Pyrga
Pyrga is one of the villages of the Larnaca district in Cyprus and it is situated about 30 kilometers west of Larnaca, 50 kilometers southeastern to Nicosia and 60 kilometers northeast of Limassol.
Built at an altitude of 300 meters and beneath the northern foothills of Stavrovouni, in a verdant environment with pine trees and wild vegetation, and surrounded by the mountains of Apiatzis, Sinova, Vassioti, Efgali, Stavri, Viklia and Pipi, Pyrga is a settlement with some traditional old houses built with brick or brown lava, while in recent years modern houses have been erected in the village’s periphery and on the slopes of the hills – summer cottages as well as permanent residences. Many come here due to the climate and the easy access from Larnaca and Nicosia. Regarding the origins of the name of the village there are two versions. The first one speaks of the red color (pyrron) of the land of the region, and the other version reports that there were many furnaces for pottery and charcoal because of the dense forests. That is, there were many pyrkagies, meaning ”fires”.
The history of the village begins from ancient times, according to the various archaeological discoveries unearthed, such as caves, clay statues, vases, coins, jewelery, etc.
Important attractions for the visitor to Pyrga, apart from its natural scenery, its unique beauty and the Nature Trail of Pyrga, are undoubtedly the village square with the park and the old churches. The church of Agia Marina, a single-aisled basilica with a dome, a 12th-century building with a vaulted roof and a narthex added later, is located to the south of the village. The Byzantine-style temple with Gothic additions is built in a small olive grove. Several half-surviving murals of unique art are preserved in the church dome. At the back of the church is the first water source of the village, from which the inhabitants took water. Very impressive in this medieval temple is the carved hand on the back exterior wall.
Within a short distance, there is the mosque of Pyrga, which has no minaret and has been there since the Turkish Cypriots lived in the area. Following the Turkey government’s instructions to build strong Turkish Cypriot enclaves in Cyprus, the Turkish Cypriots of Pyrgos abandoned the village and moved to neighboring, purely Turkish Cypriot villages. In 1973 the inhabitants of the village were already all Greek Cypriots.
The royal chapel (or medieval chapel) is a small church dedicated to Saint Catherine and is located in the center of the village. One of the most remarkable remains of the Lusignans in Cyprus, built in the early 15th century (1421) by King Ianus, the chapel is of the Gothic rhythm, rectangular, with three doors and a vaulted roof resting on three reinforcing zones. Close to Pyrga, at a distance of about 4 kilometers, there is the Gothic Panagia Stazousa, built probably in the 14th century and recently renovated.
Another attraction of the community is the Marsello Tower in the south of the village. The imposing building with a square tower on its facade was the country house of the doctor and novelist Theodoros Marsellos.
The erection of the tower is linked to one of the versions for the origin of the village’s name. According to this version, the name of the community came from the existence of towers in prominent spots around the settlement (pyrgos means tower in Greek). That is why Marcello constructed this peculiar tower. Marcello was one of the most important Cypriot writers and in 1974 he was awarded a state prize for his collection of short stories named “The Thief of My House”. Also in Pyrga there are two picnic parks, opposite the primary school and just outside the village, in the area of Kamares with the ruins of an old watermill. From the village also passes part of the European path E4.
The approximately 600 inhabitants are engaged in the cultivation of cereals, potatoes, vegetables, citrus fruits, olive and carob trees, while some are employed in businesses in the city of Larnaca and Nicosia.