Peyia

Peyia
Πέγεια (Greek)
Peyia Location in Cyprus
Coordinates: 34°53′0″N 32°23′0″E
Country	Cyprus
District	Paphos District
Municipality
Government
• Mayor	Neophytos Akoursiotis
Population ()
• Total	10,000
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	8560
Website	www.pegeiamunicipality.com

Concise presentation of Peyia

Peyia is a town in Cyprus with population approximately 10,000 residents. Peyia is situated mainly on the steep slopes of the coastal hills inland from Coral Bay, at the southern end of the Akamas Peninsula, and it lies 14 km north of Paphos. It has a large population of British ex-pats and a growing number of holiday homes and apartments. In the town centre can be found a town hall, church, police station and several small shops, restaurants and banks. Due to its hillside location many parts of the town offer views over Coral Bay and Paphos.

Peyia actually covers a large area stretching from the Peyia Forest on the hills high above the village in the north, to the sea in the south, and from the Bay of Maa in the east to the Akamas Peninsula in the west. However the name is used more frequently in respect to the town.

Local Amenities

Peyia, like many other towns in the Paphos region, sports a large number of cafes and restaurants along the main road of Coral Bay. More places to eat are being built on the next road in, to the east of the main strip, suggesting there is no shortage of demand. These range from taverns, meza houses and traditional cafes, to themed restaurants hosting, for example, Chinese nights. The next significant town is Kathikas, which again has an impressive range of eateries, as well as the Sterna Winnery.

The town is serviced by butchers, a fish market and a bakery, in addition to the large supermarket called Phillipos opposite the church.

Peyia Name History

The origin of the name Peyia, is said to derive from the Latin word Baia (Bay) due to the close proximity of Coral Bay (Maa), which served as a natural safe docking for Egyptian cargo vessels dating back to antiquity. The village was first settled by Venetians, during the Venetian Domination of Cyprus (1489-1570), probably by Venetian merchant sailors and or by sailors of the Venetian fleet in conflict with the Ottomans over Cyprus rule.

The beginning of the Ottoman rule (1571-1878), saw the relationship between the Orthodox and the Ottomans healthier than in comparison with the Catholic and Ottomans, as a result many of the Venetian settlements on the island, that of Peyia included, had by then already assimilated into Orthodox Christianity as well as Greek-Cypriot way of life.

Distinctively one can notice that the Greek - Cypriot dialect in this region, including nearby villages of Kathikas, Akoursos, and Kissonerga has a characteristic singing and fluctuating tone that resembles very much the Italian way of speech. This can be more distinctively noticeable in conversations amongst elders.

Peyia Vrisi

In the past, villagers had to collect their water from the local spring or 'vrisi'. It was here that everyone met, especially the young men of the village who would congregate to watch the young girls collecting water in their red clay pitchers. It is said that to drink the Peyia spring water made the girls beautiful and several songs were written about the vrisi, one of which ,'Spring of Peyia Woman' is still sung today. The vrisi is still visible though little visited except by newly weds, as this is where a great number of wedding ceremonies are now conducted. The vrisi is in a paved area to one side of the municipal car park in the centre of the village.

The towns football team APOP Kinyras Peyias FC currently play in the Cypriot First Division.