Kaliana
Kaliana is a village of Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 61 km southwest of the homonymous city, 51 km north of Limassol, 105 km northwest of Larnaca and 89 km northeast of Paphos.
A settlement 590 meters above sea level on the northern slopes of Troodos mountains, in the valley of the river Karkotis and in a landscape transversed by the river network, Kaliana with a cold climate in winter and cool in the summer, fall under the geographical region of Solea. To the south and west of the settlement, the relief becomes rough and mountainous, with the altitude reaching 1,000 meters. Fruit trees (apple trees, pear trees, peach trees and apricots) and a few olive trees are cultivated in the area, while part of the Troodos forest to the west of the village falls within its administrative boundaries. A pretty developed settlement that still preserves the popular Cypriot architecture and is known for its Zivania (local pomace brandy), which is still produced and distilled in the traditional way, Kaliana include mini markets and supermarkets, restaurants, taverns, hair salons, car repair shops and much more.
The settlement has existed since the time of the Frankish rule, when it was part of a feudal estate, while during the Ottoman domination it was one of the six villages that paid tribute to the Chief Secretary, the so-called devterdari (second-of-a-kind), who was one of the 4 Aghas (lords) of Nicosia (the other villages were Anogyra, Galata, Petra and Peristerones of Famagusta and Morfou). The first settlement was in the area of Agia Marina, but due to frequent raids by pirates and thieves, some residents fled to the south, to the so-called “upper village”. With regard to the most recent history and up to the Turkish invasion of 1974, the Skouriotissa mine, located a short distance to the north, helped to provide a job for a large part of the population, not only in the village, but also in the wider region.
The name of the village, according to one version, comes from its old houses that resembled wooden huts (kaliana), while another version refers to a very good woman called Anna, renaming the settlement to Kaliana (kali Anna, meaning “good Anna” in Greek). Finally, a third associates the name with Kalliani of Arcadia, which, if true, testifies that the Soliates are descendants of settlers from the Peloponnese and more specifically from Arcadia.
The main church of Agii Ioakim and Anna, in the center of the village, is one of Solea’s oldest ones and dates back to the 12th century. The stone-built Basilica-style single-aisled building, with a wooden roof and tiles, is adorned with a rare fresco painting of the Saints of the 12th century, as well as the portable icon of Virgin Mary Kalionitissa of the 13th century. Another temple, that of Panagia Iamatikis, was built in 1993 in the ruins of an older temple.
One of the ornaments of the community is the old mansion built in 1900, being an excellent example of folk architecture, and today it has been declared a listed monument and has been restored, functioning as a cultural center. The so-called Kallianas Station, the two-story building with arches, is located on the old Nicosia-Troodos road and it used to be a place of rest for travelers in the past. Initially it was operating like a tavern and later as a cafe-restaurant.
Next to it, the bridge of Agios Irakleidios, which joins the two shores of Karkotis and according to the tradition, here the Apostles Barnabas and Marcos baptized Saint Irakleidio. Another great attraction of the area is the watermill at the entrance of the old village and the unique hand-operated olive mill of Solea.
Kaliana is a village in Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 61 kilometers southwest of the homonymous city and 51 kilometers north of Limassol.