 Dear friends,
It is with a great pleasure that I welcome you to the website of the border and half-occupied Deryneia.
I invite you to visit our perspective town, to get to know the peaceful and hospitable residents of Deryneia, who have managed to survive despite the so many problems they have been facing due to the Turkish invasion in 1974.
Deryneia is located on the outskirts of occupied Famagusta, the town of Evagoras, right next to the barbed wire of shame and Deryneia’s residents live at a breathing distance from the Turkish occupation troops.
Our town is the second in population town in the Free Zone of Famagusta with a population of 7500 residents including the displaced. 30 % of the town’s inhabitants (Kato Deryneia) have been displaced and live as refugees in several parts of Cyprus. Deryneia borders on the occupied city of Ammochostos, the tourist Paralimni, and the communities of Frenaros, Sotira, Acheritou and the Sovereign Base Area of Agios Nicolaos.
The greatest part of Deryneia, approximately 75%, is occupied by the Turkish troops. The beach, the gardens with citrus trees, the fertile agricultural land, the industrial and range areas, and the biggest and most beautiful part of Deryneia’s residential area, are located in the occupied zone.
Due to its above sea level position, from Deryneia one can spot with a bare eye Pendadactylos Mountain Range, Karpasia’s mountains, Mesaoria’s lowland, the occupied Ammochostos and also the occupied crystal clear beach of Deryneia with the golden sand which extends to Famagusta beach. From Ammochostos Cultural Centre, this is situated at the last free part of Deyneia, one can have crystal-clear-view of neighbouring occupied areas such as Kato Deyneia, Ayios Memnonas, Kato Varosi and the –sometime- ago cosmopolitan city of Famagusta which from 1074 are hopefully expecting the return of their legal residents.
Visiting Deryneia, you will have the opportunity to live in a natural way of living and get a closer look on the modern ways of cultivating strawberry and other horticulturals.
Our shopping centre, in relation to the reformation of the central area, the upgraded Ammochostos Avenue, and Eleftheria’s street will offer you anything you may need at reasonable prices. The traditional family restaurants and coffee shops will offer you local dishes, top-level service and warm Cyprus hospitality.
It is also worth visiting the remarkable monuments, which define the Greek and Christian identity of Deyneia, such as the Byzantine Church of Virgin Mary, the Byzantine Chapels of St. George and Santa Marine which is located in the buffer zone, the chapels of St Nicholas at Strovilia, Saints Constantine and Eleni, St. Modestos, St. Antonios, as well as All Saints Church, Apostle Varnavas Chapel and St. Fanourios Chapel at the new Cemetery.
An ornament of our town is the Amphitheatre which was built to accommodate the summer cultural events organized by the Municipality’s Council and which you can also watch and enjoy.
You will be impressed by the Thematic Park which hosts traditional ways of pumping water and by the Folklore Museum where rustic way of life of our residents is exhibited, thus contributing to the conservation of our cultural inheritance and the revival of our customs – an inheritance to remind both young and old, of our roots.
A tribute is also a visit to Demetrakis Christodoulou bust located in the centre of our town and to the imposing Monument of Murdered and Missing of 1974 which was erected in the Thematic Park – Amphitheatre.
Be sure that with just one visit to our town you will be impressed by the friendly atmosphere and also by the hospitality.
Deryneia’s Mayor
Andreas Shiapanis |
