The community of Tersefanoy is located 14 kilometers southeast from the down of Larnaca and 3 kilometers from the village of Kiti (Κιτι). 

The village is built near the sea and in an altitude of 50 meters. The landscape of region is dismembered from the river Tremitho (Τρέμιθο).

Tersefanoy village accepts a medium annual rainfall around 360 millimeters.Carob-beans trees, cereals, possessor plants and citrus fruits are cultivate in the village region.

The village is included in the big irrigator work of Southern Driver and has been profited in the frames of his second phase, with the irrigation of extent of ground of 147 hectares. In this extent is promoted the application of drawing of redistribution.

The village knew a lot of demographic fluctuations. In 1881 there were 198 residents that they increased in 1891 to 229 and later on in 1901 they were 314 residents. In 1911 the residents increased to 382 an then desecrated to 350 in 1921.Ten years later n 1931 the residents increased to 353 and in 1946 up to 474. In the inventories of the 1960 and 1973 the residents of the villages amounted to 458 and 506 and three years later I n1976 were 575 residents. After 1976 refugees camps where created so in the inventory of 1982 the residents where 700. Today the village amount more than 1000 residents.

Two kilometers northeast of the village and in his administrative limits, a dam is built, on the river Tremitho, with capacity of 1.614.000 [m] 3. Aim of the dam is the irrigation, with drillings of region, a extent of ground of 663 hectares that is cultivated mainly with vegetables. By the dam of Tremithoy is irrigated also extent of village Tersefanoy.       

During the Turkish occupation Tersefanoy village supplied water through Trenitho river into the down of Larnaca  and later on through a water supply. Left over of it is the Camares of Larnaca.

The village existed at the medieval years. Don Nte Latris reports it as tersephano and includes it between the fiefs of the Frank occupation.

In the same region we know that during the Frank occupation also other Important fiefs existed and royal properties as Kiti, Alaminos, Mazotos and Dromolaxia. In old charts the village is found marked as Chirifano, Chirafano and Chirafono.

According to some people the name of the village emanated from the name of someone called Stefanoy that likely he was householder of region at the Byzantine years. Therefore at the period of Frank Occupation from the foreign Der Stephanoy as a result the current name of Tersefanoy. Other opinions reports that the name can be newer the Byzantine years, that is to say the period of Frank Occupation, therefore the region likely belonged at somebody called sir Stefanon or nte Stefano from where once again emanated his current name. . It is remarkable that Pococke who visited Cyprus in 1738 reports the village as Der Stephane.

In the village there are enough churches and chapels (exoklisia). The churches that distinguish are of Saint Marina that is a building of 17th century, the Saint Georgioy (Arperas) that was founded in 1745, Saint Andronikoy that build in the 16th century and Saint Georgioy of River that is also a building of 16th century. In the region of the village exists also an archaeological space of prehistoric years. More information regarding the churches and (exoklisia) you can find in the relative page of our web page.

In 1881 a painter called Nikolaos Papastefanoy came from Simi island to live in the village. Papastefanoy decorated a lot of churches all over Cyprus. The holily Abbey of Stayroboyni maintained two churches (metochia) in the limits of the community. The first (metochio) it was of Saint Georgioy of 9Arperas) that was built in 1736 from the Abbot Kallinikos and today is saved certain ruins. Second (metochio) it was found in the centre of village there that today is built the cafe of Chrysibioy Neokli and the SPE Tersefanoy. The (metochio) it had fortune of 1000 roughly acres of ground which sold in the residents of village Archbishop Cyprus Blissful G΄. With this action he was rendered benefactor of community.

In the westerner sides of the village exists running water which was found by a woman called Christina after seeing a vision about the Honest Cross.

Source:

The text was written by the Community Council of Tersefanou