Agia Anna is a small beautiful village encircled by low mountains built in the valley of river “Tremithos”, 16 kilometres west of Larnaca. It is built at an altitude of 150 m above the sea, on limestone rocks. Situated on the old Nicosia -Larnaca road, it neighbours h the villages Psevdas and Kalo Chorio Larnacas.
The village took its name from Saint Anna, but there are various versions of how thus came to be. Certain of them are reported below:
The village took its name fromAgia Anna, the mother of Virgin Mary, who according to tradition was seen by residents of the village, drinking water from one of the water sources of the village.
According to another version there was a village near Stavrovouni with a monastery dedicated in Agia Anna. Later this village was lost and the village Agia Anna took its place.
According to a third version a Agia Anna appeared to a shepherd when he was praying and asked him to build a church and to name the village Agia Anna.
Research shows the village was built towards the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. But excavations in the area indicate that it was inhabited from Neolithic times.
Catacombs are to be found in the southern area of the old church of Agia Anna.
Ancient vessels found in the ruins of an ancient settlement are found today in the archaeological museum.
Before the Turkish invasion of 1974, the village was inhabited by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots — in 1960 there were 80 were Greek Cypriots and 102 Turkish Cypriots. Only Greek Cypriots now inhabit the village, many of them refugees. In recent years, there has been a small increase in population which now numbers around 300.
The residents of village deal mainly with agriculture and livestock farming. Some of them are builders, or workers while some others are electricians etc and working at in the towns of Nicosia and Larnaca.
Today the village is growing even beyond the river which up to recently constituted a natural obstacle to its expansion.
The growth has affected the traditional character. Some of the main characteristics of the traditional buildings are:
The stone is from limestone from the region
The sloping roofs are covered with tiles
The architectural designs are simple
The village has three squares, the most important being in the former Turkish Cypriots quarter. The Turkish Cypriot school survives to this day.
Villagers are deeply religious, as shown by the existence of three churches, two dedicated in Agia Anna and a third dedicated in the Virgin Mary.
Source: Community Council Agia Anna
