Pano Akourdaleia
Encyclopedia
Pano Akourdaleia is a village in the Paphos District
of Cyprus
, located 2 km west of Miliou
.
The village is the birthplace of Cypriot politician and Euro-MP Takis Hadjigeorgiou
.
The village has been in existence for more than a thousand years. During the Venetian rule of Cyprus (1489 - 1571) the village is recorded under the name Quardia. The village has two small churches, namely the Church of Ayia Paraskevi that dates its origin back to the 12th century A.D, tacked just outside the village in a picturesque location where once a mill stood there. The remains of the mill are still there. The second Church is that of Panayia Chryseleousa, located in the main village that dates its origin as back as the 16th century.
According to a population census conducted by the Venetians around 1450, the village under the name Pano Akourdaleia had 85 inhabitants that paid taxes. It has to be noted that the census did not include women and children.
The name of the village probably traces its origin from a Lusignan army battalion. Nearchos Klerides, who researched extensively the origins of names of the villages and towns of Cyprus, argued that the name of the village came from the word "cord", which means "string" or a special "belt" that the villagers or the members of the Lusignan battalion wore around their waist.
It is worth mentioning that numerous vaulted graves and archaeological specimens (including a sarcophagus, amphorae and many more funeral gifts dating form the pre-Christian era have been discovered in the village).
While in the beginning of 1960 Pano Akourdaleia numbered more than 150 inhabitants, today their number shrank to that of 30 inhabitants many of whom are foreign nationals, mostly coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland, who have settled in the village.
Through a modern transportation network Pano Akourdaleia is linked with various villages in the area. In the northern part, just three kilometres away is the village of Kathikas while the villages of Kato Akourdaleia and Miliou are located just a few minutes away.
Pano Akourdaleia has been blessed with a very rich natural environment with many species of flora present there. As such the village is a favourite for nature lovers who frequently visit the area to explore the numerous Nature trails/paths that exist there.
Paphos District
Paphos District is one of the six districts of Cyprus and it is situated in the western part of Cyprus. Its main town and capital is Paphos. The entire district is controlled by the internationally recognized government of Cyprus...
of Cyprus
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...
, located 2 km west of Miliou
Miliou
Miliou is a village on the island of Cyprus.On the road from Paphos to Polis, about 13 km before you reach Polis, there is a turning on the left which will take you to the little village of Miliou nestling on the Laona plateau....
.
The village is the birthplace of Cypriot politician and Euro-MP Takis Hadjigeorgiou
Takis Hadjigeorgiou
Takis is a Cypriot politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Progressive Party of Working People, sitting with the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group, on the European Parliament's Committee of Foreign Affairs....
.
The village has been in existence for more than a thousand years. During the Venetian rule of Cyprus (1489 - 1571) the village is recorded under the name Quardia. The village has two small churches, namely the Church of Ayia Paraskevi that dates its origin back to the 12th century A.D, tacked just outside the village in a picturesque location where once a mill stood there. The remains of the mill are still there. The second Church is that of Panayia Chryseleousa, located in the main village that dates its origin as back as the 16th century.
According to a population census conducted by the Venetians around 1450, the village under the name Pano Akourdaleia had 85 inhabitants that paid taxes. It has to be noted that the census did not include women and children.
The name of the village probably traces its origin from a Lusignan army battalion. Nearchos Klerides, who researched extensively the origins of names of the villages and towns of Cyprus, argued that the name of the village came from the word "cord", which means "string" or a special "belt" that the villagers or the members of the Lusignan battalion wore around their waist.
It is worth mentioning that numerous vaulted graves and archaeological specimens (including a sarcophagus, amphorae and many more funeral gifts dating form the pre-Christian era have been discovered in the village).
While in the beginning of 1960 Pano Akourdaleia numbered more than 150 inhabitants, today their number shrank to that of 30 inhabitants many of whom are foreign nationals, mostly coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland, who have settled in the village.
Through a modern transportation network Pano Akourdaleia is linked with various villages in the area. In the northern part, just three kilometres away is the village of Kathikas while the villages of Kato Akourdaleia and Miliou are located just a few minutes away.
Pano Akourdaleia has been blessed with a very rich natural environment with many species of flora present there. As such the village is a favourite for nature lovers who frequently visit the area to explore the numerous Nature trails/paths that exist there.