We Make Sweet Eggplant Preserve

"Learn a craft and set it aside, and if you go hungry, pick it up" says this proverb that carries the wisdom of folk tradition. It encourages us to learn a craft, develop skills and acquire a resource in life, even if we do not need it immediately.

The residents of the villages along the "Heartland of Legends" route were mainly farmers or shepherds, but they also knew a craft. They had to be creative and versatile to supplement their income in hard times.

Crafts such as basketweaving, icon painting, silversmithing, wood carving, pottery and earthenware, mosaic, embroidery, winemaking, the preparation of the famous Cypriot koumandaria and many others provided the rural residents with additional income. All these crafts are today part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cyprus.

Craft and wine-and-gastronomy workshops take place in many villages along the "Heartland of Legends" route. Feel the clay slip between your fingers to make clay objects, learn how to use a chisel to carve your own wooden piece, take a needle and thread to create Lefkaritiko embroidery, sit at a loom to make Fythkiotiko fabrics, and finally feel the joy of creating with your own hands.

All workshops are free. The workshops take place from May to November 2026 and are open to visitors on Wednesdays, weekends and public holidays. Booking is required to participate, so please contact the organizer directly in advance. Workshops are also held in the Christmas villages during the holiday period.

The artisans of "Heartland of Legends" are waiting to share with you authentic traditional flavours, forgotten customs and activities that keep alive the soul of our land.