The beautiful village named Silikou is situated at a height of 650 meters. The village is located up on the mountains and is surrounded by many valleys, fruitful fields and gardens that traditionally were irrigated by three big fountains. The village Silikou was also known for its wine, its zivania, the traditionally made raisins, its olives and the almond trees. It is not clear from where the name Silikou originates but it seems that it was dominated by the Franks and comes from the name “Selicia”. T areas that the fruitful valleys and the plenty of water in the area were an dominated to the foreign lords of the island such as the Franks that came from Syria, and then the Turks that resided in the area of Silikou and turned it into a mixed village. Archimandrite Kyprianos in his history for Cyprus in 1780, mentions Silikou and Alamino as important farms belonging to the monastery between the 13 and th 14 century. There are many important areas in Sylikou carrying Frankish names as the Frankish irrigated areas of syrkas were there are the ruins of a big medieval church with mosaics, the Frantziko, the Ilitsi and the houses of the Queen. The church character of the medieval area of Silikou is also confirmed from other sources where it is mentioned that in the year 1400 it was a very important farm belonging to the monastery. Further evidence that supports the above is the large number of chapels that were located on the farms such as Saint Mary of Syrks, Saint Demetris, Saint Mamas and Saint Marina in the area. It is historically proven that when the Ottomans occupied Cyprus the last of the Louzinian Cypriot families went to Silikou where they mixed with the local people, became Greeks over the year and played an important role in the village development. Gki Louzinian came from France to Silikou in 1581 in order to visit his relatives where after he returned to his country he described in great details the torture that the village people were receiving in the hands of the new enemies. Gki Louzinian’s book is one of the most important authentic evidences for the situation of medieval Cyprus. Silikou became a mixed village at a later stage, although it kept the restige of being a very fruitful area with very hospitable people that were visiting Cyprus Selling Wine. The various elders of the village, who unfortunately are few, still today show the importance of the wine and the koumandaria for the future of the village. It is not difficult for somebody to judge that Silikou was one of the important areas if not the most important area of producing sweet wine due to the Frank and medieval character of the past. This was a left over from the St John’s monastery knights since the 12 century.
