page_title: Deryneia
section_title: Historical Background
hierarchical_section_title: Deryneia / Historical Background
caption_attribution_description: English: A view of the Virgin Mary Nativity Church in the village of Deryneia, Famagusta district, Cyprus
context_page_description: Deryneia is a large village in the island of Cyprus. It is located at the east side of the island, 2 km south of the city of Famagusta. The population of the village is 5,758 and it consists of a municipality since 1994. The current mayor is Andros Karayiannis. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, around 75% of the village terrain is in Northern Cyprus. The village is 12 kilometers from the famous resort of Ayia Napa. The "Ghost Town" of Varosha can be clearly viewed from the roof of the Cultural Centre, as can the craters from shells fired during the invasion in the field opposite.
  The village has agricultural land around it, and is one of the "Kokkinochoria" so called from the red soil. Potatoes are widely grown but Deryneia is famous for its strawberries and holds a biennial strawberry festival at the football ground of Anagennisi Deryneia on the Dherynia to Sotira road.
context_section_description: According to data and information available, Dherynia is in this position for about 700 years. But it turns out the archaeological sites and monuments in the occupied area and the buffer zone that the history of Dheryneia is much greater.
  We do not know exactly why the area was named "Dherynia". Simos Menardos and Mr J. Goodwin in his book, argue that settlers settled here, perhaps after the Trojan War, the ancient city that was Gerineia near Pylos, Peloponnese and was the capital of the Kingdom of the famous and prudent King Nestor, which Homer calls GERINION it came from Gerinia. The above, embraces and Nearchus Clerides in his book,"Villages States and Cyprus." Another version is that the name came from the name of an English or Frankish general who once camped in the "mountains" of Dheryneia. The above and other aspects included in the study Deryneioti composer - Mr. Adamou researcher Katsantoni issued in 1991.
  What today we can consider as evidence to support his claim to the name of Deryneia is that between the southeast and Deryneia and beach is located on ancient village called Therimeio or Therineio. Later became "Drynio", "Dryneia" and finally "Dherynia.
caption: Virgin Mary Nativity Church built in 15th or 16th centuries
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