Dali in our days
Dali is located in the Nicosia District. It is located approximately in the center of the island, 17 km from Nicosia, 23 km from Larnaca and 50 km from Limassol. Its area covers 31 sq. Km and consists of two residential areas, the Panagia Evangelistria Parish and the Parish of Saints Constantine and Helen, the Industrial Zone, the Livestock Zone and the Agricultural Zones. The number of residents currently stands at around 12,000.
In 1996, after a referendum, Dali became the 24th Municipality of Cyprus, the Municipality of Dali.
At first the modern Dali was built on the southern side of the river Idalia (Yiallias), today’s Panagia Evangelistria parish. Since 1983 a new settlement has been created on the north-eastern border of Idalion, which borders with Latsia and Geri, the Parish of Saints Constantine and Helen.
The Industrial Zone was established in 1981 and is located along the Nicosia Limassol highway, bordering with Pera Chorio-Nisou, Latsia and Geri. Due to its geographical location the Industrial Area has developed very fast, being today one of the largest industrial areas in Cyprus.
The inhabitants of Dali have always been concerned with agro-livestock farming and various other crops due to fertile soil. Dali currently holds the first place nationwide in milk production. This production exceeds 130,000 liters of milk per day. The main occupations of the inhabitants at present are agro-livestock farming, construction work, various small and medium-sized enterprises or they work in private and state services.
In Dali the following churches and temples are maintained and operated: the Metropolitan Church of Panagia Evagelistria, Saints Constantine and Helen church, Saints Andronikos and Athanasia church, Saint Theodoros church, Saint Artemios church and the Byzantine churches of Saint Georgios the Tropeoforos, Saint Mamas and Saint Dimitrianos of Agridioto. Since 2007, the Holy Metropolis of Trimithoundos has its seat in Dali. The mosque in the center of the community testifies the co-existence of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots before the Turkish invasion of 1974. The Mosque was renovated in 2006 and today is operated to serve foreign citizens residing in Dali and surrounding communities.
As the capital of the surrounding area, Dali operates a Regional Health Center, which serves communities in the wider region of more than 30,000 inhabitants.
Education has a long tradition in Dali. The first elementary school was founded by Papa-Chrysanthos Oikonomos, who was born in 1809 or 1810 in Dali and served for many years as a priest in Dali and Larnaca. In 1841, the church of Saints Andronikos and Athanasia was erected by his personal donations of property and money, and in 1858, with the donation of a privately owned building next to the church of Saints Andronikos and Athanasia, he founded the first elementary school.
Education is one of the first development goals for the city of Idalion (Dali). The Municipal Authority supports the city’s educational institutions in a variety of ways.
Nowadays in Dali there are seven kindergarten schools, three primary schools and a Lyceum school.
Since 1966, the Municipal Library has also been supporting the education sector. Today, the Municipal Library has over 12,000 books and numbers 2,000 members.
The cultural and intellectual development of the Municipality has always been on very high levels. Many citizens of Dali have stand out in the fields of education, literature, poetry, music, sports, theater and the fine arts.
The cultural activity of both the Municipality of Dali and its citizens through other organized organizations and associations, with a long, rich, multifaceted and qualitative tradition, demonstrates the high livelihood, spiritual and social level of the city.
Within the support of the cultural development of Idalion, the Municipality of Dali has erected an open-air amphitheater of 1060 seats, next to the eastern acropolis of Ancient Idalion.
The Municipality of Idalion is twinned with three European cities: Combs-la-Ville in France since 1978, Acharnes in Greece since 2008 and Orte in Italy since 2013. In 2014, the Municipality of Dali signed a protocol of cultural cooperation with the city of Wieliszew in Poland.
The main characteristic of the inhabitants of Idalion is their diligence, friendly mood, hospitality and the intense effort to preserve our historical, folklore and cultural tradition.
Visitors today have the opportunity to tour in three themes: the Historical Route, the Religious Route and the Cultural Route, as well as entertain in traditional or modern recreation areas. 

History of Idalion
According to tradition, Idalion was one of the Kingdoms of Cyprus. It was founded by the hero of the Trojan War, Halkanora. According to tradition, Halkanoras, whose origin was from the town of Amykles near Sparta, as he was returning from Troy, where he took part in the siege, he arrived in Cyprus near Salamina. There, an oracle told him to travel with his army and where he would see the sun rising to build his own city.
