The discovery of Copper 3,000 years ago helped Man to pass from the stone to the bronze age.  The mines of Cyprus, specifically, the mine at Mitsero village,  mentioned in our story, gave large quantities of minerals, right from the beginning until present days.  The minerals produced were necessary raw materials for many industries, both in Cyprus and abroad.  At present, the remains of the mining operations, is an attraction to students, geologists, but also to ordinary people.

Cyprus history is closely related to its mines and copper and goes back to the Chalcolithic period 3.000 years B.C.  The discovery and trade of copper was very significant to the  economy of the Island and in fact, the basis for its cultural booming.  Moreover, it is well known, that Cyprus gave its name to the metal, with the Latin ‘cuprum’ and not the other way round.

Many conquerors, the Ptolemies, the Romans and others, passed and left their mark on the Island, taking advantage of its mineral wealth. Thousands of people left their last breath in the pits of the earth, using primitive methods for the mining of the copper. Copper was produced in various areas in Cyprus, amongst  which Mitsero and Agrokipia, which belonged to the ancient kingdom of Tamassos. Thus, it is fair to say that Cyprus was, to the then known world, synonymous to copper.

The Cyprus mines were abandoned during the post Byzantine period, due to the fact that the Venetians, the Franks and the Turks had no interest in the ores. The Kokkinopezoula mine is an impressive crater that dominates the area and a site of interest to many

The production of Copper and other ores in Cyprus contributed significantly to the poor people of Cyprus and the European economy of those days, reduced migration, and contributed to science.  Technology advancements  became possible in the fields of geology, metallurgy and the production of heavy machinery.  The mining activities of those days can be said to have created the need for Universities in European countries to offer studies in these areas of science.