Agios Georgios Soleas

An abandoned village next to Mines

Solea (Solias) is a geographical area that belongs to the district of Nicosia.
Photo: Soulla Eliadou

It is located on the northern slope of the Troodos mountain, which descends to the bay of Morphou.
Photo: Andreas Evripidou

This area includes the large valley of the Klarios River and the smallest valley of the Atsas River.
Photo: Sotos Zacharia

Agios Georgios is a village built on the eastern side of Klarios river at the end of the Solea Valley at an altitude of 190 meters.

It is a small village, which according to the censuses of the last decades had the following population: 1911: 152 inhabitants, 1946: 477 inhabitants, 1960: 460 inhabitants, 1973: 259 inhabitants, and in 2001 its inhabitants are still nullified as it is now in the dead zone.
Photo: Soulla Eliadou

Agios Georgios was a mixed village of Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriot inhabitants left after the 1963-64 intercommunal riots.
Photo: Soulla Eliadou

The then inhabitants of the village were engaged in agriculture by cultivating citrus fruits, olives and grain mainly to secure their livelihood.

Most of the inhabitants of the village of Agios Georgios Soleas were workers in the mines as the village is located next to the mine of Fukasas, Mavrovounios and Apliki.
Photo: Ιωάννης Ηλιάδης

In the village beyond the remarkable mines, there are also ancient churches such as the church of Agios Georgios built in the 12th century and the chapel of Prophet Elias built in the area of Fukasas.
Photo: Αντριανοβα Προκοπιου