Vyzakia
Vyzakia is a village of Nicosia in Cyprus and it is situated 47 kilometers southwest of Nicosia, 74 kilometers north of Limassol, 75 kilometers northwest of Larnaca and 112 kilometers northeast of Paphos.
Built on the banks of the Elia river at an altitude of 340 meters, Vyzakia, of the approximately 340 inhabitants, is located on lands with small and big pebbles on the banks of the river, wild vegetation and crops of fruit trees, vegetables, grains, legumes, citrus fruits, olives, almonds and potatoes.
The old settlement is located on the northeastern slope of the valley with peculiar stone-built houses made of local stone that the river has brought with its passage during the years. Besides, this is where the village gets its name, due to the many “Vyzatsies” or else the cobblestones, the large shiny gray stones that got carried by the water to the area.
Vyzakia exists at least since the Frankish rule, being a feudal estate granted by King Jacob to Nikolaos Morabit.
Today, the visitor of the community has the opportunity to eat at the local tavern, admire the special architecture, but also enjoy the dam on the southern side of the village, the many drinking fountains and the community park within the settlement, the watermills from the time of the Venetian rule, as well as local religious monuments.
The central church in Vyzakia, in the center of the old core of the settlement, is dedicated to Saint Catherine and was built at the end of the 19th century, between 1884 and 1894, and was renovated in 1994. Inside, the stone-built church with stone from the river is adorned with the miraculous icon of Saint Catherine of 1884.
The wood-carved medieval church of Archangel Michael with the remarkable frescoes of the 16th century (The Annunciation of Virgin Mary, Resurrection of Lazarus, the Birth of Christ and others), was in the past a monastery dependency of the Virgin Mary of Arakas in which monks also lived. Apart from being protected by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, efforts are being made to put it under the protection of UNESCO.
The small church of Agios Andronikos and Agia Athanasia was built after the Turkish invasion of 1974 and is situated on a steep slope of the hill at the location where the icon was found. According to tradition, when a Turk went to steal the picture, during the Ottoman rule, the Saint blinded him.
Other attractions that the visitor can combine upon his visit in Vyzakia is the Kapoura excursion area, between Agios Georgios Kavkalou and Kannavion, 2 km from the community, as well as Panagia Asinou located 4 km from the village. The excursion area with its homonymous forest station, the pine and cypress trees is one of the most beautiful landscapes to visit, enjoying nature and food. There are wooden benches and tables, barbecues, stone water fountains, sanitary facilities and a beautiful playground. The famous Virgin Mary of Asinou is one of the temples under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and many travelers visit it every year to admire its exceptional frescoes.