Vretsia

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Vretsia (Greek: Βρέτσια) is a municipality in the district of Paphos in the Republic of Cyprus. It is an abandoned Turkish-Cypriot village located on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

Location and Environment

Vretsia is situated in the east of the district of Paphos at an altitude of about 590 meters, approximately 38 kilometers northeast of Paphos, 62 kilometers northwest of Limassol, and 115 kilometers southwest of Nicosia. The village covers an area of 11.08 square kilometers and borders Pano Panagia to the north, Mylikouri to the east, Agios Ioannis to the south, and Kilinia to the west.

History

The area of Vretsia has been inhabited since ancient times. Excavations have uncovered the remains of an epipalaeolithic camp, numerous stone objects, and heavily burned tools. According to mythology, the settlement was built by King Kinyras at the request of his youngest daughter Vreia to live there. He named the settlement Vreia (Βρέεια) in her honor. In the center of the settlement, he built a temple dedicated to Aphrodite.

Aftermath of the 1974 Turkish Invasion

Following the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Cypriot-Turkish inhabitants of Vretsia abandoned their properties and moved north. The village has remained uninhabited since then.

Demographics

At the census in 2011, Vretsia had a population of 1 resident. According to the statistical service of the Republic of Cyprus in 2001, the village had no inhabitants.

References

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