Engomi most likely originated in 1567 after the demolition of houses and roughly 80 churches and monasteries outside the walls of Nicosia, when the Venetians built the new walls around Nicosia, which stand to this day. When the old Lusignan walls were demolished and the new walls erected, the perimeter was reduced from 4 miles to 3 miles in order to strengthen their defensive capability and limit the number of soldiers that were required for their manning. The homeless residents of the demolished settlements were moved to south-west of Nicosia to a distance of 1½ miles from the new wall of city and half a mile from the existing village of St. Dometios. Joining with farmers of the local area, they founded Engomi. The initial core of settlement constituted the area north-east of the old church of St Nicholas (near Makarios square).