Latsia

Latsia is a district of Nicosia and an independent municipality, situated 15 kilometers south of the capital of Cyprus, 80 kilometers from Limassol, 40 kilometers from Larnaca and 140 kilometers from Paphos.

Between the settlements of Lakatamia and Geri, in the area where the torrents Drakontias and Kalogeros flow, the two branches of the river Vathi (the tributary of Pediaios), this is where the picturesque village of Latsia is located. The municipality is in the 6th place of the most populated areas and is 11th in population.

The name Latsia comes from the word “laci” which in the Cypriot dialect means the “small well”. The plural (in Greek) is explained because there were many pits in the area, which were used in order to irrigate the land and feed the animals. The same name appears on the island of Aphrodite in Latsi of Polis Chrysochous.

Traces of life and culture in Latsia transfer the scholars to the Hellenistic period (325-50 BC). The settlement was probably a big feudal estate during the Frankish rule (1192-1489) and the Venetian rule (1489-1570), while in 1571, when the Ottomans occupied Cyprus, it was transformed into a fiefdom and its population was annihilated by the conquerors. Eventually, in 1790, the landlord of the area sold the settlement to mountainous farmers from the village of Lythrodontas. Originally they visited Latsia only during the sowing and harvesting period, but slowly (with the end of the Second World War) people began to settle in the settlement permanently due to its proximity to Nicosia. After the Turkish invasion of 1974, many refugees settled there, and three refugee settlements were built.

Today, Latsia is one of the emerging municipalities of Nicosia, especially with regard to the residential development of the capital and the construction of the Nicosia-Limassol motorway. In addition, within its borders the settlement hosts several major projects such as the Open University of Cyprus, the Nicosia Hospital, large commercial complexes and many others.

Four public kindergartens and primary schools, a high school, an open school, as well as a number of private kindergartens and pre-school nurseries, the Pedagogical Institute, and an annex of the University of Cyprus operate in Latsia. In the area the visitor can see the municipal mansion, the municipal theater, the municipal library, several parks, many small and big churches, as well as huge sports facilities. Most travelers in the area do not fail to take a stroll to the National Center of Athalassa and enjoy there the tranquility of nature.