Galata ( gr, Γαλάτα) is a village in the Solea valley, located about 60 km west of the capital
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
, at an altitude of 620 m in the
Troodos Mountains
Troodos (sometimes spelled Troödos; el, Τρόοδος ; tr, Trodos Dağları) is the largest mountain range in Cyprus, located in roughly the center of the island. Its highest peak is Mount Olympus ( el, Όλυμπος), also known as Chion ...
of
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. It is a popular summer tourist destination (especially among locals) for its cooler climate in the summer months. It is also well known on the island for its fruit produce. In Galata there is
Panagia tis Podithou ( gr, Παναγία της Ποδίθου), church, which was designated a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
in 1985 along with nine other
Painted Churches in the Troödos Region
The Painted Churches in the Troödos Region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. The complex comprises ten Byzantine churches and monasteries richly decorated with Byzantine and post-Byzantine murals:
# Chu ...
, because of their unique murals and testimony to the history of Byzantine rule in Cyprus.
Name of village and history
According to Greek mythology,
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
was the first land that
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
set foot on; where
Pygmalion
Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to:
Mythology
* Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue
Stage
* ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau
* ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...
begged her to let him be with the statue that he created in her image.
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
brought the statue to life and Pygmalion married
Galatea
Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white".
Galatea, Galathea or Gallathea may refer to:
In mythology
* Galatea (Greek myth), three different mythological figures
In the arts
* ''Aci, Galatea e Polifemo'', cantata by H ...
.
According to one version of villages name first settlers came from
Galatia
Galatia (; grc, Γαλατία, ''Galatía'', "Gaul") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (c ...
in
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
.
[Galata](_blank)
/ref>
According to other version village was populated with shepherds who sold milk, that is milkmens
(in Greek galataes).
Leontios Machairas
Leontios Machairas or Makhairas (Greek: Λεόντιος Μαχαιράς, French: Léonce Machéras; about 1380 - after 1432) was a historian in medieval Cyprus.
The main source of information on him is his chronicle, written in the medieval ...
in his Chronicle mentioned that Galata belongs to feud of king after 1196. From his chronicles could be concluded that during Lusignan Period Galata belonged to de Giblet family. Demetrios de Coron, senior officer of House of Lusignan
The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries du ...
, after fall of Lusignans retired close to Galata, where he built the monastery Panagia tis Podithou in 1502. Russian traveler and pilgrim Vasyl Hryhorovych-Barskyi visited Galata and wrote 1735. Edward Stafford of the English Consulate of the island lived in Galata in 1691. In 1910, Galata opened its first hotel.
Village of balconies
Galata is built on the banks of the Klarios River, which crosses the Solea Valley. Galata is almost merged with nearby Kakopetria
Kakopetria is a town in Cyprus located southwest of the capital, Nicosia, on the north facing foothills of the Troodos Mountains. It stands at an altitude of 667 metres and it is the highest village in the Solea Valley. The community has about 1 ...
.
Its traditional houses have wooden balconies and there are still many balconies in the village. They had two floors and the wooden balcony was an extension of the second floor, which faced the main road. The Museum of Folkloric Art was established in 1990. Galata had four watermills, and the watermill of "Kyrillos" is still operational.
Churches
In Galata there is Panagia tis Podithou ('' gr, Παναγία της Ποδίθου''), church from 1502, which is a UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
along with nine other Painted Churches in the Troödos Region
The Painted Churches in the Troödos Region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. The complex comprises ten Byzantine churches and monasteries richly decorated with Byzantine and post-Byzantine murals:
# Chu ...
.UNESCO list
/ref> Church ''Panagia Theotokos/Archangel Michael'' from 1514. is located 100 m near ''Panagia tis Podithou''. Small church ''Agios Sozomenos'' from 1513 is in middle of village near big main Galata church ''Panagia Odegetria'' (Virgin Mary guiding), built in 1930. ''Agia Paraskevi'' and ''Agios Georgios'' are small 16th century churches on road between Galata and Kakopetria
Kakopetria is a town in Cyprus located southwest of the capital, Nicosia, on the north facing foothills of the Troodos Mountains. It stands at an altitude of 667 metres and it is the highest village in the Solea Valley. The community has about 1 ...
. ''Agios Nicolaos'' is small church from the 15th century at western entrance of Galata.
References
{{Authority control
Communities in Nicosia District