Ayios Mamas, founded on volcanic rocks, nestles in the Trooodos
foothills five kilometres south-east of Saittas
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Ayios Mamas was named after the most popular saint
of Cyprus, Ayios Mamas, to whom dozens of churches on the island
are dedicated. The village was probably built during the period
of the Akrites.
Standing amidst unspoilt bushland, the village
is close to a small forest named after the Saint, Ayios Mamas. Ayios
Mamas was the patron saint of the Akrites, the Guardians of the
borders of the Byzantine Empire who protected the inhabitants from
Invasions by Saracen pirates.
The village is thought to date back to Byzantine times and there
was certainly a manor there during the feudal years.
Its main crops are apples, peaches, olives and grapes from which
wine is made, including the historical sweet dessert wine Commandaria
- a favourite with all the crowned heads of Europe during the middle
ages.
Charming little streets, enchanting rustic houses
of great character and an ambience of utter tranquiility combine
to captivate the visitor and dispel the stresses and Strains of
city life.
The jewels of the village are the church of Ayios Mamas and the
small church of Ayia Paraskevi, decorated with frescoes. In the
churchyard are statues of Andreas Demetriou and Michael Koukki,
heroes of the EOKA liberation struggle. Andreas Demetriou and Michael
Karaolis were the first who were hanged by the British on 10 May,
1956.
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