The seaside village of Zygi, at least in its present form, was built in the early years of British rule in Cyprus, in 1870. Due to its seaside location, offering easy access to the pier, large warehouses were built to mill and store carobs nearby so the product could be loaded onto ships for export. The architecturally interesting large stone-built warehouses, built in the Colonial style, still exist today and dominate the central and seaside area of the village.
Carob cultivation was very important for the economy of the island; it was the main source of income of the rural areas of Larnaca and Limassol. Carobs are deeply ingrained in Cyprus culture and history; they are often described as the Black Gold of Cyprus.
Over the years, as the demand for carobs started to decline the residents of the village started to decrease. Today, there is only the one remaining carob gathering and processing company, the Larnaca Cooperative Association of Carob Ltd, which, in addition to carob milling, also processes cereals and almonds for the wider region.
Researcher Elia Neophytou
Function
1945Carob factory and storage facility
2018 Most of the warehouses are closed, only one building is still working
Ownership
1945 British 1960-1970
2018 1960 private owners and cooperation bank
Condition
1945 Good
2018 Poor
Property Management
1945
2018
Form of government
1945 Colonial Government (British Empire)
2018 Presidential Republic (Republic of Cyprus)
Spatial Planning Agency
1945
2018 Ministry of Interior
Type of heritage and protection
1945 Not recognised as heritage
2018 Not recognised as heritage
Interview with Michalis
Local
Interview with Michalis
Local