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Prastio 
From: Kelly,   Added: 22 June 09,   Views: info-176   Edit Edit Prastio   Delete Delete Prastio   
Prastio 

The -mixed population -village Prastio of the Limassol district stands at a distance of about 38 kilometres west of the city of Limassol. Because of its adjacency to the village Avdimou, it is known as "Prastio Avdimou".

It is built at an average altitude of 380 metres and receives an average annual rainfall of about 540 millimetres. Forage plants, cereals, vines (table and wine-making varieties), carobs, and olive trees are cultivated in its region.

Regarding transportation, Prastio connects with the village Pachna (6 km.) in the north, with the village Avdimou (5.5 Km.) in the southwest and -through it -with the Limassol - Pafos highway.

The village has gone through large fluctuations of its population. In 1881 its inhabitants were 124, increasing to 125 in 1891, to 182 in 1900, to 243 in 1911, and to 298 in 1921. In 1931 the inhabitants decreased to 277 (189 Greek-Cypriots and 75 Turkish-Cypriots) only to increase to 296 in 1946 (221 Greek-Cypriots and 75 Turkish-Cypriots). In 1960 the inhabitants increased to 342 (227 Greek-Cypriots and 115 Turkish-Cypriots). In 1973 the inhabitants decrease to 324 (275 Greek-Cypriots and 49 Turkish-Cypriots). After the 1974 Turkish invasion, the Turkish-Cypriot inhabitants of Prastio were compelled by their leadership to abandon their village and transfer -along with all the other Turkish-Cypriots from the unoccupied territories -in order to settle in the occupied areas. The transfer of the Turkish-Cypriot inhabitants was done in 1975. In 1976 the community’s inhabitants numbered 266, decreasing to 249 in 1982. In the 2001 census thePrastio inhabitants decreased to 223.

The village existed under the same name during Medieval times. It is found marked in old maps as "prastio" but also as "prasmo". Leontios Machairas mentions the village, referring to it as "Prastio of Avdimou", as the venue where the Mamluks arrived in 1426. However, it is possible that he meant another coastal venue -south of Avdimou -where the invaders disembarked; Avdimou, therefore, must have had more than one "prastia" (plural of "prastio) in that era. Besides, the name of the village relates to the Byzantine times. Some researchers claim that the name "Prastio" comes from the French Medieval word "Prasti", which means "field". That is, it was a place-name for farms/ranches that belonged to certain Feuds. The name, however, seems to be purely Greek and -indeed -of the Byzantine times, coming from the word "proastion" that means "settlement near the city" (pros to asti).

During the Medieval times, many small settlements -in various regions of CPrastioyprus -were named "Prastio", in the sense of small, agricultural settlements close to large settlements to which they belonged to.

The village’s Turkish inhabitants were calling it "Yuvali", which means nest.

During the Turkish domination era, the village came under the administrative jurisdiction of Avdimou’s Cadi (Turkish judge). The village also came under Avdimou during the period of the Frank domination and -perhaps -even before, during the Byzantine years.

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