To the southwest of the capital, at a distance of only 18 kilometers, is the beautiful Agios Ioannis Nicosia. It is a village with an idyllic and peaceful view, which emerges in all its glory from the high hill of Korakas.
It is worth traveling to the magic of nature gazing at the view from the Koraka hill located in the northeast of the village. From this hill, looking to the west, the green slopes of Troodos spread out, to the north, the occupied Pentadakhtylos, to the east, the capital, while to the south "an otherworldly landscape", as Karouzis characterizes it, in which there are "little streams, deep ravines, strange hollows, conical hills, small trapezoidal plateaus, a thousand and two other strange morphological formations".
Settlement
In Agios Ioannis Nicosia, the present coexists harmoniously with the past. On the one hand, neighborhoods with houses of modern architecture while on the other picturesque neighborhoods with narrow winding streets, houses of traditional architecture built of brick and stones from the river banks covered with grooved tiles.
Designation
The village is marked on old maps, according to the Great Cypriot Encyclopedia, under the name of S. Jean. There are four other villages named Agios Ioannis. The addition of Malounda after the name of the Saint comes from the location of the village, specifically, thanks to its proximity to the village of Malounda.
Population
The village of Agios Ioannis Nicosia mainly due to its geographical location shows a steadily increasing population trend. In particular, many residents as well as young families choose to live in Agios Ioannis of Malounda because it is close to the capital but away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Thus, the residents of the community enjoy the conveniences of the city but at the same time the peace and beauty of the Cypriot countryside. Due to the improved road network, many residents of the village work in Nicosia. In summary, the short distance from the capital and the good road network contributed significantly to the increase of the population, but also to the fight against urbanization. The table below shows the population trend of the village in detail.
- Year: 1881, Population: 137
- Year: 1911, Population: 215
- Year: 1960, Population: 252
- Year: 1982, Population: 337
- Year: 2001, Population: 445
Church
In the heart of the picturesque neighborhood dominates the main church of the village dedicated to Agios Ioannis Prodromos. It is a 19th century church, in which it is worth observing an image of Christ from the 16th century inside, while on its outer western part the built-in lion's head from around the 14th century.
Tour-Sightseeing
Necropolis
At the end of the 19th century, specifically in 1883, an ancient necropolis was discovered near the village. Hellenistic pottery vessels and various jewelry were found in it.
The bridge
An imposing bridge was built to facilitate the inhabitants especially during the winter months when the river Akakiou, a tributary of Serrachi, flooded and divided the village in two.
Watermill
The Watermill located on the banks of the river, in the location of Vartali It is one of the characteristic watermills of Cyprus and has been declared a Monument by the Department of Antiquities. Until the Second World War, the watermill operated and served the residents of both the village and the neighboring villages.
The laumia
The inhabitants of the village, in order to facilitate the irrigation of their plots of land, created laumia, in other words, underground channels that facilitated the transport of water from the river to their fields. Karouzis refers with admiration to the creators of this grandiose and laborious work. Specifically, he writes: "The residents of Ai Giannis who opened the laumia, the same ones who believed in water, are still alive. After all, in those years no other way of channeling the river water to their fields could be invented. The toil of our farmers is enormous. These wells presuppose knowledge of the rocks, they require some hydrological training, even practical".
