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Xylofagou
Place in Larnaca District, Cyprus From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Xylofagou (Greek: Ξυλοφάγου; locally [ksiloˈfau]) is a village in the Larnaca District of Cyprus, situated close to the A3 motorway between Paralimni and the British military base Dhekelia.
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Xylofagou's name roughly translates to "wood eaters". It lies on the northern flank of a hill,[2] on the edge of a group of several similar villages collectively known as the Kokkinochoria (Greek: Κοκκινοχώρια) which translates to "red villages" due to their abundance of nutrient-dense red soil in which vegetables—especially the extremely popular potatoes that are eaten island-wide—are grown.[3]
Xylofagou is the site of the oldest known dwarf elephant fossils in Cyprus, assigned to the species Palaeoloxodon xylophagou and dating to around 200,000 years ago.[4] It is also home to a medieval Venetian watchtower.[5][6] Near Xylofagou is the Cave of the 40 Martyrs, where Christian soldiers sacrificed their lives in the 16th century to evade capture by the Ottomans.[7]
In 2021, to commemorate the role played by locally grown potatoes in the community's growth, a 16-foot-tall fibreglass potato statue nicknamed the "Big Potato" was erected in the village. It proved controversial, with some viral videos mocking its phallic shape.[8] Statue designer George Tasou said of the mockery, "I'm not bothered because it's brought publicity to our village, and I'm hoping it will promote the Cyprus potato around the world."[9]
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