Koniario

The now deserted village of Koniario or Konidario is situated between Amaniou and Lagoudi on the slopes of the Dikaios Mountains. It is named after Iconium (Konya) in Asia Minor, the place the Turkish settlers of the village came from. It used to be inhabited by Muslims as it dates back to the period of Ottoman rule. According to Iakovos Zaraftis there used to be 25 houses and about 100 Turkish speaking labourers in 1917. Is seems that they were also some 15 families of crypto-Christians that lived there. The village of Koniario was abandoned in the 1950s. There is a spring nearby which most probably was the main source for drinking water. Today you can still visit the remains of a Mosque and see some of the crumpling two storey agricultural housing. In their peak the Koniariotes made a living mostly from breeding goats and sheep. Fig trees are numerous in the area as they were supposedly brought over from Turkey. Near the village you will find the recreational forest of Koniario which is a protected area where people can go for a stroll or a picnic.