Mesa Geitonia
Mesa Geitonia is a municipal district within the Limassol Municipality of Cyprus, located in the Limassol District, 2 km north of the city center. It was established in 1986. Covering 370.71 hectares, it is the smallest municipality in Cyprus in area.
History
The ancient settlement of Mesa Geitonia was likely established during the Byzantine period. However, due to various factors such as earthquakes, wars, and Arab raids, the settlement was destroyed. The only remaining structure from this period is a medieval cistern. During the periods of Frankish and Venetian rule, Mesa Geitonia was a feudal estate.In the wider area of Mesa Geitonia, rock-cut tombs have been discovered containing artifacts from several historical periods, including the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman eras.
Under Ottoman rule, Mesa Geitonia, like all Cypriot villages, was administered by a mukhtar. This system largely continued under British rule, with some modifications. In 1950, the Law on Improvement Councils was enacted, and Mesa Geitonia was declared an Improvement Council in 1962, following Cyprus' independence, due to population growth.
The population continued to increase over the following decades, leading to a referendum on 23 February 1986 to declare Mesa Geitonia a municipality. The referendum was successful, and on 26 May 1986, local government elections were held in Cyprus. Mesa Geitonia elected its first municipal council.