Statos-Agios Fotios

Statos-Agios Fotios is a village in the province of Paphos and it is located 32 kilometers northeast of the homonymous city, 67 kilometers northwest of Limassol and 122 kilometers southwest of Nicosia.

Built at an altitude of 900 meters, amidst a verdant landscape on the eastern slopes of the mountainous areas of the province, Statos-Agios Fotios is a sparsely populated village with well- kept gardens and good planning. It is a partnership and a unification of two separate settlements, which in the 1970s became a single one. The two villages, which were two kilometers away from each other during the 1966-1969 period, due to the rapid rainfall, suffered serious damage from the devastating landslides of the era, and the then government called special geologists to study the phenomenon. It was therefore deemed necessary to move the settlements to another location and so the residents of the two communities decided to unite, with the consent of the local government and the President of the Republic of Cyprus Archbishop Makarios III. At the end of 1973, the first inhabitants of the new village began to move, while with the Turkish invasion of 1974, many refugees from the occupied northern areas of Cyprus moved to the area, building there their new home. The houses in the two previous settlements were abandoned, with the exception of some that the shepherds use when they take their herds grazing in the area.

Statos-Agios Fotios, the most mountainous village in the province of Paphos, has a great tradition in viticulture and because of the altitude, the vineyards of the area are the last to ripen. This is where the black grape, the xinisteri, the caperne, and, to a lesser extent the malaga variety, thrive. Another natural feature of the community is the walnut tree, since all the streets are planted with these beautiful trees, while apple, pear, peach, cherry and many other fruit and citrus trees are also growing in the area. From the grape, the inhabitants produce traditional zivania (pomace brandy), soutzoukos (traditional local sweets made out of grapes) and raisins. In the local dairy and meat processing farms locals produce plenty of dairy and deli products such as tsamarellla, sausages of Paphos, haloumi, trachanas, walnuts and almonds are produced. There are also small workshops in the area that make traditional spoon sweets (sweet preserves).

Ideal starting point for excursions to nearby churches-monasteries in the area and a quiet community that offers tranquility, a cool climate during the summer months and the beauties of the Cypriot countryside, Statos-Agios Fotios will satisfy any visitor who will ascend to the highest point of the province.

Of the major local attractions are the religious places of interest in and around the settlement. The main church is located among the houses of the village, it is dedicated to Sotiras Christos (Jesus Christ saviour) and is a three-aisled dome building. The stone-built with local stone church, a stone-built bell tower and a gold-plated wood-carved iconostasis, were built in the mid-1970s to meet the needs of the new expanded settlement. The dedicated image of the Savior is in a separate shrine and celebrates on August 6th with a great feast.

Other inpressive churches in Stato-Agios Fotios, located in the old settlements, are those of Agios Georgios, the chapel of Agios Photios and Anikitos, the chapel of Agios Zenovios and Agia Zenovia and the chapel of Agia Varvara.

Agios Georgios is built in the center of the old village of Agios Fotios and it was the old nearby stone-built school that was turned into a church. Among the houses of the old community of Agios Fotios is the stone-built chapel of Agios Photios and Anikitos of 1921, which operates twice a year (on August 12 and Easter). Southwest of the old village of Statos, the stone church of Agios Zenovios and Agia Zinovia, is a 1840 stone-built building and is celebrated on 30 October, while east of the village and on a hillside is the chapel of Agia Varvara of 1921, with the icon of the saint that dates back to the 18th century and operates twice a year (December 4 and Easter).

Very close to the community and specifically at about 4 km to the north is the Monastery of Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa and at about 2,5 kilometers is the Holy Monastery of Paphos, which accept thousands of visitors each year and is one of the most important pilgrimages of the province.

In the area there are also for the wine enthusiasts 4 local state-of-the-art wineries, which produce wines of exceptional quality and offer guided tours in Greek and English, wine tasting, as well as the opportunity for the visitor to buy bottles of wine and zivania or even fresh soutzoukos and palouzes. In both wineries there are restaurants serving traditional dishes. Here the varieties that stand out are dry red, Xynisteri, white dry, semi-sweet and rosé. As a matter of fact, the international awards won by one of the region’s wineries have opened the market to exports to China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, Germany and America.

In Stato-Agios Fotios there is a cafeteria in the community center for those who want to enjoy their coffee, while they can dine in the taverns of the village that offer local mezedes (appetisers), cooked food with homemade recipes and exquisite meat. In the village there is also agrotouristic traditional accommodation with excellent infrastructure and amenities.

The community is also proud to be the home of two great personalities of the island, the marathon runner Stelios Kyriakides with international successes and a great distinction in the 1946 Boston marathon (one of the most important achievements of Greek sports of all time) and the former Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos, born in Statos (1927-2007). The memorial to the Heroes with the bronze busts outside the courtyard of the Sotiras Church is dedicated to the heroes Kostakis Savvidis and Philipos I. Critiotis who died during the Turkish invasion of 1974. The community park includes a playground, while various events take place in the auditorium of the community. The most interesting and well-known are the Satos-Agios Fotios Farming Festival, which is an important event for the community, as well as the sporting event of Kyriakidia.