Agia Marina Xyliatou

Agia Marina Xyliatou is a village of Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 40 km southwest of Nicosia, 72 km north of Limassol, 69 km northwest of Larnaca and 119 km northeast of Paphos.

Built at the foot of the Troodos mountain range, at an altitude of 440 meters among ancient olive trees and next to the forest Adelfoi, Agia Marina Xyliatou of the approximately 600 inhabitants occupied in agriculture (almonds, grain crops, pulses, few vines and olives), offers exceptional tranquility and views of the wider area all the way to Morphou Sea. Although until the beginning of the 20th century it was confined to the valley of the area, the settlement over the years spread to the surrounding hills, “The Monastery of the Tholos”, “Stavros” and “Mazeris” and today it consists of narrow spiralling streets, stone built houses of folk architecture, cafes, taverns, restaurants, clubs, small shops and more modern buildings.

The village has been inhabited since antiquity, as the findings from around water sources, caves, graves, copper rust, galleries and others testify to the human presence in the area and mining activity dating back to the archaic or Roman periods. In the “Marathevtika” area, ancient tombs were discovered – caves with gold coins, golden myrtle leaves and small metal coins, while at the location of “Ais Tzirkakos” and “Mavrovouni”, two kilometers east of the village, there are important rust deposits and visible signs of copper. Mining activity ended with the onset of Arab raids in the first half of the 7th century and re-launched in the early 20th century.

The name of the village is due to the homonymous Saint (Saint Marina is Agia Marina in Greek) and until the first decades of the 20th century, it was known as Agia Marina of Nikitari, but after the establishment of the mail service during the British occupation, the name Agia Marina Xyliatou prevailed.

Today the community has developed many forms of cultural and athletic activity, which is evident from the establishment of two theatrical clubs and sports clubs, as well as dance groups that have earned many distinctions and are actively involved in various events. The cultural center of the settlement includes a library, kindergarten, community offices, and a hall for theatrical performances and is located close to the verdant community park. There, in the park with a playground, a kiosk and benches, the visitor can relax and enjoy a stroll around the village’s history, as there is the hero monument dedicated to Andreas Moditis and Kyprou Petsa, a marble slab with the two bronze busts of the fighters who fell during the Turkish invasion of 1974. In the park is also the Saint Marina’s holy spring, which was channeled through a pipeline into the water reservoir, in order to cover the irrigation needs of the area until the 20th century. In the area of ​​the sanctuary and in a stone-built structure is also located the icon of Saint Marina.

The two churches of the village are dedicated to the patron saint of the community. The old church of Agia Marina is located in the heart of the village and it is a stone-built building with a stone built bell tower and a tiled roof. It is surrounded by two squares and it houses the monument dedicated to Dimitrakis Papamiltiadis, a fighter in the 1964 intercommunal riots. The new church of Agia Marina is a modern large building constructed in order to meet the needs of the local faithful.

Other attractions for the visitor to Agia Marina Xyliatou are the ancient olive trees dating back to the beginning of the 15th century, located at the site of “Ai Tzirkakos”, “Pidkia” and “Kapparkes” and the three organized excursion areas. The first one is located at the fence, the second one next to the “Kapoura” station and the last one at the “Gefyri tis Panagias (Bridge of the Virgin Mary)”, opposite the homonymous forest station.

Very close, about 6.5 kilometers from the village, is the beautiful Xyliatou dam with its excursion area, which attract many Cypriots and foreigners who come here in order to admire the unique landscape with the dense pine forest and the rare Cypriot water snake. Each overflow of the water dam turns many of its spots into a waterfall that usually last 2-3 months, during the most rainy months. The excursion area, located at the foot of the dam, can be visited by the public during its overflow, from February to March, but also during the summer months.

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