Frenaros (Greek: Φρέναρος; locally [ˈfrenːaɾos]) is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located 4 miles west of Paralimni and 9 miles northwest of Ayia Napa. In 2011, it had a population of 4,298.[1]
Frenaros
Greek: Φρέναρος | |
|---|---|
 The Old Church of Archangel Michael, with the newer and larger Church of Archangel Michael directly behind it | |
  Frenaros Location in Cyprus | |
| Coordinates: 35°2′27″N 33°55′9″E / 35.04083°N 33.91917°E | |
| Country |  Cyprus |
| District | Famagusta District |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 4,298 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Website | phrenaros |
Overview
editFrenaros was named after the Fremenors, a group of Lusignan monks who lived in a nearby monastery.[2] The earliest recorded reference to the village dates back to 1498, during the country's Venetian period.[2] According to Venetian documents, the village was split into two villages whose names roughly translated to "Lower Frenaro" and "Upper Frenaro".[2] The 1565 census is the final time the village is recorded as two separate villages rather than the single entity it is today.[2] The village is named "Frinaria" on Venetian maps, first on a 1570 map by Giacomo Franco, with this name continuing on Venetian maps until 1785.[3] The first mention of the village's name as "Frenaros" came from a 1738 map by English traveller Richard Pococke.[3] In 1925, Swedish archeologist Einar Gjerstad uncovered evidence that the village was inhabited as early as the Neolithic period.[4] During the early 20th century, English curator George H. E. Jeffery recorded the village's name as "Phrenaros" based on an 1888 map by Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener; this spelling is still occasionally used today despite the first modern Greek-language map of the area reverting it to "Frenaros".[3]
In September 1958, Frenaros native and local primary school teacher Fotis Pittas became a famous name across the island when he was murdered by British soldiers during the Cyprus Emergency.[5][6] On the night of 1 September, Pittas travelled to neighbouring Liopetri to join three of his fellow EOKA members in a six-hour battle with over 200 members of the Royal Ulster Rifles; the conflict, now known as the Battle of Liopetri, ended when the British soldiers trapped the four men in a barn and burned it down.[6] This resulted in Colonel Georgios Grivas ending a truce that had been in effect for a month.[7] There is a bust of Pittas in the centre of Frenaros.[6] The barn in Liopetri is now a national monument and includes a bronze statue of the four men.[8][9]
Frenaros has two churches that date back to the 12th century; one of them, the Church of Archangel Michael, was built as a tribute to the other, now called the Old Church of Archangel Michael.[10] The newer church is situated directly next to the older and much smaller one, which is closed to the public.[10] The village has its own football team, Frenaros FC 2000, whose home ground is Frenaros Community Stadium.[11] The stadium also hosts music concerts and events such as the annual Watermelon Festival, which attracts attendees from the surrounding areas.[12] There is a large industrial estate on the outskirts of the village.[13]
Frenaros and several nearby villages are collectively known as the Kokkinochoria (Κοκκινοχώρια), which translates to "red villages" due to their nutrient-dense red soil in which various fruits and vegetables are grown, especially potatoes that are extremely popular across the island.[14] Frenaros in particular is noted for its production of potatoes and watermelons, which contributed greatly to the village's growth and economy.[13]
Notable people
edit- Eleftheria Eleftheriou (born 1989), Greek Cypriot singer and actress, born and raised in Frenaros[15]
- Fotis Pittas (1935–1958), Greek Cypriot EOKA member murdered by British soldiers, born and raised in Frenaros[6]
- Andrekos Varnava (born 1979), Australian Cypriot historian whose father came from Frenaros[16]
References
edit- ^ "Population - Place of Residence, 2011". Statistical Service of Cyprus (CYSTAT). 17 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d https://phrenaros.org.cy/community/history/historical-data
- ^ a b c https://phrenaros.org.cy/community/history/old-maps-phrenaros
- ^ Cypro-Anatolian Relations in the 9th Millenium (2006)
- ^ https://eokaheroes.com/heroes/fotis-pittas/
- ^ a b c d https://phrenaros.org.cy/community/frenaros-brave-men/fotis-pittas
- ^ "EOKA Calls Off Cyprus Truce". The Canberra Times. 9 September 1958. p. 2. Retrieved 8 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Battle description at Royal Irish
- ^ Tourism page for Liopetri
- ^ a b https://phrenaros.org.cy/churches
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20091031053203/http://www.frenarosfc.com/
- ^ https://heartlandoflegends.com/watermelon-festivals/
- ^ a b https://phrenaros.org.cy/community/history/general-data
- ^ https://www.cyprusalive.com/en/location/kokkinochoria-red-villages
- ^ Staff. ΒΙΟΓΡΑΦΙΚΟ. (in Greek). Sony Music Greece. Retrieved 24 April 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Anon. "Q&A with Andrekos Varnava". Early Career Researchers. Australian Historical Association. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
External links
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