History

Parekklisia boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage dating back to the Neolithic era. The ancient settlement of Shillourokambos dates back to 8200–7500 B.C., predating Choirokoitia settlement. Excavations by the French archaeological mission began in 1992 and brought to light significant findings that prove the existence of sheep and goat husbandry during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, which ceased in the 8th millennium BC and resumed during the Pottery Neolithic period. Another significant find is the cat bones discovered buried alongside their owner. This discovery proves that cats were domesticated on our island 9,500 years ago, a fact that refutes the previously held belief that the first domestication of cats occurred in Egyptian civilization, which is considerably later.