Moniatis
Moniatis is a village in the district of Limassol in Cyprus and is located 30 km northwest of Limassol, 99 km west of Larnaca, 80 km southwest of Nicosia and 67 km east of Paphos.
Built at the Troodos mountain range at an altitude of 780 meters and “rooted” in a lush scenery, Moniatis village of the about 350 inhabitants, is a beautiful mountain resort and the place of the holiday homes of many Cypriots and foreigners who built there heir houses, enjoying the rich nature and catapulting the population to about 2,000 people during the summer months.
This landscape next to a small tributary of the river Kouris, is dominated by the famous pine tree which gives the famous mastic used to insulate the jars, the cypress trees, the walnut trees, the poplars and the eucalyptus trees. The Nature Trail Daphne- Zara-Mazokampos, the nearby and beautiful dam Saitta and the unique double bridge in Cyprus that separates the village from Trimiklini complete the magical scenery of the area. The rapid urban development that began in the 1990s in Moniatis has not altered in the least its traditional character.
The name of the village comes either from the first settlers who came from a moni (monastery in Greek), or shepherds who moniazan their cattle there (taking them to rest), at the current location of the village, while another version speaks of the many fences that existed there centuries ago, at a period when probably the community was established. In the mid-18th century, the village of Saitta was dissolved, prompting residents to move a little further north, creating the first settlement in Moniatis, where is the current core of the modern village. Until the Turkish invasion of 1974, in the village lived also many Turkish Cypriots who were forced to move to the occupied by the Turks areas in northern Cyprus. A remnant of the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots cohabitation period is a small mosque next to the river and some houses in the village center.
Walking through the village and apart from the magnificent nature which monopolizes the landscape, the visitor has a lot to see and admire. Situated around the community center and close to it, are the Folk Art Museum of Moniatis that opened in 2014, a park with lush vegetation and a playground where various events take place and the heroes monument that is dedicated to Panicos Pourgourides, a fighter of EOKA (a Greek Cypriot nationalist guerrilla organisation), who died in the Turkish Invasion.
Near the center of the village is the main church of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Odigitria built in 1929 and the church of Archangel Michael built in 1717, a single-aisled church with a gabled roof that has been declared an ancient monument. In the village there are also the chapels of Prophet Elias built in 2004 and the Zoodochos Pigi (Life- Giving Spring), the celebration of which takes place at the first Friday after Easter with a festival.
Among the most important churches of the area is the Monastery of Timios
Prodromos (Saint John the Baptist) Mesa Potamou, dating from the 12th century, which can be reached through a magical walk in the nature.
The visitors during their stay in Moniatis have the opportunity to enjoy their coffee in a traditional or a more modern café, or enjoy a Cypriot meze in restaurants that operate throughout the year, apart from one that is open only during summer.
If a traveler wants to stay in the area, there are homes available for rent, a traditional guest house in Saitta, a hotel and camping sites in Mesa Potamos and the camps of the Metropolis Kition, the Metropolis of Limassol and that of a private school.
At Moniatis also operates a kindergarten, a forestry station, an agricultural nursery, clinic and the Youth Center Panicos Pourgourides that organizes cultural and social events.
The most important celebration for the community is the festival Mones held in July and August with numerous festivities.