HISTORY

Tris Elies (Three Olives) is a village at the north-western end of the Limassol province in the area of Notia Marathasa (South Marathasa), built on the edges of the Diarizou river which is known as “the dragon’s river”.
It is located approximately 9 km south-west of Prodromos village and is at a neighbourly distance in the north-east with the village of Lemithos, in the south-west with the village of Kaminaria, in the east with the village of Paleomylos and on the south-east with the village of Agios Demetrios. Administratively it belongs to the province of Limassol while ecclesiastically it is part of the Morfou Metropolis.

The name of the village according to Nearhos Klerides is owed to the existence there of three olive trees, a rare occasion for such a mountainous area./p>

The village is built at an average altitude of around 1000 metres. The highest point of the village is the top of the Profitis Elias mountain at an altitude of 1106 metres. The village receives an average of 850mm of rain annually and in its area they cultivate apple, cherry, pear, prune and wine making fruit.

The community during its long history has experienced many demographic fluctuations. In 1881 the population amounted to 180 people to rise to 239 people in 1891 and then decrease to 162 people in 1901. During the British domination period the village met with a great demographic increase. So in 1911 the number had risen to 279, in 1931 to 316 and in 1946 to 406 people. Then the village, like all other villages in the area was affected by the large population shifts to the cities which resulted in reducing the number of residents to 381 in 1960, 237 in 1973, 129 in 1982 and in 2001 the number came down to 65. Today there are just 57 people living in the village.

Around the village dominates the green of the Flora and the dark grey of the volcanic rock surfaces of Troodos Mountain. The chromatic composition is supplemented by the colours of the houses (stone walls with red ceramic tiles on the roof). Depending on the season of the year it interacts with the red-yellow colour of the deciduous trees and bushes in the autumn and the white-pink colour of the bloomed almond, cherry and other fruiterer trees at the start of spring.

In the wild planted vegetation of the area the dominant tree species are pine trees, chestnut trees, latzia trees, plane trees

During the Venetian dominance (1489-1570) the village was one of 24 villages of the Marathasa district which were listed as property of the Venetian Government.

The older evidences of ecclesiastic heritage, such as the sarrounding of the icon screen in the Archaggelos church testify for the existence of the village at least from the end of the Franc dominance during the 15th century.

Oral local tradition suggests Saint Charalambos lived and became a martyr here at the end of the 2nd century A.C. at the grounds of the Tris Elies area. A case with a fragment of the Saint’s bone is kept in a case in the parish temple of Panayia (Madonna).

One of the key figures of the Turkish dominance area, Archbishop Chrisanthos (1767- 1810) originated from Tris Elies. His family house is still preserved even today and bares his father’s name “the house of Konomou”.

The Bishops Kitiou Meletios (1776- 1979) and Kitiou Chrisanthos A’ (1797- 1810) as well as national martyr Paphos Chrisanthos B’ (1805- 1821) originated from Tris Elies as well. More information about the aforementioned can be found on the Important People page. Also from Tris Elies was Maroudia Pavlidi, niece of Archbishop Chrisanthos whom he gave as wife to the dragoman Hadjygeorgaki Kornesio in the middle of the 18th century.

Within the village there are many perennial trees which should be reviewed by the government and held as preservable. These trees are:
2 pine trees at the entrance of the community, the oak tree at Saint Andronikos, the oak tree at the Arkokannavi location, the oak tree at the Lakkoti location, the plane tree of Kossina and the plane tree of the Kriou Potamou bridge.

The bridge was built in the 17th century and it’s possible that the plane tree is of the same age as well.

The main church of the village is worthy of mention, being dedicated to the Madonna of Chrisosotira as well as the church of Archangelos Mihail ( Archangel Michael )and the chapel of Ayia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi) and Ayios Andronikos (Saint Andronikos) and Profiti Elia (Prophet Elias).

Other great sights of our community are the Venetian bridges, the walk path of nature and the sulphur waters. You can get additional information about everything through the special pages on our website.

What has become a characteristic of our people is the way we prepare traditional product such as paluze (must jelly), sutziouko (must-stick with almonds), spoon sweets, wine, zivania, etc as well as our renowned traditional hospitality.