A distinctive and almost forgotten chapter in the history of Milikouri is the village’s tradition of cultivating Damask roses and producing rosewater and rose oil.
In the small mountain village, Rosa Damascena was more than a local plant. Its cultivation helped bring recognition to Milikouri, while the flowers served practical and commercial purposes beyond their beauty and fragrance.
According to tradition researcher Anna Tselepou, speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, rose bushes were planted along the edges of vineyards as natural boundaries between fields. They also helped prevent soil erosion.
At the same time, residents harvested the flowers to produce a valuable product that provided families with an additional source of income.
Production flourished in the early 20th century
Tselepou said production of the fragrant product became particularly prominent from the spring of 1917.
Rosewater and rose oil were used as raw materials in perfumery and helped establish Milikouri’s reputation for rose production.
In 1919, the village acquired its first “modern” distillery for the time. A second still was added in 1930, when a company was also established to manage the rose production.
Cultivation expanded further in 1940, after a large area of state forest was granted to the village.
Production of Damask roses subsequently became more systematic, while the renowned rosewater and rose oil began travelling beyond the village.
The people of Milikouri became known for their products.
A cooperative helped sustain the village
In 1963, the Rose Growers’ Cooperative Society was established and achieved impressive results.
For several more years, the tradition helped keep people in the village by providing employment and an income.
Over time, however, rose cultivation and production declined. The activity eventually stopped, and the village gradually began to lose its population.
Today, Tselepou notes, Milikouri has only a handful of permanent residents – “as many as the fingers of two hands”.
The wild roses remain
The wild rose bushes, however, never disappeared.
Here and there, they continue to bloom, living remnants of an era when roses helped bring life and income to the village.
Tselepou’s account is more than a reference to a forgotten local product. It is a reminder of the wealth that once existed in the area and of traditions that gradually disappeared with time.
Alongside the rose bushes, some of the old words have also survived: “Lampikos”, “Aththoneron” and “Rodostamman”.
And perhaps, Tselepou concludes, together with those words, there remains a hope that one day the fragrance of the roses will return to Milikouri.
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