The image of the water tower, the large, round tank of water standing above the roofs of Limassol’s houses on an amazing iron construction, is one of the most characteristic images of the city. It may not be in use since the ending of the 1940s, but its construction is synonymous with the developments of the city and it is now a trade mark.
Limassol has always been dealing with issues of deficiency in its households. In the beginning of the 20th century, the residents of the city would wait for water carts to pass by, to fill their clay jugs with water.
The rapid increase of the populations (due to the industrialization of the city) made the water deficiency issues even more severe and proved those primitive means to be unfit for those needs. With a 12.000-soul population in the 1920s, Limassol needed more than water carts or stone-built tanks. Thus, in 1929, the water tower was built to provide 2.500 tons of water, reaching up to 60+ meters high.
The significant improvement of the quality of life, brought by the water tower’s installation, as well as its impressive image, as it was the highest spot in the city for centuries, made it an integral part of the city’s history and identity.
Limassol counted around 29.000 of residents in the 1930s and the water tower had 3 main tubes, reaching to 3 different areas: The Public Garden area, Aneksartisias Street and the Turkish Cypriots neighbourhood, west to the historical city center. The residents could then have an easier and constant access to fresh water for their households, while the leaks were minimized, by reducing the stages of water transportation.
On December 18, 1999, the water tower was lit in a festive atmosphere, in the presence of thousands of people, and it was appropriately decorated for the celebrations of the millennium.
By 1947 the water tower’s technology was already outdated, so it has not been in user eve since then. Still, it is a landmark for the locals, so the municipality decided to light it, in order to be visible day and night, welcoming anyone who approaches the historical city center of Limassol.
Information: 'The water tower: Limassol's 'trade mark', Mimis Sophocleous, Scientific Director of Limassol's Historical Archive
Photos: Limassol's Historical Archive, Cyprus from Air, Andreas Christoforou, Giannakis Panagiotou
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