In the middle of the 19th century, Limassol was a small brick village with a population of about 6,000 people. The only impressive building was a medieval castle. Vegetables and fruits were sold on the streets. Residents of the city bought meat in certain parts of the city, where they scored animals and sold them in parts right on the ground. You can imagine what kind of unsanitaryna was! But already in 1911, Limassol appears in front of us in a completely different city: a port is being created and trading in wines and products from an ore tree is being developed. A lot of effort was abandoned on the formation of strong national policy and the development of intellectual and cultural life. In this situation, there is already an urgent need to create a large and modern market, which would not only be able to eliminate illegal trade, but also ensure the collection of some taxes. Thus, in 1918, according to the plan of the architect Zachariah, and under the auspices of the mayor of Spiros Arauzu, the first The city (municipal) market in accordance with the “conditions of hygiene and order” (protocol of the meeting of the municipal council of Limassol March 8, 1917) became a reality and decoration of the city. The market was solemnly opened on Sunday April 14, 1918 at 9:00 and named Pantopouleio. Subsequently, just “Agora”, which is translated from Greek and means “market”. The movement in the area of the municipal market is growing rapidly. The market begins to work before dawn, ends at 19:30. Until 1947, the market architecture constantly underwent changes: the iron roof is being built, two of the five doors are closed, in order to avoid the possible illegal import of goods, a fence with the railing is built north of the market. New pavilions are built to eliminate violations of the rules for the sale of pork and fish. The market surrounding its traditional shops, cafes and restaurants were the center of trade and social activities until the end of the 70s. But over time, the city began to expand and appeared on its periphery Other shopping centers. So at present there was no trace of their former greatness. Now this building is under the protection of the state and is part of the project of the municipal authorities of Limassol to restore the role and significance of the market. But still, the market, although not in a small volume, operates and is one of the most popular places among tourists. It is open for visitors year -round from Monday to Saturday from 6:00 to 15:00.
Elena Barsukova
