Athienou

Athienou (Greek: Αθηένου or Αθηαίνου [locally [aθiˈenu]]) is a village in Larnaca District, Cyprus. It is one of only four villages located within the United Nations Buffer Zone, the other three being Pyla, Troulloi and Deneia. Today, Athienou has a population of around 5,000 people. Since 1990, it has been home to Davidson College's Athienou Archaeological Project. The town's city hall includes a museum of local history and culture that was established in 2008.

Athienou
Church of Panayia Chriseleousa
Athienou
Coordinates: 35°04′N 33°32′E
Country Cyprus
DistrictLarnaca District
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total5,017
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
7600
Websitewww.athienou.org.cy
Concise presentation of Athienou

Toponymy

It is considered by many, that the name of the village Athienou, derived from the ancient Greek word, "Atta" (Greek: Αττα) or "Atha" (Greek: Αθθα), meaning large rock, which characterized the rocky land of the village.

Others believe that the name was given by a group of Athenians (travellers from Athens), who came and settled in the village, to remember their home town.

According to another theory, the name derives from a Lusignan called Etienne, who lived in the area, and the people who lived in the village were mentioning his house as "Etienne's Place" (Greek: "Στου Ετιένου", stou etiennou), and in later years that changed into Athienou.[2][3]

History

It has been a settlement since Middle Bronze Age.[4] [5] [6]

In the Turkish Invasion of Cyprus, soldiers and volunteers went around on motorbikes and shot guns to make noise to trick Turkish troops into thinking the town was already captured. This worked, as Turkish troops stopped just outside Athienou. Only one house in the town was captured in the invasion.

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References
  1. "C1. POPULATION ENUMERATED BY SEX, AGE, DISTRICT, MUNICIPALITY/COMMUNITY AND QUARTER (1.10.2011)", Population - Place of Residence, 2011, Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, 2014-04-17, archived from the original on 2014-04-20, retrieved 2014-04-20
  2. "Municipality of Athienou - One of the most ancient municipalities". Municipality of Athienou. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  3. Agelarakis A., “Paleopathology and its Contributions to the Decipherment of the Human Condition in Antiquity: A Preliminary Report for the Case of two Skeletal Populations from Malloura in Cyprus”, Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, 1997: 239-250
  4. According to chart on the wall in exhibit room number 1 at the Larnaca District Museum
  5. Dothan, Trude and Amnon Ben-Tor, "Excavations at Athienou, Cyprus, 1971-2 (Preliminary Report)," Israel Exploration Journal Vol. 22, No. 4 (1972), pp. 201-208.
  6. Dothan, Trude & Amnon Ben-Tor, Qedem 16 (1983), Jerusalem.


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