Gerakies

Gerakies

The village of Gerakies is situated in the Marathasa Valley, about 65 km from Nicosia, at an elevation of about 1000 meters. The area is a beautiful and fertile valley in the Troödos Mountains, named after the Marathos plant, a type of fennel that grows in the area. Some 700 years ago, during the first Ottoman rule, the village of Gerakies was populated by priests expelled from Syria, who established the monastery of Saint Nicholas. The church used to be much larger, and the monks lived in houses in the nearby area. There was a cross above their houses and above the church, which still stands on one of the houses. The villagers produced tar from the pine trees and also made wine. Grapes, almond trees, fig trees, apple trees, walnut trees, pomegranate trees and pear trees were grown. Besides the monastery of Saint Nicholas, which was built 700 years ago, the village's landmarks are the church of Agia Triada, Panagia Dikolitissa and the church of Agios Georgios, which was occupied until around 1900. The village was also the site of the church of Agios Sozomenos, who arrived in the village of Gerakies after leaving Karpasia. The village also has a nature trail that starts from the scenic Marathasa Plain. It is a 3.9 km long circuit and along the path you will find a wealth of flora, such as Psyllina and Helichrysum italicum. The wildlife on the route is also important, as it runs through an area of high biodiversity. Mammals, birds, reptiles and insects form the magnificent landscape, with the mouflon being the dominant species.