So Halkanoras with his army left from Engomi / Alasia and arrived at the place where he founded the city of Dali (where he saw the sun rising).
The founding of the city according to the finds dates back to 1200 BC.
Before the 12th century BC (1650-1050 BC), on the south and southwest side of the river there were settlements of the last copper age. The ancient tombs that have been found testify that the city of Idalion has been inhabited continuously since the 12th century BC. century until the end of Roman times, around 400 AD. From inscriptions and coins it’s also concluded that the Greek element dominated the city of Dali.
The point where the city of Idalion was built was of great importance. It was built in such a way that it covered two hills to the south and the plain to the north towards the riverbed of the Yiallias river. The cover of the two hills was a natural fortress, and the river was vital to the inhabitants of Idalion. Of great importance, apart from the river and the fertile land, was the proximity of the town with copper-bearing areas (Mathiati and Sia villages). At some stage, copper was one of the main occupations of the inhabitants of Dali.
In both hills were the eastern and western acropolis. On the east acropolis there was the temple of Aphrodite and Apollo Amyclaus. In the west, which was the main acropolis, there was the temple of Athena, which was also the patron goddess of the city. The temple of Athena was destroyed around 470 BC. when the city was conquered by the Phoenician kings of Kition.
Underneath the two citadels to the north there was the city, surrounded by walls and it was estimated to cover an area of about 100 km2. The oldest part of the walls is estimated to have been built during the 7th-6th century BC.
In other parts of the city there were temples devoted to other deities, a total of 14 temples are mentioned.
During the reign of Stasikipros, the city of Dali was besieged by the inhabitants of Kition (Phoenicians) with the help of the Medes (Persians). An important documentary evidence of the siege of Dali from Kition around 470 BC. is the famous “Plate of Idalion”, a bronze plaque with an engraved inscription on Cypro-Syllabic script found on the western acropolis. It is the earliest written agreement that has been found and refers to the land property of the king, the city and the church, the succession, the taxation of income from the earth, and the protection of the title of property with guarantors being the king, the city and the patron goddess of the city.
From the contents of the plate it is also concluded that the city of Idalion retained a sort of democratic system where the king ruled together with the Council of the Archons until the conquest of the city by the Phoenicians of Kition around the middle of the 5th century BC.
After the conquest of the city by the Phoenicians, in 312 BC. the city was conquered by the Ptolemaic Kingdom based in Egypt by Ptolemy I Soter (the successor of Alexander the Great), who abolished all the Cypriot kingdoms. Thence forward  Cyprus has been part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and later a province of the Roman Empire. In the Roman period (58 BC -330 AD) Idalion, in written sources, is being referred as a town.
In Roman times small fields and large agricultural farms are being created, until the first Byzantine years, where people called “pariki” cultivate the land on behalf of the state or the church.
There are also “deputies” who are obliged to deliver the fruit of the land to their masters. During the later Byzantine years, 800-1191 AD small landowners disappear. At this stage there is only state land, ecclesiastical land, monastic land and noble land.
During the Byzantine and Frankish era, the biggest problem faced by the inhabitants of Cyprus was the raids by the Saracens (Arabs), who swept the Mediterranean and looted the cities of Cyprus. In particular, according to Leontios Machairas, the Saracens occupied Dali in 1426 AD.
From 1191-1489 AD the Crusaders and the Lusignans come to Cyprus, who adopt the feudal system, a regime based on the social order without interest in individual rights. At this time the land is gathered in the hands of the King of Franks, the nobles, the knights and the Latin church. Thus, in 1474 AD Dali, along with other villages, was given by the queen of Cyprus Catherine Cornaro to the nobleman Georgios Kontarini.
The Ottoman Empire follows, where we see an increase in ecclesiastic and Muslim property. The fear of Greeks and Turks from raids led them to make donations of their estates to the churches to protect them. The result of this situation was the creation of large rural areas in the area, since the Sultan gave fertile land to prominent military officers or administrators from Turkey.
From 1878 until 1960, the British Empire conquers the island until 1960, when Cyprus was proclaimed an independent democracy.
Idalion until 1974 was a mixed village ( Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots living together), but after the Turkish invasion, the Turkish Cypriot residents left the village, except a few families, and went to the occupied areas of the island. From the battles of 1963 and the Turkish invasion of 1974, Idalion numbered 21 dead and missing.
During the Turkish invasion of 1974, 29 men held captive in Adana (Turkey) were released after the end of the war.