Agios Epifanios Orinis
Agios Epifanios of Orini is a village of Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 36 km southwest of Nicosia, 65 km west of Larnaca, 52 km north of Limassol and 119 km northeast of Paphos. Built at the lower altitudes of the forest of Adelfoi and close to the Machaira forest, Agios Epifanios Orinis of the approximately 500 inhabitants is covered with wild vegetation and small orchards with various fruit trees, vineyards, a few olive trees and crops of legumes and vegetables. The community, which is drowning in lush vegetation and is home to some locals who work in the capital, has a primary school and kindergarten, taverns and graphic cafes.
The village seems to have been created by the movement of inhabitants, from the surrounding areas in the early 5th century, when Christianity was established as an official religion. In the area, those who believed in the ancient Greek religion fled to escape the persecution of some fanatical Christians of the time. Saint Epifanios, asked for the support of Emperor Theodosius I, who, by decree, created secure areas for non-Christians.
The name of the village derives from the name of the first settler in the modern history of the place (the 18th century), of Pifaniotis or else of Epifanios who came from Aglatzia. According to the tradition, after an epidemic that had hit the village only one family, consisting of father, mother and three daughters, managed to survive, abandoning the area. After years, the daughters came back and settled in the village, while Pifaniotis came here and married one of them, giving his name to the place.
Another version says that the name comes from a homonymous monastery, as the remains of a building have been found to the west of the village and at the base of the Kalogiros hill.
Today, Agios Epifanios Orinis is a quiet destination surrounded by the lush nature, colors and fresh air, just a short distance from Nicosia.
The church of the village, a single-aisle with a wooden roof and tiles, is dedicated to the patron saint of the settlement, Saint Epifanios, and was built in the 18th century in the center of the community, over an old monastery. The interior is adorned with an icon of the saint of the 17th century and the Crucifixion of the 16th century, while the wood-carved iconostasis was built in 1923. The newly built church that was constructed in 2010 is the new religious ornament of the region, while the chapel of Agios Georgios is located 2 km west of the community, in an idyllic setting and overlooking the green mountains of the “Adelfoi” and “Machairas” forests, as well as the Troodos forest.
The impressive stone-built monument dedicated to the fallen and the missing, with arches reminiscent of old drinking fountains, is located in the center of Agios Epifanios Orinis next to the offices of the community council. It is dedicated to the heroes of the Turkish invasion of 1974, Kostas Misiaoulis, Kostas Katalanos and Georgios Xenophontos Pogiatzis, whose relics were identified by the DNA method in a tomb at Knodara.