In the village of Anogira that is found in the Limassol district, there is a faucet of potable and fresh water. It was named “Apikrenis” from the fact that its water is sweet and not bitter. It is found a kilometre before the entrance of the village.
In order to understand the value and the role that it played in the development and the prosperity of the Anogira settlers, we will have to go centuries back into the past. When the Roman army occupied Cyprus.
Anogira is found built on a huge plateau on the peak of a high hill. In this area, the settlers planted thousands of olive trees and even more carob trees. The two trees are not “demanding” in terms of water, thus they easily adapted to the dry, irregular conditions of the plateau.
The carobs were a very requested product, thus hundreds of traders from all of the areas of Cyprus and from abroad, ascended the helical road taking them to the peak of the hill and to Anogira. The road passted through a very hard landscape, where the water carved the limestones, thus created deep, vertical gorges. The people and their animals went through difficulties due to thirst and their effort to go uphill.
Halfway through the uphill path, on the “root” of huge limestone rocks, a source of water was the salvation of the traders. It was a faucet with sweet, fresh water that quenched the thirst of humans and animals.
The faucet still gives water to travellers today. However, attention is required. An old myth says that whoever drinks this water, will fall in love, get married and will live in the village forever. It is said that it is a myth.. but who knows?
