Living memory of Cyprus fishermen takes to the sea

An important artefact of the island’s maritime history, the long-serving fishing trawler Lambousa, was transferred to the old port of Limassol and relaunched on Friday.

The boat, the only one of its kind preserved in Cyprus, fished for years in the sea off Kyrenia and after 1974, off Limassol.

 Built in 1950 in Perama, Piraeus, and registered in 1965 in the port of Famagusta, it was given the name of the ancient area of Lambousa by its former owner.

The vessel, which once played a crucial part in the island’s fishing sector and economy, is representative of the Greek shipbuilding tradition and “a living memory of the history of Cypriot fishing,” an announcement by the Cyprus University of Technology (Tepak) said.

The institution’s digital lab contributed to the 74-year-old vessel’s conservation and the preservation of its cultural history.

“Through photogrammetry [techniques for making measurements of real-world objects from images] the Unesco research team digitised the interior and exterior shells of the vessel [creating a] 3D model and generating comprehensive documentation,” Tepak noted.

“This initiative is one of our most important achievements,” Tepak’s Unesco Chair Dr Marinos Ioannides said, noting its digital representation ensures its preservation for future generations.

Noting that the Lambousa already exists in the digital global library Europeana, Ioannides recalled that last May along with Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou he had handed over the complete recording of the ship’s data to be incorporated into the library collection.

“This unique Liberty-type ship [a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II] holds a special place in history and we are proud that the public will have [access to it],” Ioannides added.

Further information on the ship, current viewing, and its history can be found on the project website.