Cyprus is home to the oldest known perfume in the world! Archaeologists discovered an ancient perfume factory near Pyrgos on the southern coast of Cyprus, dating back over 4,000 years. This factory produced perfumes from local herbs, such as coriander, bergamot, and pine, distilled with olive oil—a process similar to modern perfume-making.
I came here looking for this fun fact! Cyprus continues its contributions to perfumery with the family Chypre, the French name for the island. The first chypre perfume, Coty’s “Chypre,” was released in 1917 and invoked the island by using materials sourced from the Mediterranean, including bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss.
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u/Difficult_Eggplant4u Oct 29 '24
Cyprus is home to the oldest known perfume in the world! Archaeologists discovered an ancient perfume factory near Pyrgos on the southern coast of Cyprus, dating back over 4,000 years. This factory produced perfumes from local herbs, such as coriander, bergamot, and pine, distilled with olive oil—a process similar to modern perfume-making.