Ayia Napa ( , ), officially romanised Agia Napa, is a tourist resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus. Etymology The name Ayia Napa is derived from a Venetian-era monastery of the same name, located in the centre of the town, next to the square that today is the clubbing centre. The word Ayia means "holy" in Greek. Napa is archaic and means "wooded valley" or "dell". In ancient times the area surrounding the town was covered with thick forest. Geography Ayia Napa lies near Cape Greco at the eastern part of Cyprus, south of Famagusta, and forms part of a larger area known as Kokkinochoria ("Red Villages", a name derived from the vivid red colour of the soil). It is a town of the Famagusta District, in the remaining Greek-controlled southern part of the district, while the northern part has been occupied by Turkish forces since 1974. Ayia Napa is about from Protaras, which has also been developed as a tourist destination. History According to a local legend, a hunter in pursuit of his prey discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave, after which a monastery dedicated to her was built around the cave; the name Virgin Mary of Napa was eventually shortened to Ayia Napa. Another legend has it that a Venetian noblewoman fled from her parents, who forbade her from marrying a commoner, to live there as a nun. The Venetians built a church in 1500. According to local tradition, the area (except for the monastery) was uninhabited until about 1790, when Nikolaos Kemitzis of Thessaloniki arrived from Greece and settled in the village of Panayia, located in the northeastern part of Ayia Napa. Kemitzis had come into conflict with the Ottoman authorities who then ruled Cyprus, and decided to move near the monastery of Ayia Napa. Between 1999 and 2003, Aiya Napa was the UK garage music summer holiday destination, attracting DJ Spoony, MC Creed, MC DT, Norris "Da Boss" Windross, Kele Le Roc, MC CKP, Little Charlie, and So Solid Crew. In 2014, Ayia Napa was given the status of a main city-urban centre by the Government of Cyprus, in recognition of its importance to the economy. This was credited to the efforts of Mayor Yiannis Karousos, elected in March 2013. The city of Ayia Napa has the seventh largest budget of the 30 active municipalities of