Agios Thomas is a village in the Limassol province and it is built at an altitude of 300m from the surface of the sea.
The village is bordered to the east by Avdimou, to the south and west to Platanisteia and to the north by Anogyra. From Avdimou it is 4km away and from Anogyra 2km.Photo: Wikipedia
History:
It is speculated that the village of Agios Thomas is of Byzantine origin, and this is based on his name. After 1570, with the occupation of Cyprus by the Turks, many Christian settlements were demolished. The Turkish Cypriots of the village together with the Turkish Cypriots of the surrounding villages created a powerful Turkish Cypriot enclave in the area that is today the village. The Turkish Cypriot inhabitants abandoned it after the Turkish invasion of 1974 with the exchange of population.
The name of the village:
The village in Greek is named after Saint Thomas. Until 1958 the Turkish name of the village was Aytuma. In 1958 his Turkish Cypriot inhabitants called it Mersinli, which means a place with mounds.Photo: George Papageorgiou
Sights of the village:
Taking a walk through the streets of the village, it will be easy to see its tremendous progress and development. The streets are asphalted, beautiful squares open and other public spaces are specially designed, there to welcome every visitor.
A kilometer to the west of the village, you will meet the small cave that the Turkish-Cypriot, crypto-Christians, had turned into a church.
Population:
In 1881 the village of Agios Thomas had 90 inhabitants. The inhabitants of the village became 301 in 1973 despite the conflicts on the island, the British domination and intercommunal riots. In 1976 they were reduced to 109. According to the 2011 census, the village numbered only 50 permanent residents.
Photo: Giannakis Papanastasiou
For the map of the area, click HERE