always been where it is now; it was originally built on a hill 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, 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, he lost the election to Andreas Evaggelou, who served as mayor until 2011. The town is a stronghold for the Democratic Rally. 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; their main selling points are 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.
The town square of Paralimni hosts a large church and numerous cafes, bars, and shops. Since it 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 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.
The town is home to the football team Enosis Neon Paralimni FC and the basketball team Enosis Neon Paralimni BC. Paralimni's lake is home to the Cyprus grass snake, which was declared extinct in the 1960s until being rediscovered in 1994.[Böhme, Wolfgang; Wiedl, Hansjoerg, 1994. Status and zoogeography of the herpetofauna of Cyprus, with taxonomic and natural history notes on selected species (genera Rana, Coluber, Natrix, Vipera)."Zoology in the Middle East" 10:31-52] As a result, the lake was designated a Site of Community Interest (SCI). The nearby tourist resort Protaras comes under the administrative jurisdiction of Paralimni.
Climate
Notable people
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Eleanna Christinaki, basketball player
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Michalis Konstantinou, footballer
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Tasos Markou, EOKA soldier, went missing in action during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
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Solomos Solomou, killed by a Turkish officer at the UN Buffer Zone in 1996
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 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| 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
See also
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Enosis Neon Paralimni FC
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Famagusta District
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Ayia Napa
External links
