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Athienou

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Country
  
Cyprus

Time zone
  
EET (UTC+2)

Website
  
www.athienou.org.cy

District
  
Larnaca District

Postal code
  
7600

Population
  
5,017 (2011)

Athienou wwwcyprusislandnetsitesdefaultfilesvillages

Weather
  
12°C, Wind SW at 5 km/h, 62% Humidity

Athienou (Greek: Αθηένου or Αθηαίνου [[aθiˈenu]]; Turkish: Kiracıköy) 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 and since 1990 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.

Contents

Map of Athienou

Origin of the name

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.

History

It has been a settlement since Middle Bronze Age.

References

Athienou Wikipedia