Klirou
Klirou is a village of Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 30 kilometers southwest of the homonymous city, 56 kilometers northeast of Limassol, 62 kilometers northwest of Larnaca and 123 kilometers northeast of Paphos.
Located at an altitude of 450 meters at the northern foothills of the Troodos Mountain Range and in an impressive natural environment, Klirou is one of the large villages of Pitsilia. Most houses are scattered on the right and left side of the main road, with the core of the settlement lying in the imposing church of the village with the two towering cypress trees. It is located at a crucial geographical location, since it was a center and a stopping point for those who came from Pitsilia by carriages and headed for Nicosia, which contributed to the development of the settlement. The crops of vines, peaches, grains, olives, almonds, vegetables, cereals and pulses are among the products of the area, but the fig-tree of Kliros, also known as smyrnaiko, was and still is a trademark of the village, with many workshops working on the processing of this delicious summer fruit. In fact, in 2016 the first smyrnaiko fig festival was held in the village square with a host of events. In addition to the extraordinary semi-mountainous climate, the Klirou-Maloundas-Akakiou dam has also contributed to the plethora of products, as it irrigates with the waters of Serrahis river the lands of the wider region.
The name of the community – which is very active and organises various actions and events from time to time – is due to its first settler or owner called Kleris, or to the bird “klorko” or “kliros”, as the voice it makes sounds like it is repeating the word kliros. However, another version refers to the fact that all male residents of the village became clergy (which is kliros in Greek) in the past in order to fight off – as they believed – a deadly epidemic.
Historically, Klirou was an integral part of the ancient kingdom of Tamassos, which is confirmed by the hundreds of underground galleries, the metalworking sites and the great number of ancient tombs and remains from the Archaic, Classical and Roman periods. Around 392 AD, it was converted into a military base and became a center of Christianity that helped spread it throughout the region and by the 5th century, it was a site that included over 10 villages, forming an industrial metal processing center. The village as a community has existed since the Byzantine period. During the Middle Ages, and especially during the Frankish period, it became part of the lands of Thomas de Montolif who was the controller of King Peter I (1359-1369).
From the religious sights of Klirou, the ones that are distinguished are the Panagia of Lagni, the chapel of Agios Mamas in the area “Kouloupades” and the chapel of Agia Marina in the area “Petaloudini”.
The Panagia (Virgin Mary) of Lagni, just outside the village on the way to Fikardou, constitutes a small stone-built structure of the late 20th century (1981) with a wooden roof made with wood and tiles to protect against the weather and is dedicated to Panagia (Virgin Mary) Chryseleousa. Previously it operated as a female monastery. According to the tradition, the Virgin appeared to a resident of the village and indicated where her picture was buried and he went there to dig. Forgetting exactly where he was supposed to dig, he made three draws, each representing a different point and pulled one of them. There, at the point where he finally dug at a depth of 1 meter, the icon and a holy source were found. The icon was named Virgin Mary of Lagni (a lachnos is a draw, a lottery in Greek) and from the paraphrasing of the word, the church took the name of Virgin Mary of Lagni. The holy source is 200 meters east of the temple, and it is believed to be associated with many miracles. In 2009, in particular, two icons in the beautiful chapel, one of which was of the Virgin Mary, teared up and many believers considered this a miracle.
The old church before the rebuilding of 1981 was rebuilt by a military commander of the Arabs around 650-700 AD, a period when raids on the island had begun. At that time, this part of the army, which was responsible for the occupation of Pitsilia, suffered from a violent storm, and the commander and his soldiers sought shelter in the small chapel, while making a vow to rebuild it if the terrible storm ceased – as it did.
After a sightseeing tour, the guest of Klirou can enjoy his coffee in the cafeteria or have lunch at the tavern serving fine mezedes (appetisers) and traditional dishes.
The community is very close to Malounta, Fikardou and Kalo Horio Orinis.