“Eliomylos” Museum
The Museum is housed in the yard of the Church of Soteros, at the old picturesque neighbourhood of Kakopetria.
The old olive mill with the distinctive millstone displayed at the museum today is no longer in operation. The traditional mill consisted of 2 stones. The first one was called “skoutellin” and the second one millstone. The “skoutellin” is actually a round stone that was used as a basin, while the millstone is also a round stone with a hole in the centre where a horizontal post was placed. The millstone, as the residents of Kakopetria describe, would rotate with the help of men pushing the post. More specifically, the two men would stand at each edge of the post moving circularly around the millstone, this way managing to squash the olives that had been previously placed under it.
Immediately afterwards, this mash, as the people of Kakopetria continue to describe, would be placed in the “zembylia” which would then be pressed by the vice causing the olive oil to flow.
Sources:
Ionas Ioannis, Traditional Cyprus Professions, Lefkosia 2001, pp.487-497
Kakopetria Community Council
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