Kritou Marotou

Kritou Marotou is a village in the province of Paphos in Cyprus and it is situated 27 km northeast of the homonymous city, 90 km northwest of Limassol and 134 km southwest of Nicosia.

Located at an altitude of 540 meters at the foot of the Troodos Mountains, Kritou Marotou is a small settlement with few inhabitants that became famous for the archaeological excavations that took place in the area. The findings of the University of Nevada under the direction of Alan H. Simmons at the site of “Kritou Marotou-Ais Yorkis” in 2014 brought to light 6 buildings, 37,000 flaked tools and objects made out of pikrolithos, animal bones, and a human tomb which is considered the oldest registered in Cyprus so far. The human skeleton, which was excavated by Xenia-Pola Kyriakou and Paul Croft, was in a tense position in a tomb and are the remains of an adult man. The filling of the tomb contained stones, animal bones, and flakes. According to the announcement of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, this site dates back to the Neolithic Aceramic B period, while its basic period of residence dates back to 7,800 BC.

Apart from the ancient antiquities discovered by the scientists, the village has cafes, a tavern, a supermarket, while some of the most important attractions are the old drinking fountain and the water tank that were renovated in 2016, as well as the chapel of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Perispomeni.

The small community, which comprises a beautiful excursion for those who love nature, is located between Polemi and Panagia Paphou, while it is adjacent to Fiti (2.5 km), Kannaviou (2 km) and Anadiou (3 km).