The countryside of Cyprus is famous for the preservation of the traditional way of living and of its manners and customs, as well as for the hospitality of its inhabitants. Every village has its own characteristics. Omodos is not only a village reputable for its wine-making and its "arkatena" rusks, it is also known for its laces -the celebrated "pipiles" (plural, Narrow-Knit Laces).

The woman of Omodos plays a leading role in life's everyday labours. Thanks to her, domestic handicraft was -and still is -flourishing in Omodos.

Since ancient times, the narrow-knit lacing possessed a special place amongst the renowned embroideries of Omodos's women. A Centre for the Preservation of (Narrow-Knit) Lacing -perhaps the first one in Cyprus -was established so as to salvage it.

The history of Narrow-Knit Lacing

The handmade, thin lace done by needles is a beautiful and famous embroidery from Omodos and ranks first amongst Omodos's handwork items. According to living testimonies, it is believed that their origin is Byzantine. Besides, both its Technique as well as the designs present important similarities with the Technique, the motifs, and the raw material for the construction of the Lace that was developed in Constantinople, Smyrna (today's Izmir), and in the island of the Eastern Aegean.

Moreover, the bonds between the Monastery of the Holy Cross and the Metropolis of Christendom and Orthodoxy, Byzantium, were known since old times. In the suburbs of Constantinople there was a "metochi" (monastery dependency / estate) in which the overseer was a representative of the Prior of Omodos's Monastery.

Laces similar with those in Omodos are also detected in other parts of Cyprus, in cities and in the countryside. Also, in the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Ko, Psara, Samos, Skyros, in Constantinople and in Smyrna. Their sample can be found today in the Museum of Folkloric Art in Cyprus and Abroad, many of them being presented in studies and in books.

This kind of lace pertains to the "Knot with the needle" or "one Knot close to the other" technique. The "velonokompos" (kind of stitch) or double "velonokompos" is used for the creation of the designs.

The fabrication technique is similar to that of the "kefalaio" (Capital) that is observed in the eastern Mediterranean around the 5 th century BC. The simple knots also resemble the age-long technique of making fishing nets.

Written information mention Byzantium as a Centre of developing this type of Lace.

Besides, the customary attires of both the chanters and also the emperors in Byzantium with their -inlaid with gold -laces were also renowned.

According to written testimonies, one can detect that Cyprus was a production Centre of laces and threads that were inlaid with gold in that same era, making exports to the Byzantine area.

Name and use of "pipila"

The name for narrow-knit lacing (pipila) comes from the Turkish word "bir-bir" (,"birbila", "pipila"), which means "one after the other in succession". It is a kind of thin lace and is made with a needle and white thread or "avana", always combined with the imagination and craftsmanship of each woman so as to make uniquely beautiful designs.

For the creation of the various designs, the women use the "velonokompos" or double "velonokompos" as the basic knot. Some designs ("kollisis", plural, meaning adhered, attached items) are the Venetian, the "Athasoudi" (little almond), the "tourkou" (Turkish female), the "mougia" (fly), the "fyseroti" (fan-like), the "trikompoudi" (three small knots), the "mouti" (nose, edge), the "satetiko" (simple, single design), the "kyparissoudi" (small cypress tree), the "kamaroues" (arches, apses), et al. The women of Omodos make various sizes, small or large, simple or complex narrow-knit laces, giving them different geometrical shapes, starting from round and varying to square, rectangular, even oval or any other kind of shape they can imagine, depending on the object they want to decorate. The narrow-knit lace was used -and is still used today -for decorating their furniture and beds with the "pitsilia" and the "tornaretous" (plural, pleated fabrics / valances).

The narrow-knit lace was also an essential decorative item in the "stambota" (plural, meaning stamped) bandannas / headbands. The narrow-knit lacing was used to decorate costumes, shirts, and other items of clothing.

Editing of text: Panayiotis Socratous Secretary of ecclesiastical committee