Evrichou – Portrait of a Cypriot Village

Evrychou (Greek: Ευρύχου, Turkish: Evrihu) is a village in Cyprus. It is located in the Nicosia District and the agricultural centre of the “Solea” region located about 50 km south-west of Nicosia and 30 km from mount Troodos.

Evrychou is located in Nicosia District and it is the agricultural centre of the “Solea” region. It is located about 50 km south-west of Nicosia and 30 km from mount Troodos. The village is built at the east bank of the Karkotis (or Klarios) River, at an average altitude of 440 metres. The climate of the region is typically Mediterranean and so the cultivations found around the village vary from fruit-bearing trees (mainly apple, pear, plum, apricot, and peach trees) to citrus-trees, almond and olive trees. There are also cultivations of vines, vegetables and cereals.

There are several interpretations regarding the village’s name. The most prevalent reports that the village got its name because of being the only village in the region that has the largest range: “Evrys Chous”, which in ancient Greek means “Large area / land”. A second interpretation mentions that, according to tradition, the name was given to the village by immigrants from other regions, which found here plenty and fertile land (“Ev Chous”, meaning Good land). Another interpretation says that it took its name from the community’s first settler who was named Evrychios.