Cyprus: Art and Crafts

Over millennia embroidery has evolved into a true master craft. Unparalleled by its beauty and skill, the century-old tradition of homemaking in Cyprus is more than just an art form or a practice of crafting. Accompanying the craft are the stories, traditions, and soul of the island; expressed by the individuals working on their embroidery.

Let’s take you on a journey of meaning behind this art form, and give you a sense of the engrained stories, soul, and tradition it comes with.

During afternoons in the cobbled streets of the villages, skilled craftsmen, and craftswomen redesign linen fabric with intricate patterns and colourful designs. Whether you’re looking at the delicate ‘Pipilla’ or the famous ‘Lefkaritika’ the sheer amount of time, skill and effort that goes into them are enough to leave you mesmerized.

An ancient treasure of the island, baking traditions are something that you can not only look at but also smell and taste. You can witness the wonder of these dough-based masterpieces in local bakeries, ancient watermills, and the Museum of Bread in Limassol. As written by an Athenian Middle Comedy Poet, Eubulus: “Hard it is to see Cyprian loaves and ride by; like a magnet they draw the hungry to them”. As true as can be, the bread made locally in Cyprus is hard to resist, especially when taken right out of the oven. A sourdough starter that replaces the yeast and round scoring are what gives it its unique shape and taste.

The Cypriot baking traditions extend beyond just the common loaf of bread. The repertoire includes a vast number of pastries and confectionaries that are made day to day, others prepared annually as per the occasion they are meant for. Everything is rooted in tradition and with the meaning behind every step of the preparation process. During Christmas and Easter, Cyprus women bake the traditional festive recipes. Kneading the dough in their courtyards to make stavrokouloura (round shape bread with a cross in the middle), gennopittes (their common characteristic is the mark of the cross and decorated with raisins or motifs from nature and everyday life), christopsoma (Christ’s bread), avkotes (a basket shape bun or bagel decorated with a colored egg), daktylies (milky bread) and of course flaounes (sweet or sour cheese pies).

While you get enchanted by the soul of Cyprus visiting the places that embody the traditions, culture, and history. Be sure to stay in accommodation that celebrates the local culture and hospitality as it should. Check out our website for all of our Louis Hotels locations across the island’s cities to see available places and deals.

Source: Heartland of Legends, 2022. Heartland Art and Crafts.