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Ayia Napa is mentioned for the first time by Leontios
Mahaeras (a Cypriot choreographer) in 1366 A.D. and
a second time by the same in 1373 in his account of
the shipwreck of five Venetian ships loaded with booty,
which the Venetians had stolen during the looting of
Cyprus. The next mention of Ayia Napa is encountered
in Venetian documents and maps of the 16th century.
Due to the lack of sufficient historical evidence, this
study is based mostly on archaeological findings and
the local tradition.
The area around the monastery of Ayia Napa was not
inhabited until 1790 when (according to local tradition)
there arrived from Thessaloniki a group of people who
left their homeland fleeing an outbreak of cholera (the
plaque). Finally, only two of them survived the deadly
disease, a man by the name of Nicholaos Kemitzis and
his son. Later the son married a Cypriot girl from a
small village called Panayia which was found on the
hills north of the monastery where the water of Ayia
Napa comes from. The young couple did not settle in
Panayia because of a bitter conflict between the inhabitants
of Panayia and Turkish authorities of Famagusta concerning
the supply of water. Instead, they sought to establish
a safer home outside the monastery thus beginning the
village which was to also be named "Ayia Napa"
after the shrine.
Over the last few years, Ayia Napa (Agia Napa) has topped
the list of the world's 'in' destinations as THE place
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and over 100 bars to choose from. The present-day resort
may not be everybody's cupof tea, but if lying in the
sun and then partying until dawn is your thing. Ayia
Napa is heaven!
Click the links below for addresses and phone numbers of:
Ayia Napa hotels and other accommodation
Ayia Napa restaurants
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