Natural Olive Oil. Olive Oil Mills in Northern Cyprus

In Northern Cyprus, olive oil can be bought not only in shops, but also directly from olive mills and local producers. The harvest period is especially interesting: pressing of fresh oil begins in autumn, and some businesses accept olives from private owners. We have gathered olive mills from different areas of Northern Cyprus and explain in detail how olive oil is produced here.

• Olive oil in Northern Cyprus
• Olive season and useful Turkish words
• How olive oil is produced
• What natural olive oil looks like
• Olive oil in shops
• Olive oil mills in Northern Cyprus
• Where to take your olives for pressing
• Frequently asked questions

Olive oil in Northern Cyprus

Olive groves are a familiar part of the Northern Cyprus landscape. Olive trees grow around villages, on agricultural plots and on private farms, and oil production remains one of the local agricultural traditions.

The ancient olive trees in the Kalkanlı area near Güzelyurt are particularly well known. Part of the historic grove was seriously damaged in the 2020 fire, but the old olive trees in the area survived.

Today, Northern Cyprus is home to both modern facilities with automated production lines and small local olive mills. During the harvest season, freshly picked olives are brought here for processing, and new-season oil can often be bought directly from the producer.

Olive season and useful Turkish words

The main olive harvest in Northern Cyprus takes place in autumn. The exact timing depends on the variety, area, weather and ripeness of the fruit. An earlier harvest usually yields less oil with a more pronounced green, pungent flavour, while riper olives produce more oil with a milder taste.

Small olive mills are busiest during the harvest season. If you want to buy fresh new-season oil or take your own olives for pressing, it is worth contacting the facility before setting out to confirm its intake schedule.

These Turkish words may be useful when searching: zeytin — olive, zeytinyağı — olive oil, zeytinyağı fabrikası — olive oil factory, zeytin sıkma — olive pressing, yağ değirmeni — oil mill.

How olive oil is produced

How olive oil was produced in the past

Historically, olive oil was extracted by hand: olives were ground in a stone press whose millstone was turned by a donkey. This method was slow, but it made it possible to obtain the product mechanically without using modern industrial technology.

Today, the process is automated, but mechanical extraction, the quality of the fruit and temperature control during processing are still important for producing quality oil.

Harvesting

In Northern Cyprus, olives are still often harvested by hand or with the help of small mechanical devices:

• special rakes or shakers are used;
• nets are spread under the trees to catch the fruit;
• the harvest is taken for processing as quickly as possible.

The condition and freshness of the fruit are important for good oil. Olives that are damaged or stored for too long after harvesting can impair the taste and quality of the finished product.

Delivery and sorting

After harvesting, the olives are delivered to an olive mill. The less time that passes between harvesting and processing, the better the properties of the fresh fruit are preserved.

Before processing:

• leaves, twigs and foreign matter are removed;
• the fruit is sorted;
• the olives are thoroughly washed.

At smaller facilities, some of this work may be done by hand.

Grinding the olives

The cleaned olives are crushed together with their stones into a thick paste. This is the first stage of the actual oil extraction process.

Malaxation

The resulting olive paste is slowly mixed. For oil produced using the cold-extraction method, the process temperature must not exceed 27 °C.

During mixing, small droplets of oil combine, after which the oil is easier to separate from the other components of the olive mass.

At smaller facilities, this stage usually takes around 30–40 minutes, although the specific process depends on the producer’s equipment and technology.

Separating the oil

Various technologies are used to separate the oil. Older facilities used pressing, while modern olive mills mainly use centrifuges.

Traditional press:

• the olive paste is spread over special discs;
• the discs are stacked on top of one another;
• the mass is pressed;
• the oil is then separated from the water and other components.

Modern centrifuge:

• the olive mass is fed into a centrifuge;
• rotation separates the components according to their density;
• the oil is separated from the water and solid particles.

Filtering and storage

The resulting oil may be filtered or left unfiltered. Fresh unfiltered oil may contain natural sediment.

After pressing, the oil is stored in containers protected from light and high temperatures.

Bottling

The finished oil is bottled in glass bottles or metal cans. At small olive mills, fresh oil can also be purchased in larger containers.

What natural olive oil looks like

Colour. Oil can range from bright green to golden. Colour alone is not an indicator of quality.

