Archimandrita
The village of Archimandrita is located 30 kilometers northwest of Paphos in the homonymous province of Cyprus, and it is situated 60 kilometers southwest of Limassol and about 110 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.
Built in the “embrace” of a verdant landscape of the mountainous Paphos, which is transversed by the Ha river and the Diorozo river, creating a fertile ground for the cultivation of vineyards and olives, the Archimandrita settlement according to de La Latri was part of the Lusignan – Venetian royal estate.
The name "Archimandrita" originated either from the 318 Holy Fathers, who came from Syria and settled in the upper settlement of the village, or from its first settler, called Archimandrite. The movement of the first inhabitants of the village, from the lower to the upper settlement, was decisive for the modern community. Until 1962, the village had an upper and lower settlement, but the lack of services and the isolation of the lower settlement, slowly led the locals to move to the so-called Pano (Upper) Archimandrita. Today, in the old settlement one will see only a few dilapidated houses and the restored chapel of Panagia (Virgin Mary), while in the modern community there are about 20 permanent residents, as well as many Cypriots who spend their weekends and their summer holidays there. In addition, in Upper Archimandrita there is the church of Agios Theodosios, but also a hostel with a café and a restaurant for anyone wishing to stay in the area.
Close to the church of Agios Theodosios in the homonymous old monastery of Aghios Theodosios, there is the cave of the 318 Holy Fathers with the remains of the frescoes of St. Athanasius of Athonite and Saint Theodosios of the Kinoviarchou, which is in fact the ossuary of the dissolute monastery of the Holy Fathers, who found tragic death and became martyrs here, in the area. Moreover, two chapels can be found in the village of Archimandrita, one dedicated to the Holy Fathers and the other one to Virgin Mary. Other community sights and attractions include a Venetian bridge, an old watermill, and the gorge of the river Ha.
Finally, in the settlement of Archimandrita, has been created the first wind farm in Cyprus, and more specifically in the area of Oreites, a location that the island’s tourists love to capture on film.