Androlykou

The village of Androlykou is situated about 8 kilometers southeast of Polis Chrysochous and almost 9 kilometers south of the port of Latsiou and is within short distance from the Neo Chorio Paphou of the homonymous province of Cyprus.

From a large Greek-Turkish community very close to the Akamas peninsula, Androlykou today is one of the smallest villages of the island, with only 20 permanent residents. Here is also the only cemetery on the island where are also buried the Turkish Cypriot Hassan Mustafa (the only one of the Turkish Cypriot inhabitants who remained in the village after 1975 when the rest moved to the occupied Myrtou, for the sake and the love of his beloved wife) and his Greek Cypriot wife, Charalambia, who fell in love and eloped many years ago. The story of the couple is part of the history of this place, and remains unchanged with the passing of the years, while the modern small community of Androlykou is enjoying a huge income thanks to the local quarries.

As the visitor enters the village, the first thing that he will face is the old elementary school with the inscription from an extract from Kemal Ataturk’s book: “Education opens the way to happiness”, while the ruined houses of the region dominate the community, acting as a reminder of the Turkish invasion of 1974. In addition, the church of Agios Mamas, located between the villages of Androlykou and Neo Chorio Paphou, is an important archaeological monument, and there are also many new projects that promote the traditional cultural and natural heritage of the area. Finally, another sight worth visiting, this time a natural one, are the Androlykou gorges, which are under the protection of the Natura 2000 network.