Limassol District | |
|---|---|
 Location of the district in Cyprus (in red) | |
| Coordinates:34°40′44″N33°2′38″E / 34.67889°N 33.04389°E /34.67889; 33.04389 | |
| Country | Cyprus |
| Capital | Limassol |
| Area | |
• District | 1,393.3 km2 (538.0 sq mi) |
| [a] | |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• District | 262,238 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| • Density | 188.21/km2 (487.47/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 198,558 |
| • Rural | ~63,680 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Post code | 3000–4999 |
| Area code | +357 25 |
TheLimassol District,[b] simply known asLimassol[c] orLemesos,[d] is one of the sixdistricts of Cyprus. As of 2021[update], it had a population of 262,238, 75,7% of which was urban[3][4] The district's capital city isLimassol. Part of theBritish Overseas Territory ofAkrotiri and Dhekelia forms an enclave on theAkrotiri Peninsula, under the sovereignty of the SBA (Sovereign Base Areas Administration).[5]
The buried ancient city ofAmathus is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from Limassol. Archaeological excavations have unearthed ruins of the Byzantine period and a tomb of the 7th century BC.[6] The ancientKolossi Castle, which is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) to the west of Limassol, reflects the fall ofAcre and history of theTemplars and their confiscated property allotted to the Limassol District for cultivation of wine and sugarcane.[7]
Limassol District forms much of the southwestern-central part of Cyprus. TheKouris River rises in the southern slopes ofTroodos Mountains, which lie in the northern part of the district towards the centre of Cyprus, and flows to the sea near the ancient city ofKourion. This river has been dammed by theKouris Dam, which has caused the near drying up of the river in its lower reaches.[8] Limassol, to the northeast of the Akrotiri peninsula lies onAkrotiri Bay, whilePissouri, to the northwest of the peninsula, lies onEpiskopi Bay.[9] Episkopi Bay is a nesting ground forgreen andloggerhead turtles, both of which are on theIUCN list of endangered species.[10] Amathous Beach, Dassoudi Beach and part ofGovernor's Beach are also situated in the district.
According toStatistical Codes of Municipalities, Communities and Quarters of Cyprus per the Statistical Service of Cyprus (2015), Limassol District has 6 municipalities and 106 communities.[11] Municipalities are written with bold.
The municipalities of Limassol, for administrative purposes, are divided into quarters. An exception is theYpsonas Municipality. The list below shows alphabetically the quarters per municipality.[12]
Limassol, as the regional capital and a major centre for European tourism, contains many of the administrative and cultural buildings, and a large number of hotels along the seafront. Limassol District Court is located on Lord Byron Avenue near the Limassol city centre. It consists of a court complex with multiple buildings.[13] The city is known for its wineries, and revelry and nightlife.[14] The Limassol District Archaeological Museum, located in Limassol, has historical artefacts from the towns of Kourion andAmathus.[15] The collections cover several periods, including Preneolithic (Akroteri culture), Early Neolithic (Shillourokambos culture), Neolithic I, Neolithic II (Sotira culture), Chalcolithic (Baj culture), Erimi Culture, Early Bronze Age, Μiddle Bronze Age, Late Bronze Age, Cypro-Geometric period, Cypro-Archaic period, Cypro-Classical period, Hellenistic period, Roman period, and Late Roman/Early Christian/Early Byzantine period.[16] ThePainted Churches in the Troödos Region is aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site, and one of the churches,Timios Stavros (Holy Cross) is situated inPelendri, Limassol District.[17]
Media related toLimassol District at Wikimedia Commons