The village is situated on a picturesque hill in the district of Paphos at an altitude of 450m above sea level, 4 km north of Letimvu and 3 km from the village Stroumbi , which is on the main road from Paphos to Polis.
There are different legends about the foundation of the village and the origin of its name, but the true history of the village has not been elucidated yet. Te chances are that, from the time of the Byzantine rule there was a settlement of Greek Cypriots here. The name of the place can be translated differently. For example, in the sense of “the village of warriors.” The fact that ”polemos” translated from Greek means “battle”, in modern Greek the word ”polemios” translates as “the enemy” or “foreign” and the word ”polemiko” means “as in war” – as a result, some local residents suggested that the village was named so because of the settlement in the village in the Byzantine era of former soldiers.
The houses in the village are a mix of old buildings that were built with the local white limestone, and the new buildings of the late XX – early XXI century. Traditionally, the village was combined by several farms. That is why a “village center” does not really exist, but eventually the whole life became concentrated around the church of Panagia Chryseleousa (Our Lady of Mercy), built in the XII-XIV centuries. Other places where locals gather, particularly the elderly, is the chapel of Profitis Ilias (Prophet Elias) in the western part of the village Matsima. Also, there is a place in the village Agios Georgios (St. George), located west of the village center, where there is a chapel of the same name, which is surrounded by olive trees and has recently been renovated.
Polemi is known in the region as one of the so-called wine villages: villages scattered around the endless fields with vines. Arriving at the village in the period from July to September, you can admire the large clusters of grapes hung from the low bushes. By the way,the village is located near one of the largest wineries in Cyprus – SODAP – Kamanterena. Moreover, as has been repeatedly mentioned in our articles, it is in Polemi that one of the most beautiful festivals in Cyprus takes place- the Tulip Festival. You’ve probably already guessed that the village is a very decent place, worth spending time here and coming on a tour. Well, if you want to live in a Cypriot village, it is ideal for those who want to settle in a place which harmoniously combines the rustic flavor and the infrastructure of a small town.
