Amiantos, Limassol District, Cyprusi

Regional Level Types
Amiantos	Village
Limassol District	District
Cyprus	Country

It's the biggest asbestos mine in Europe in the past!

Asbestos production on an organized scale began at the present site in 1904. Since then and until the mine closure in 1988, it is estimated that 130 million tons of rock have been excavated, producing one million tonnes of asbestos fibres.

Until 1950, the core excavation was carried out manually using explosives, pick-axes, pitchforks, metal troughs, and manually pushed wagons. Consequently, it was dependent on the employment of a large number of workers (several thousand).

The mining front was divided into many terraced levels, and the "Cyprus Asbestos Mine Ltd" hired contractors who undertook a level called a mine or a bench. Each contractor employed several workers. The mine was operated during the summertime, and the number of employees sometimes reached 18,000, many of whom lived there with their families.

Processing (separation of the fibres from the host rock) was done using old mills without taking strict measures to protect the environment. The old mills operated with a single electrical motor and multiple straps, which caused many accidents. The dust from old mills created a large cloud of dust deposited around the mine area, a substantial thickness of powder rich in asbestos fibres that was hazardous to public health.

Most employers stayed in nearby temporary buildings, which gradually developed into permanent houses, evolving into a community of schools, hospitals and shops. Notably, during the first years of operation, the processed ore was transported to Limassol on a 30-km-long airlift line. Later, truck transportation was done with the improvement of the road network.

After 1950, the mechanisation of the mine began with the use of heavy extraction machinery.

During the period from 1958-1960, two large crushers were constructed with the capacity to handle 150 tons of material per hour. The ore extraction was done with large D9 bulldozers, small explosions and trucks, which transported the material to crushers. Later, the material was transferred by conveyors to new mills. In June 1960, an a-storey processing plant began to operate, which primarily included one new mill and gradually expanded with the addition of new mills. The old mills operated in parallel with new mills until 1963-1964.

The mechanisation of the mine led to a decrease in the number of employees and the gradual abandonment of the community that had developed around the mine.

The Cyprus Asbestos Mine Ltd operated profitably until 1982, when the international campaign against the use of asbestos caused a decrease in both its demand and price.

Consequently, the company began to experience financial difficulties. At the same time, serious environmental problems and problems related to the stability of the vast waste dumps created during the long exploration period began to accumulate.

Since 1995, rehabilitation works have been carried out aiming towards stability and reforestation of the mine dumps and the restoration of abandoned buildings. Today, the green asbestos mine area hosts an endemic species seed bank, the Troodos Geopark Visitors Center and the Botanical Garden.

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