Akanthou is a village on the northern coast of Cyprus. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 1,…Akanthou is a village on the northern coast of Cyprus. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 1,459. The first settlement that can be linked with the modern-day Akanthou was in the Kouphes area, 2 miles to the northwest of Akanthou. Akanthou was established between the 7th and the 10th century at the place where the river passing through the village meets the sea. Following the Mamluk Arab raids in Cyprus, the coastal location was abandoned and the village moved to its present-day inland location. The name Akanthou, according to local tradition, comes from the name of a thorny bush present in the area, which is said to have provided protection for a beautiful woman, Anthousa, whom the Arab sailors tried to take captive.
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