This article is about the suburb of Nicosia

Nicosia

Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...

. For the ancient settlement near Famagusta

Famagusta

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...

, see: Enkomi

Enkomi

This article is about the town and ancient settlement near Famagusta. For the suburb of Nicosia , see: Engomi.Enkomi is a village near Famagusta on Cyprus. It is the site of an important Bronze Age city, possibly the capital of Alasiya...

Engomi is a suburb

Suburb

The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...

 of the Cypriot

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 capital Nicosia

Nicosia

Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...

. It has a population of around 13,600 (2001 census). It is a mainly residential neighbourhood with many large villas. It also includes a very important annexe to the powerful Monastery of Our Lady Eleousa.

Engomi has a large diplomatic presence. The embassies of Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

are located in the neighborhood.

History

Engomi most likely originated in 1567 after the demolition of houses and 80 roughly churches and monasteries outside Nicosia, when the Venetians built the new walls around Nicosia, which stand to this day. When the old Lusignan walls were demolished and the new walls erected, the perimeter was reduced from 4 miles to 3 miles in order to strengthen their defensive capability and limit the number of soldiers that were required for their manning. The homeless residents of the demolished settlements were moved to south-west of Nicosia to a distance of 1.5 miles from the new wall of city and half a mile the existing village of St. Dometios. Joining with farmers of the local area, they founded Engomi. The initial core of settlement constituted the area north-east of the old church of St Nicholas (near Makarios square).

During the period of Ottoman domination Engomi constituted a small rural community with main occupations of residents being arable agriculture and livestock-farming. And for these two occupations the suburb was endowed with very suitable conditions thanks to the fertile ground, particularly around Metochi, and abundant wild vegetation in elevated area around Makedonitissa and the present day site of Nicosia Airport. Until the first decades of the 20th century the residents of the village continued to be engaged mainly with agriculture.

By the time of the Second World War certain manufacturers were established. With the increase of population of the village and the widespread use of the bicycle, many residents of Engomi began to work in Nicosia.

After independence (1960) and particularly after 1980 Engomi developed very quickly and became one of the most modern and more developed municipalities of greater Nicosia.

Municipality

Engomi became one of the "demes" or boroughs of Cyprus in February 1986 after a referendum held under the Municipalities Act of 1985 (Law 111/85). The first Mayor and Council were elected in the elections held in May 1986. The first elected Mayor was Mr Michalakis Zivanaris.

The municipal council consists of 12 Councillors and the Mayor, elected in elections held every five years, in the month of December, according to the Municipalities Act. The last municipal elections were held in 2006 and the mandate of the current council expires in December 2011 .