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Le Méridien Limassol Spa & Resort | The Carob Mill Museum

The naming of the Carob Mill Complex stems from the proud history behind the now refurbished buildings. The area once had warehouses and mills used for the production
and distribution of carob seeds which then proved to be a major contribution to the Cyprus economy. A part of this structure has been carefully preserved and maintained as
the Carob Mill Museum, under the umbrella of the Evagoras and Kathleen Lanitis Foundation.

The carob tree, rivaled only by the olive tree, has been valuable for the Mediterranean and the Middle East for over 25 centuries. The N. P. Lanitis Trading Company (founded
1896), thanks to the enterprising spirit of the founder, Nikolas Lanitis, become the island’s largest carob exporter. The unrivalled quality of Cypriot carobs became
renowned internationally and thus their popular naming as the “black gold” of Cyprus came about.

Carobs have multiple purposes and are used for the enrichment of livestock feed, in the food industry, in cosmetics, in paper manufacture, in the making of photographic film,
the dying of precious fabrics and in the manufacturing of parachutes (which peaked demand during World War II).

Used as a sweetener, “teratsomelo”, meaning “carob honey” and a natural a caramel known as “pastelli” are products traditionally prepared in Cyprus. Interestingly enough,
carob seeds were employed in ancient Egypt as a measure of weight for gold, precious stones and spices. Thus the term carat was most likely derived from the Greek word
“keration”, meaning carob.

Hours of operation: Office Hours: 09:00-17:00 & the Carob Mill Museum operates from 09:00-24:00