In the Mathiatis village, that belongs to the Nicosia district, you will find the church of Agia Paraskevi. You will find it on your left as you are travelling from Agia Varvara towards Mathiatis and it is the first construction that you will find before entering the village.
It is a 1700 construction and was put in place under difficult circumstances for the Greek Cypriot settlers of Mathiatis. Back then there were only 22 Christian families in the village, that is also justified by the presence of the 22 plates on the church’s roof.
Settlers told us that Agia Paraskevi cures eye diseases and that many blind people were cured with her help.
Next to the church there is a small, young forest with cypresses and a little further you will find the “forest of the missing people”.
Very close to the church there are two wells, with artesian water. In the olden days this water was used as potable water by the settlers of another village found quite a few kilometres away. It was transferred through pipes to Lympia. Today this water is infected and is left to run to the riverbed that is found in the area.
