Newsroom
Questions over ownership and access to the abandoned village of Trozena in Cyprus have prompted a response from local authorities after online claims alleged that Israelis had purchased the entire settlement and were preventing visitors from entering.
The controversy began with social media posts stating that guards had turned people away from the village and from the Church of Saint George, describing the area as “Jewish land.” The Community Council of Arsos rejected the allegations, calling them false and misleading.
Arsos community leader Giannakis Giannaki said the posts contained fabricated claims and stated that officials were attempting to trace their origin to determine whether there was an organised motive behind them. He clarified that an Israeli businessman has invested in the village after purchasing roughly 80 per cent of the privately owned properties in the central part of Trozena.
According to the local authority, the investor is carrying out restoration works and preparing infrastructure intended to revive the long-abandoned settlement. Plans under examination include low-cost rental housing, a winery, a camping site, and facilities involving horses and donkeys.
Giannaki stressed that public access to Trozena has not been banned. He explained that some restrictions may temporarily exist around construction areas because of safety measures linked to ongoing works.
The Arsos Community Council also addressed speculation regarding the Church of Saint George. In a public statement, the council said the church belongs to the Metropolis of Paphos and there is no intention to demolish it. The statement added that any visitor who believes they were denied entry should report the incident to the relevant authorities.
A few days after the original reports circulated, the president of the Limassol District Local Government Organisation, Giannis Tsouloftas, confirmed that applications connected to foreign investment in Trozena had been submitted and were under review.
The proposals concern residential units, a winery, and a camping area. No planning permits have been approved so far, with the applications currently being examined by the responsible authorities.
Officials are also consulting the Department of Environment because the area falls within the Natura 2000 protected network. Tsouloftas said any future development must remain limited in scale and preserve the traditional character of the settlement, which has been abandoned since the 1990s.
Trozena has long lacked basic infrastructure. The village was never connected to electricity and currently does not have potable water.
