The Limassol village that was written into the history of the Revolution of 1821

The history of the 1821 Revolution against the Ottoman Empire is well-known to most people, even to non-Greeks. One of the lesser-known aspects of this history, however, is the execution of the Cypriot clergy on 9^th July 1821, which connects one of the most historic villages of Limassol with this heroic era.

A few years before the revolution, Dositheos had taken over the running of the Holy Cross Monastery in Omodos. The cleric made sure to maintain a friendly relationship with Cücük Mehmet, the governor of Cyprus at the time, by donating items from the monastery’s safe. In this way, he guaranteed assistance for the members of the village, who loved him very much and considered him a patron.

The uprising of 1821, despite having manifested in metropolitan Greece, resulted in retaliations by the Ottomans throughout the Empire. And so, on the dawn of 9^th July 1821, Archbishop Kyprianos and the Despots of Cyprus were led to their deaths. Among the clerics who fell victim to these atrocities was the keeper of the Holy Cross Monastery in Omodos, Disotheos, who was by then an old man.

Today, Dositheos continues to welcome visitors to the Monastery, as his bust adorns the main entrance.

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