6719

What was Anexartisias Street in Limassol called, before the independence of Cyprus?

21/11/2018
* NOTE: All the tributes of All About Limassol (as the Official Guide of Limassol) aim to ONLY highlight the special advantages of this wonderful city, so that everyone can be aware of the unique Experiences it offers. Under no circumstances do they have any promotional or nominal value, nor do they serve the interests of Companies, Municipalities, Organizations or Individuals.

Anexartisias Street is now one of the most central and commercial streets in Limassol, but it began as something completely different about a century ago. In fact, the first signs of traffic and life in the area appeared in 1923, when this was not a center or even a street, and when it could not have possibly referred to any sense of independence (‘anexartisia’ in Greek).

The declaration of the independent Republic of Cyprus in 1960 was a historic moment for the country. It was also reason enough for the street to be named after it, as it would be a constant reminder for anyone passing through this area, which had begun developing fast from that decade onwards. Still, during the first years of its existence, when the Limassol Hospital (now the District Administration building) was built, the former dirt road did not even have a name and, apart from the hospital, there were just a few, draft constructions around there.

The name by which the people of the city used to know the street in the 1930s – 1940s, Macedonias Street, referred to the Greek identity of the majority of the population. After the strict policies of the colonial administration to ensure that national identities were weakened had begun to ease, it allowed for this specific street to be named after Macedonia, the region in northern Greece. Even as Macedonias Street, this area was becoming a central part of the city, with a commercial identity, where, apart from the hospital, there were several shops, coffee shops and inns, attracting many people to the area. The house of the first Mayor of Limassol, Christodoulos Karydes, was also on Macedonias Street.

Relevant

Information: Tasos Andreou
Photos:Limassol Memories Facebook Group, Tasos Andreou

* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.