Aroma. Fresh oil may have herbal, fruity and vegetal notes.

Taste. Quality fresh oil may have a fruity taste, bitterness and a characteristic peppery pungency in the throat.

Sediment. A small amount of natural sediment may be present in unfiltered oil.

Why buy oil directly from an olive mill

The main advantage of buying from the producer is the opportunity to purchase new-season oil soon after pressing. During the season, you can also find out the production date, taste the oil and choose the quantity that suits you.

If a facility offers private pressing, you can bring your own harvest there. Conditions vary: olive mills may set a minimum batch size, accept harvests by appointment or work with private customers only on certain days during the season.

Olive oil in Northern Cyprus shops

Local olive oil is widely available in supermarkets and small grocery shops in Northern Cyprus. When buying, it is worth paying attention first and foremost to the oil category, producer, production or harvest date, packaging and storage conditions.

For long-term storage, packaging that protects the oil from light is preferable: dark glass or a metal can. After opening, it is also best to store the oil away from direct sunlight and heat sources.

Olive oil mills in Northern Cyprus

Olive mills can be found in almost all of Northern Cyprus’s main agricultural areas. Some facilities produce and sell their own oil, while others operate as seasonal harvest-processing sites. Before travelling with your own olives, it is best to check in advance whether the specific facility accepts private customers.

Yağcıoğlu Yağ Fabrikası — Boğaz area

Yağcıoğlu Yağ Fabrikası is a family-run olive mill that has been operating since 1952. The business has been passed down through generations and specialises in processing olives and producing local olive oil.
Location

Aydın Zeytinyağı — Akçay, Güzelyurt

Aydın Zeytinyağı is located in Akçay on the Güzelyurt–Lefkoşa road. It is a convenient option for residents of western Northern Cyprus and the Güzelyurt area.
Location

Lefke Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Lefke

Lefke Zeytinyağı Fabrikası is located in the Lefke area, one of the traditional agricultural regions of western Northern Cyprus. Before travelling for seasonal pressing, it is worth checking the current opening schedule and harvest acceptance conditions.
Location

Karşıyaka Yağ Değirmeni — Karşıyaka

Karşıyaka Yağ Değirmeni is an olive mill in Karşıyaka, west of Girne. It is convenient for residents of Karşıyaka, Lapta and the west coast.
Phone: +90 392 855 24 33
Location

Şirinevler Zeytin Fabrikası — Şirinevler

Şirinevler Zeytin Fabrikası is located in Şirinevler, west of Girne. The facility is in an area with many private plots and olive trees, making it particularly relevant during the harvest season.
Location

Cyprolive Zeytinyağı — Zeytinlik

Cyprolive Zeytinyağı is located in Zeytinlik, near Girne. The name of the area itself is associated with olive groves: in Turkish, zeytinlik means “olive grove”.

Zeytinlik is also known for its annual olive festival, held during the harvest season.
Location

Hasan Efendi Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Çatalköy

Hasan Efendi Zeytinyağı Fabrikası operates in the industrial area of Çatalköy, east of Girne.
Location

Akdeniz Zeytin ve Zeytinyağı Ltd — Alayköy

Akdeniz Zeytin ve Zeytinyağı Ltd is located in the industrial area of Alayköy, not far from Lefkoşa. The facility is involved in olive processing and olive oil production and is conveniently located for central Northern Cyprus.
Location

Yeniceköy Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Yeniceköy

Yeniceköy Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası is located in Yeniceköy, not far from Ercan Airport. It is one of the Bardak family’s olive mills, which are found in several agricultural areas of Northern Cyprus.
Location

Geçitkale Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Geçitkale

Geçitkale Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası operates in Geçitkale, an agricultural area between Lefkoşa, Gazimağusa and İskele. During the season, the facility is convenient for owners of olive plots in central and eastern Northern Cyprus.
Location

Meserya Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Vadili

Meserya Bardak Zeytinyağı Fabrikası is located in Vadili, in the agricultural Mesarya region. This is another Bardak facility for processing olives and producing oil.
Location

Oliva Gardens Factory — Vadili

Oliva Gardens Factory is also located in the Vadili area. The facility produces olive products. If your reason for visiting is to have your own harvest pressed, it is worth checking in advance whether olives from private customers are accepted.
Location

Agrolea Agriculture & Production Ltd — Sütlüce

Agrolea Agriculture & Production Ltd is located in Sütlüce, in central Northern Cyprus. The facility is engaged in agricultural production and olive processing.
Phone: +90 533 840 02 42
Location

Mehmetçik Yağ Sanayi Ltd / Kırımlı Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Mehmetçik

Mehmetçik Yağ Sanayi Ltd is an olive mill in Mehmetçik, in eastern Northern Cyprus. The name Kırımlı Zeytinyağı Fabrikası is also used on maps. Both listings refer to the same facility: they have the same contact number, so they should not be counted as two separate olive mills.

