Who are the streets of Cyprus dedicated to?

In 1960, the government of the newly created Republic of Cyprus sent out a circular to municipalities with a list of names. These were EOKA fighters who died fighting British rule in Cyprus. However, two very important names were missing from the list.

The names from the circular had to be used when renaming or naming streets in populated areas. Ironically, the two names that most often become toponyms in Cyprus were not on this list. Since both historical figures were still alive.

We are talking about President Archbishop Makarios and General Georgios Grivas Digenis. Today, it is these two names that are most often found on the map of the island; the main avenues and streets of all settlements are named in their honor.

With their circular, the authorities sent a clear signal about the formation of a Cypriot identity around the struggle for freedom from the colonialists. The topic of Cypriot toponymy is being studied by 52-year-old researcher Stella Feoharous. According to her, Cyprus is a country with a complex past, so you won’t find place names like Rose Alley or Baker Street here. In 2018, Stella Theocharous began researching street names in Cyprus, focusing on Nicosia.

“All important events take place in the capital. This is where rulers make decisions and engage in politics,” she explains. “The changing names of the streets of Nicosia, its ability to expand only in three directions (due to the occupation of the northern half of the city. - VK note), the many dead ends - all this reflects the unique situation of the capital,” says the scientist.

During her research, Stella spent weeks in dusty basements and windowless archives. Under the guidance of the renowned Israeli professor of cultural geography, Maoz Azaryahu, she visited the British National Archives and the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, and read countless books written by ancient travelers about Cyprus.

In the archives of the Nicosia municipality, she found records of the early days of this local government in 1882, when the British appointed Christodoulos Severis as the city's first mayor. In the archives of the Cadastral Department, Stella discovered cadastral plans from 1915, which were believed to be lost.

In search of patterns in our street names, she combed through thousands of long-forgotten documents: files, maps, photographs, newspaper clippings, official decrees and minutes of meetings held more than a hundred years ago. During the British era, new street names had to be approved by the High Commissioner, but the responsibility for naming or renaming streets always lay with the municipal councils of each city.

“I set myself a difficult task,” she smiles. – In Limassol, a complete register of street names has been maintained since 1911. But nowhere in Nicosia has there been a complete register of street names and renamings for decades.”

In 1960, municipal councils were given a list of EOKA members from which they could select names to name streets. “This was a highly political act, and the message was clear: we will honor the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for our cause, and everyone will be forced to use their names every day. Every time you write an address on an envelope, you will be honoring our fallen,” explains Stella.

Streets named after prominent British figures or monarchs have been renamed. Edward VII Street became Marcos Drakos Street, Winston Churchill Avenue became Kyriakos Macis Street, Queen Elizabeth II Street was renamed Michael Karaolis Street, and Queen Mary Street became Andreas Dimitriou Street.

“Whenever there is a shift in identity, our street names change,” explains Stella. A striking example is the name of Freedom Square. The square received its name in 1975 as a result of a referendum. Before that, it was called the square of Ioannis Metaxas, who effectively exercised dictatorial powers in Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. “The renaming was an act of resistance, a new vision. People have spoken clearly: “We don’t want dictators anymore, we want freedom,” says Stella Feoharous.

And then there is Ledra Street, which bears the imprint of the entire history of Cyprus.

Originally, the current Ledra Street consisted of three. As the city developed, they were eventually combined into one, which was colloquially called Makridromas, that is, “long street.” During the struggle against British rule, the British nicknamed it the Dead Mile. Today it is known by its name in honor of the ancient city-kingdom that was located here.

Besides, today it is a dead end. Without a passport, you will not be able to walk the main street of the capital from beginning to end.

“It is a symbol of our constant division. From Freedom Square to the streets of Markos Drakos and Kythrea (a village in the occupied territories - VK note), our political, economic and cultural context is largely reflected in the names. They talk about our struggle, our heroes and our occupied villages. They reflect how we see ourselves. In them we see a living memory of our island’s ongoing struggle for freedom,” says the scientist.

The text was prepared based on materials from Cyprus Mail

More about names

There are hundreds of small cozy villages in Cyprus, whose names sound intricate not only to the Russian ear, but even to the Cypriots themselves. Where do these unusual names come from? Read the link.