Psevdas
Psevdas in Cyprus is one of the villages of the Larnaca province, about 20 kilometers northwest of the homonymous city.
A green semi-mountainous village built at an altitude of 290 meters, with Tremithos River separating the village in the middle into two parts, surrounded by the mountains of Apidaki, Mallouthkiatis, Rominos, Misikipos and the White Mountains and among wild bushy vegetation with pines, olives, carob trees, cypresses and others, Psevdas is an ideal destination for nature lovers. Other rivers in the area are Kryo Nero, Kotsyrkas, and Kaourotripa.
Regarding the origins of the name of the village there are several versions, one of which speaks of it originating from the word “seftaş”, which means gloom and grief, while another says it comes from the phrase”Opsia Odi”; because of the chirping of the birds that flooded the area, especially shortly before dawn.
A third version reports that there was a monastery of Saint Catherine of the Sinai Monastery with many acres of land. People came to cultivate these orchards, while creating temporary residences for the cultivation period. Over time, the so-called “fake village” (psevtochori in Greek) of the cultivators was renamed Psevdas.
Historically as a settlement, it has probably existed since the 15th century AD, as evidenced by the large-scale stones located at the site of Vyzakia, on the eastern side of the village.
Apart from the natural beauties offered by the place, a sight worth visiting while in Psevdas is the monumental stone-built single arched church of St. John the Theologian, patron saint of the village that celebrates every year on September 26 with the locals and residents from the surrounding areas that arrive to worship the saint. Particularly striking is the bell tower of the temple that is made out of carved stone.
On the site where today’s church is located, there was previously a smaller temple dating back to the 17th century AD. There was the old icon of St. John the Theologian of the 16th-17th century AD, other icons of the 17th-18th century AD, as well as two gospels, a gospel of 1637 AD. and one of 1763 AD. The community library of Psevdas is located in the center of the village, founded in 1997 by the village teacher and today it has more than 3,000 books of historical, literary, religious and scientific interest.
Today, the approximately 1,200 inhabitants of the village work in the cities, while others maintain their own businesses.
Psevdas is a crossroads of three cities, Larnaca, Nicosia (about 44 kilometers southeast) and Limassol (about 62 kilometers northeast), making it easy for the visitor to travel to every point in Cyprus.