Lythrodontas

It was once a big village, it has the infrastructure to be big again

The village of Lythrodontas is a village that belongs to the district of Nicosia, 31 km away from the capital and it is built at the foot of Machairas. It used to be a big village and today (2018) it continues to grow fast.
Photo: ΑΝΔΡΕΑΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΦΟΡΟΥ

According to the 2001 census, Lythrodontas was inhabited by 2622 people.
Photo: Skevi Ioannou

The story of Lythrodontas:
According to the Great Cypriot Encyclopedia, the village of Lythrodontas was founded during Byzantine times. However, archaeological remains from the Hellenistic years indicate that the village has been inhabited since ancient times.

During the period of the Frankish rule and the Venetian rule, the village was a feud. O the maps the village is marked as Litrondi. According to the author Karouzis, in medieval times a feud was well known, which according to the historical figure Florio of Bustronio, between 1464 and 1468 belonged successively to Vinsikera Moressin and Peter Voustronio.
Photo: Things To Do In Cyprus

During the Ottoman domination, many inhabitants of Lythrodontas were Crypto-Christians, known as "Linovamvaki". Then, according to the Great Cypriot Encyclopedia and the historian Nearchos Clerides, they became Christians and were baptized in the Archbishopric. Many of them bought land in Latsia, which later the lived in.
During the 20th century, Lythrodontas was a large village and today (2018) it continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Photo: Maria Kiriakou

The name of the village:
The meaning of the name of the village Lythrodontas has two variants of the same version. According to a document in the community council of the village, it is reported that Lythrodontas derives its name from the first settler of the village called "Erythrodonta" because he had red teeth.
A variant of this version is that Erythrodonta was as a landowner of the area, whom, over the years people started to call him Lythrodonta. So the area got its name from him.
Photo: Things To Do In Cyprus

The Churches and Attractions of Lythrodontas:
Taking a walk in the village you can see the main church of Lythrodontas which is dedicated to Saint Therapon. In addition, there is the church of Archangel Michael, the church of Agios Georgios, the church of Panagia and the church of Agios Nikolaos. In the southwest of Lythrodontas stands an old monastery of Prophet Elias, which today (2018) is owned by Machairas.
Photo: Doros ATheodorou

In Lythrodontas there are two dams of the Koutsos River, the Upper and the Lower Dam.
Photo: Doros ATheodorou

The Upper Dam is located in the Zachara area, while the Lower Dam on the street of Prophet Elias.
Photo: Louis Coutas

Heroes and Missing people monuments in Lythrodontas:
In Lythrodontas you will also find some monuments dedicated to the heroes and the missing people in the community.
Heroes: Filios Tsigaridis (1963-64), the community has given his name to one of its central streets, "Filiou Tsigaridis Street". Antonis Symeonidis (1963), the community named the street that passes through his father's home "Antoni Symeonidi Street" and George Ioannou Pachoullaras (1974), the community honoring his memory named one of the streets after him "Pachoullara Street".

The heroes who were missing and their bones were found using a DNA test:
Leontios Konstantinou
Nikos Agapiou of Constantine
Theofylaktos Kyriakides
Antonis Aspris
Andreas Orphanides
Chrysanthos Chrysanthou
Therapontas Zenonos
Nikos Panagiotou of Spyrou
Andreas Apostolou of Hatzinikola
Panagiotis Lambrou of Lambrou
Kypros Nicholaou of Nichola
Stephanos Stephanou of Symeou

The missing persons of Lythrodontas are: George Papachristou, Nikos Kamilari of George, Nikos Chrysanthou, Panagiotis Karaoli, Pantelis Psyllou of Michail, Stavros Stavrou of Alexi.
Photo: Olvia Christoforou‎

Education:
Education in the village of Lythrodontas begins after the middle of the 19th century. The first teachers were priests. In particular, the first letters in the village, according to the researcher Ieronymos Peristani, were taught by Pope Christodoulos from 1858 to 1870. Then, the next two years, from 1870 to 1872, he taught Protopapas. In 1872, the Great Cypriot Encyclopaedia wrote, "a large room was built at the expense of Meletios Hadji Antonis, the patriarch of the Constantinople." Thus, the first community school began its operation. In this, in 1876, Michael Kallonas and 1880, Alciviadis Skourlas taught.
Photo: Olvia Christoforou‎

The Crops of the Village:
In Lythrodontas, various fruit trees, such as pear trees, fig trees, apple trees, peach trees and plums, and many vegetables are grown. The olive cultivation has an outstanding place in the crops of the village. Until a few decades ago, viticulture was as important. The main products of the village were oil and commandaria.

For the map of the area, click HERE
Photo: Michalis Chelides