Agios Georgios Sylikou

Agios Georgios Sylikou is a village in the center of the Limassol district in Cyprus and is situated 23 kilometers north of Limassol, 90 kilometers west of Larnaca, 92 km southwest of Nicosia and 70 kilometers east of Paphos.

A small settlement built mostly with stone, on the left side of the valley of the Kouris River at an altitude of 480 meters, the Agios Georgios Sylikou is one of the villages of commandaria (sweet wine) where vegetation thrives, dominated by cultures of black grapes and sultanas, wheat, carob and almond trees. Due to the good climate and the proximity to the city of Limassol, the village with its cobbled streets has known residential development mainly by locals, but also foreigners visiting the area in order to enjoy nature. The old buildings are restored and new cottages are built, giving life to the village, especially during the summer months. The old houses have two floors with a large patio and an upper floor with a covered wooden balcony.

During the Frankish rule (1192-1570) at the location of the chapel of Panagia of Syrkas, there was the kingdom of the Franks which was ruled by a queen named Zografou, who married a noble, Tsitsieki, from Monagri. On the southern side of the church, the remains of the defensive walls of the city are preserved to this day.

The community of Agios Georgios Sylikou, which got its name from the neighboring village Sylikou, which is bigger and older, is also known as Agios Georgios Agkathiotis, since according to tradition, during the Turkish rule, almost all neighboring villages were occupied by the Turks, except for the village of Agios Georgios. When the invaders approached it, they encountered a dense vegetation of thorns (agathi stands for thorn in Greek) and could not proceed with the tools of the time. Although the Turks had visual contact from afar, when they went down to the river bed and climbed up to the village, they lost their way in the paths covered by bushes with the hard and long spikes.

In modern history, the village got its name in 1800, when a shepherd from Ai Giorgis Paphou, settled in the area because of the abundance of water and its uncultivated land. Gradually the village grew and in 1830 the stone church of Agios Georgios was built, who is the patron of the community. The temple is located in the center of the village and in it are kept the relics of the Great Martyr Saint George.

The new, also made of stone, church of Agios Georgios is a building of the 20th century, and according to tradition, originally the church was to be dedicated to St. Constantine and St. Helen, but the residents in the 1960s, saw a white horse wandering in the grounds of church and then disappearing. Thus, they interpreted it as a sign that the church should be dedicated to Saint George.

The chapel of Panagia of Syrkas is located between the community and village Sylikou, 1.5 km north of the village and was built in 1897. As mentioned above, according to the tradition Syrka was a kingdom, and its people were greatly sinful and Virgin Mary wanted to destroy them. Jesus Christ heard her will and tried to shut his mother’s mouth with his hand. The effort of Christ was imprinted on the image that exists in the church and shows his left hand in front of the mouth of Virgin Mary.

The chapel of Agios Panteleimon was built in 2007 and is located to the east of the village.

Visitors to Agios Georgios Sylikou will see the characteristic wooden arch of the community, the building of the community council and the clinic. Next to it stands the old elementary school that has been converted into a cultural center and the courtyard of the community park that offers panoramic views of the surrounding villages. You can enjoy a coffee in the central café of the village under the big plane tree or a little further along, in the cafeteria of the village. In your walk, it is worth visiting the old Commandaria factory and the old drinking fountain which supplied the community with water.

The village Agios Georgios Sylikou, also known as Agios Georgios Kilaniou, has a traditionally large grape production and even today its 100 inhabitants are involved in the production of Commandaria, zivania (Cypriot pomace brandy), raisins and soutzouko (Cypriot traditional sweets), all features of the traditions of the people of the Cypriot countryside.