Travel Guide Kormakitis – Kormacit

The main village of Cyprus' Maronite community, Kormakitis gives its name to the undeveloped region of Cape Kormakitis (Krommyon in ancient times), west of the Kyrenia coast. The majority of today's inhabitants are believed to be descendants of Lebanese from the village of Kour (north-east of Beirut) who arrived here in the 6th century. According to them, the Cypriot Arabic name of Kurmajit comes from a phrase often repeated by their ancestors: Nahni jina wa Kour ma jit ("We came here, but Kour did not come"). Surrounded by vineyards, the village not only cultivates its wine, but also its identity. Before the 1974 invasion, the majority of Cyprus' Maronites, culturally close to Greek Cypriots, lived in the northern zone. Most were driven out. But here, the inhabitants resisted the Turkish army. Since the opening of the "green line" in 2003, the village has been reborn thanks to ecotourism: renovated houses, small restaurants and hiking trails... And the younger inhabitants return from the southern zone at weekends to take part in farming activities and attend Sunday mass at Saint-Georges Cathedral.