Kalavasos – the natural beauty and the archaeological sites of the community
02 Sep 2017
The village of Kalavasos was built on the west bank of the Vasiliko river, about 40 kilometres southwest of Larnaca, at an altitude of 80 metres.
The area of Kalavasos is a very significant archaeological area. In particular, the settlement of “Tenta”, as well as other settlements which were found in the area, are of special interest.
The Valley of the Vasilikos River, and the complete surrounding area must have been forested much greener in older times, is where the village is believed to have received its name from. In fact, the name “kalavasos” is believed to com from the Greek word “Vassa” means woody valley. The community of Kalavasos actually dates back to medieval times and it is marked on older maps with the same name, as Calavaso and Calavato.
The village was once a thronging copper mining area and the remains of the mines and trains can still be seen. The Kalavasos region, privileged in many respects, mainly because of the Vasilikos river that secured irrigation and watering and also because of its metal-bearing deposits, was densely populated since ancient times.
The church of the village is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and next to it is he ancient cemetery, while there is also a Turkish Mosque located in the village. The village was inhabited by both greek and turkish Cypiots, until 1967 when the Turkish Cypriots abandoned Kalavasos and moved to the village of Mari.
