Μ.Α. SOPHOCLEOUS

Scientific Director of Pattichion Historical Archive Museum Research Centre"

The building known as Tragasol, within the surface area of the Limassol, is today a cultural centre, but it does have nonetheless its own history. The word «Τragasol», came to us as a chemical term, from England, at the end of the 19^th and from 1913 onwards it came to be identified with a specific block of buildings, as a unit grinding carobs to begin with and then as a storage facility for Limassol customs.

Tragasol was set up as a company in Limassol in the year 1894, at a time of British colonial rule in Cyprus, and represents an integral part in the industrial history of the city. The world tragasol is actually the scientific-chemical term describing a substance than can be found in carobs, and has various industrial uses. This seems to have been the inspiration for the English-owned Tragasol Company Ltd, which, as we said was set up in Limassol.

It was around 1860, during Ottoman rule in Cyprus, that carobs started being packaged and exported. Ahead of that they were just used as animal feed and, in most cases, they were not used at all. Farmers of the time used to view them as a product without any economic value. However, it did not take long before some merchants, especially from Limassol, came to realize that certain countries were in fact interested in importing carobs. So they started buying carobs delivered to them by villagers and these were exported in packages to Egypt, Russia and other countries.

Tragasol has its own history which begins with British colonial rule in Cyprus in 1878 and the establishment of British companies on the island, most of which were active in the processing of agricultural products. Preparations for the construction of the Tragasol factory began in the year 1910 and actual construction work got under way three years later. The facility remained essentially the same all the way to the 1950s when it was sold to the colonial administration and made part of the port of Limassol, which was built in 1954.

British entrepreneurs showed interest in carobs, described as Cyprus’s ‘’black gold’’ and having given the matter serious consideration in the years 1898-1900, they moved to Cyprus and registered a company by the name «TRAGASOL PROCUCTS LTD». The company main offices were in Hooton, Cheshire. In Cyprus, the company had to create the infrastructure for the storage and grinding of carobs, ahead of exporting the finished product from Limassol.

Carob processing equipment was installed at the southern part of the building whereas the northern part was for storage and processing purposes. Carobs were grinded, separating the seeds which were sent abroad to be used in the production of gum.  Grinded carobs were used abroad to make animal feed, as well as for other purposes, including in the production of confectionery products. It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that Tragasol turned out be a ‘black gold mine’ for Limassol, offering employment to some 40-50 permanent staff, in addition to a number of students who were working there during their summer break, earning their pocket money.