The facility produces olive oil in one of the main agricultural areas on the İskele–Karpaz route.
Phone: +90 542 855 63 88
Location

Büyükkonuk Zeytin Üreticileri Tarım Kooperatifi — Büyükkonuk

Büyükkonuk Zeytin Üreticileri Tarım Kooperatifi is an olive growers’ cooperative in Büyükkonuk. Unlike a regular commercial operation, it is an association of local producers involved in producing natural olive oil and table olives.

Büyükkonuk is an agricultural village on the Karpaz route, so the cooperative is particularly interesting for those looking for local products directly from producers.
Location

Kuruova Zeytinyağı Fabrikası — Kuruova

Kuruova Zeytinyağı Fabrikası is farther along the Karpaz, in the village of Kuruova. It is one of the easternmost olive mills in Northern Cyprus and a practical option for residents and plot owners on the peninsula.
Location

Where to take your olives for pressing

During the harvest season, some olive mills in Northern Cyprus work not only with their own harvest, but also accept olives from farmers and private tree owners. However, there is no single procedure: each facility sets its own conditions.

Before travelling, it is worth checking:

• whether olives from private customers are currently accepted;
• whether there is a minimum batch weight;
• whether an appointment is required;
• whether your batch will be pressed separately or together with other customers’ harvest;
• how the processing cost is calculated;
• whether you need to bring your own container for the finished oil;
• how long after drop-off it will take to collect the oil.

When searching on Google Maps and other search engines, it is best to use the Turkish search terms zeytinyağı fabrikası, zeytin sıkma or yağ değirmeni. Small seasonal facilities do not always appear easily in searches for “olive mill”.

If you are bringing your own harvest, it is best not to store the olives for several days in tightly closed bags. Rapid processing after harvesting and adequate ventilation of the fruit before it reaches the production line are important for oil quality.

Frequently asked questions about olive oil in Northern Cyprus

What are olives and olive oil called in Turkish?

Zeytin means olive, and zeytinyağı means olive oil. Useful search terms for finding a facility include zeytinyağı fabrikası — olive oil factory, zeytin sıkma — olive pressing, and yağ değirmeni — oil mill.

When does the olive season begin?

The main harvest period is in autumn. The exact start of the season depends on the area, variety, weather and ripeness of the harvest. Olive mills are busiest during this period, and fresh new-season oil becomes available.

What kind of olives is oil made from?

Oil is made from olives at different stages of ripeness. Greener fruit usually yields less oil, with more pronounced bitterness, herbal notes and an intense taste. As the olives ripen, the oil yield increases and the taste becomes milder.

Can I take my own olives to an olive mill?

Some facilities accept harvests from private customers, especially during the season. Conditions vary, so it is worth calling before travelling to check the minimum quantity, intake schedule and how the processing fee is calculated.

Can I buy oil directly at an olive mill?

At many facilities, local olive oil can be purchased directly from the producer. It is best to check availability of fresh oil, container sizes and sales hours in advance.

What does cold pressing mean?

For oil labelled as produced by cold extraction, the process temperature must remain below 27 °C. This allows the oil to be extracted mechanically without high-temperature processing.

Is sediment in olive oil normal?

Yes, unfiltered oil may contain a small amount of sediment. By itself, it does not mean that the product has spoiled.

Where are the old olive trees?

A well-known ancient olive grove is located in the Kalkanlı area near Güzelyurt. Some of the trees were damaged in the major fire of 2020.

Is there an olive festival in Northern Cyprus?

Yes. The annual Olive Festival takes place in Zeytinlik near Girne during the autumn harvest season. The dates and length of the programme are set separately each year.

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