Lefkara – Things to know
Kato Lefkara is a village in the mountains, about 35 km from Larnaka.
The landscape is criss-crossed by small rivers.
Kato Lefkara borders Pano Lefkara to the northwest, Pano and Kato Lefkara being two completely separate and independent villages, but sharing a common cultural background.
Until Ottoman rule, there was no separation between Kato and Pano Lefkara. Earlier sources mention Lefkara as a single settlement, which was apparently Pano Lefkara, while Kato Lefkara was founded by displaced Greeks.
The first written mention of Lefkara with its present name comes from Saint Neophytos in his Standard Testament, in which he reports that he was born in Lefkara in 1134.
The second historical testimony dates from the period of the Frankish rule (1191-1570) and states that in 1308 all the Templar leaders whose unacceptable behaviour prevented the smooth functioning of the Frankish statute in Cyprus were banished to Lefkara for three years. During this period Lefkara was a powerful and wealthy fief.
Lefkara is one of the pre-Frankish villages of Cyprus. In Byzantine times it is mentioned in several historical and Byzantine sources as the birthplace of Saint Neophytos.
There are three versions of the name of the village:
- The first says that the name of the village comes from the words „leuka ori“, which means „white hills“, as the village of Lefkara is mainly characterised by its white, rugged landscape of limestone and pyrolite.
- A second version says that the village got its name from the small „leukes“ (poplars) that grew in the area.
- A third version says that the name of the village comes from a settler, perhaps the first settler of the village, who was called „Lefkalos“.
When you arrive in Lefkara, you see the Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel, a 12th century building that used to house cells and served as the despot’s home. It is a Byzantine-style chapel with a dome.
In the centre of the village is the church of Panayia Eleousa, which was restored about 25 years ago. Near the village café is the chapel of Agia Marina, dating from the 18th century. On the western edge of the village are the chapel of Agios Timotheos, a 15th century building, and the chapel of Agios Georgios, built on a hill.
Just behind the church of Panagia Eleousa is the first primary school, now used as a museum of embroidery art. There is also the old olive mill, which used to help the inhabitants extract olive oil.
In the centre of the village is the central paved square of Lefkara, around which are a number of shops in restored old buildings selling the traditional embroideries of Lefkaritika and various other handicraft products. The cobbled streets of the village invite you to take a short walk, admiring many old buildings and shopping.
Around Kato Lefkara, grapes, olives, almonds, carob, some citrus fruits, fodder plants, beans, some fruit trees such as figs, pomegranates and plums and some vegetables are grown.
However, most of the area belonging to Lefkara is uncultivated and covered with wild vegetation, mainly pine trees, lime trees, thyme, wild shrubs and wild olive trees.
Besides agriculture, the inhabitants of Kato Lefkara and Pano Lefkara have made the art of embroidery famous since ancient times, so that even rulers and celebrities ordered and bought here. The art of gold and silversmithing has also reached a high level here. Both can be admired today and if you like them, you can also buy them.
Author: Jürgen Derichs am 8. Sep 2023 12:21, category: Cities, Castles - Things to know, comments per feed RSS 2.0, comments closed.