NICOSIA – The ancient art of weaving continues to flourish in the village of Fyti in Paphos, where women have preserved the tradition of ‘ploumista’ (ornamented) weaving on the loom. This intricate craft, a cherished part of Cyprus’s cultural heritage, is being kept alive by dedicated artisans like Athinodoros Georgiou from Pachyammos in Tillyria, who even has his own loom.

Traditional embroidery from Fyti is maintained primarily by a small group of women who live in the community. Others who moved to Fyti after marriage or relocation to cities like Nicosia and Paphos, as well as weavers trained by the Cyprus Handicrafts Service, also contribute to the continuation of this art form.

Fyti weaving is regarded as one of the most important types of loom embroidery in rural Cyprus and is widely considered one of the island’s oldest handicrafts. Initially, the colors used were limited to red and blue, as they were the most readily available. Over time, the craft was enriched with additional colors, including yellow, green, and orange, adding to the vibrancy of the designs.

Weaver Theano Mavrelli, who has been practicing the craft since she was 12 years old, learned the art from her mother and grandmother. She later developed her own designs. “It was our job because they didn’t send us to high school,” she explained. After completing primary school, the women would work on the loom and bake bread.

Mavrelli, along with her husband Charalambos Mavrellis, established a museum in Fyti dedicated to the craft after his retirement from teaching. The museum has become a popular destination for both locals and foreign visitors. Charalambos Mavrellis takes pride in explaining the art of Fyti weaving to visitors, sharing the intricate process that begins with the threads and can take two to three days to complete an ancient ornamental design.

In addition to Fyti designs, the couple also creates patterns from the Karpasia region. However, Mrs. Mavrelli expressed concern about the future of Fyti weaving, as younger generations are not as involved in the craft, potentially putting this cultural treasure at risk.

Another resident of Fyti, Panagiota Kyriakou Aristidou, continues to weave her favorite embroideries on a traditional loom made by local craftsmen. She told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the art of weaving persists in Fyti, albeit for a few dedicated individuals. Aristidou uses a variety of colors, including black, red, orange, yellow, blue, and green, to create her textiles, known as ‘ploumista tis voufas’ (ornamented weaving on the loom), with designs called ‘ploumia.’ She explained that at the end of each weaving, fringes with tassels, either white or colored, are tied on by hand. Remarkably, both the top ‘finished’ side and the bottom ‘unfinished’ side of Fyti weaving are equally beautiful.

Athinodoros Georgiou from Pachyammos in Tillyria is also involved in the art of weaving and has his own loom. He learned the craft after completing his military service in 2007 as part of an EU program for young secondary school graduates in Cypriot handicrafts. Surrounded by tradition his entire life, Georgiou further honed his skills by learning various types of weaving from Fyti, Karpasia, Lefkoniko, and other regions. He even built a small portable loom to carry with him.

Georgiou also highlighted the woven pine rugs, a distinctive product of the Laona area. These rugs, made from rags in various patterns and vibrant color combinations, were once widespread in villages such as Droushia, Arodes, Inia, and Kathika. Until 1970, this type of weaving was also found in neighboring villages, including Lassa, Simou, Drynia, Yolou, Stato Agios Fotios, Choulou, Polemi, Agios Dimitrianos, and others.