Mathiatis: Churches, Mines and Routes

Mathiatis brings together different traces of its history: the municipality is home to two mines, while churches and a chapel also shape the village. In addition, there is a copper cultural route and a gravel cycling route, placing Mathiatis within a range of different themes. Visitors planning a stay can explore the area through its mining heritage, religious buildings and the landscapes along the routes. This combination makes Mathiatis especially interesting for travellers who do not want to limit their holiday to just one theme.

Mines and landscapes around Mathiatis

North of the municipality is a more recent gold, silver and iron mine. To the south, at the foot of Mount Stroggylos, is a gold mine. For anyone interested in mining history, this offers a direct way to explore the area: several metals are mentioned in connection with the northern mine, while the southern mine is described by its location on Stroggylos.

The copper cultural route's next stop is the Mathiatis South Copper Mine. On the way to the mine, colourful gossans follow fragrant pine trees and lead to the copper mine lake. This creates a succession of pine trees, colourful gossans and the lake along the route described. Here, mining is not just a subject in its own right; it is also connected with the landscape features along the way to the mine. This makes for a distinctive experience for travellers who want to combine culture and landscape in their plans.

Churches, chapel and village history

The religious buildings each have their own distinctive features. The Church of Agia Paraskevi in Mathiatis was built in 1728. The Church of Apostolos Varnavas is at the heart of the village and is almost entirely covered with images of saints. The Chapel of Agia Eirini Chrysovalantou is notable for its religious dedication: it was the first church in Cyprus to be dedicated to Saint Agia Eirini Chrysovalantou. For travellers wishing to compare churches by age, decoration and religious significance, these three sites offer different points of interest.

Another historic site is the British cemetery at the entrance to the village, on the road from Agia Varvara to Mathiatis. Its location provides a direct link to the village entrance and the road from Agia Varvara. It thus complements the churches and mines as a separate site with a historic character.

Two routes, different highlights

The Sia–Mathiatis–Delikipo–Sia gravel cycling route, Route 6, passes scenic chapels and reaches the village of Mathiatis. By comparison, the copper cultural route lists the Mathiatis South Copper Mine as its next stop. The routes therefore differ in their stated focus: one brings together the cycling route, chapels and village, while the other centres on mining and the route to the copper mine lake. Travellers weighing up these themes can decide which of the two route descriptions better suits their travel plans.

When looking for a holiday rental in Mathiatis, you can also take your preferred focus into account: would you like your trip to centre mainly on the churches and village history, or are the mines and routes of greater interest? The area's attractions offer different ideas, without requiring every experience to revolve around the same theme.

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