Koutrafas

Koutrafas is a village in the province of Nicosia and it is situated about 50 kilometers from the homonymous capital of Cyprus, 65 kilometers from Limassol, 85 kilometers from Larnaca and 100 kilometers from Paphos. It is also just a few kilometers away from the settlement of Astromeritis, towards the Troodos area.

The settlement has existed since the Frankish era and was part of the feudal estate of the Counts of Edessa, and along the way was given to the noble de Naves, while Kato Koutrafas, as is confirmed by historical testimonies, belonged to Count de Roussia.

The name of the village is said to have come from the name of the first settler, who also liked the “koutrouvin”, which is the caper’s flower. On the other hand, there are other versions regarding the origin of Koutrafas’ name, such as its connection to the word “koutra”, derived from the Latin word “sccultra” (forehead, head). Today’s name corresponds to two villages, Kato Koutrafa (Lower Koutrafa) and Pano Koutrafa (Upper Koutrafa). Pano Koutrafas was a purely Turkish-Cypriot village and was abandoned in 1964 after the inter-communal riots. According to the local tradition, the first village named Koutrafas in the 17th century was renamed Kato Koutrafas, because the Turkish founded a small settlement next to it (the now abandoned Pano Koutrafa).

The visitor to Koutrafa will encounter some stone bridges, several dams, and many crops of grain, citruses and vegetables, on a large expanse that stretches out on the west bank of the Elia river, while at its southwestern tip the visitor can see the old settlement of “Mantres", from which only a few ruined brick-built houses survive.

What stands out in the area is the 18th century church at the entrance of Koutrafa, dedicated to the Virgin Mary Chryseleousa. Inside the church, apart from the majestic iconostasis of 1927, there is also the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary Amarantou of Rhodes, which represents the Virgin Mary holding a rose. The Virgin Mary is referred to as the Rose bush that “sprouted” the Rose, that is, Christ or “the Eternal Rose”.