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The Community of Kapedes
is found roughly 25 km southerly of the city of Nicosia, at
the foot of the mountains of Machera and in the street that
leads to the monastery of Machera. It is a mountain village
almost without any plains, apart from very small extents in
the north side of the village, that’s why the properties of
its residents are extended up to the village Margi, while
in the south side of the village they reach up to the locality
Kionia. The average altitude of the village is about 560 meters.
The landscape of the village is dismembered from the "argaki"
of Saint Onoufrios, a tributary of river "Pidias",
as well as from tributaries of the river "Gialias"
that cross the region.
From the geological point of view, in the administrative extent
of the village, they dominate the handholds of the igneous
cluster of Troodos, where "pytirioucha" grounds
and "feochomata" were developed.
The village accepts an average annual rainfall of about 480
millimeters.
During the old years in the region they were cultivated mainly
the vines. Because of the low efficiency of the cultivation
the residents have turned mainly to other technical professions.
Minimal are the farmers and less the cattle-breeders.
Products that are cultivated are the olives, the almonds and
very few cereals. The most area of the village is uncultivated.
As far as borders and transportation are concerned, the village
of Kapedes is connected in the northern side with the village
Kampia, in the north-eastern side with the village Analiontas,
in the eastern side with the village Lythrodontas and in the
south-western side with the Monastery of Macheras.
POPULATION
The population of Kapedes from the year 1881 and afterwards
shows a constant increase:
In 1881 the residents were 212
In 1891 « « « 241
In 1901 « « « 247
In 1911 « « « 282
In 1921 « « « 288
In 1931 « « « 302
In 1946 « « « 393
In 1960 « « « 411
In 1973 they were decreased to 372
In 1976 they were increased to 407
In 1982 they were decreased to 362
In the last inventory that took place in 2001, the Community
of Kapedes had a population of 530 residents.
HISTORY
The village was well known from the very old years, from the
season of copper. This is testified by the mines of copper
that exist in the around region of the ancient Tamassos, and
also by the rust and the residues from the treatment of metal
and export of copper. In the village of Kapedes existed one
of the biggest factories for the treatment of copper.
The season where emperor of Rome was the Title 79-81AC it
is reported that an explosion of a volcano at the mountain
of Tyrant, destroyed the village with two other villages without
reporting their names. We conclude however that the settlements
are found in the northeastern side of Kapedes where exist
ruins of the Roman season. This information it appears that
it is not true, because the geologists that studied the rocks
of the island exclude such a phenomenon and particularly during
that season. Later, in 1464 is reported that the village of
Kapedes was given as gift to Benedetto Vernazza.
Later, the Archimandrite Kyprianos, in his history that was
published in 1788, reports that Kapedes, Metochi of the Abbey
of Archangel, belong to a family, obviously descendants of
Benedetto Vernazza, which abandoned him, perhaps because of
the low incomes that they had from him.
The village of Kapedes existed at the period of the Ottoman
domination and likely at the period of "Frangkokratias"
and the "Venetokratias". The Monastery of Macheras
owned the region of the village, and some of the monks of
the monastery were coming from this village.
THE NAME OF THE VILLAGE
The history shows to us that we cannot be sure for certain
things of the village and the same happens with the name of
the village. For the name of the village exist various versions.
Which one however it the right one or which approaches more?
Á) The village, as a Metochi of the Abbey of Archangel, was
used for removal from this of ten monks, that being effervescent,
did not follow the rules of the Abbey. Said, therefore, the
remainder monks: "Pano stous deka pedes ", and with
the passage of time remained the name, by removing the initial
syllable de-kapedes, in the settlement in which it had been
created.
B) A second version, says, that, in this region existed the
stockyards of the Abbey. Obligatorily, the shepherds stayed
there with their families. However, the shepherds caused such
damages in the region that they named
them "kakoi pedes". They said therefore, those who
were going to visit them: "Pao stous kakous pedes"
that with the byway of time again became Kapedes.Certain supported
on one of these versions, write the name of the village Kapaides
instead of Kapedes.
C) The third version is related with the mines. This version
says that the name of village emanated from the " KAPAKIA"
of the mines, that is, layers
of metal, that abounds in the region. With the passage of
time the name became Kapedes.
CULTURAL LIFE
The fury that possesses us to follow anything innovatory,
anything foreign to the customs and the traditions, removes
us permanently from our roots. Here however, the Community
Council, the administration of the school and two associations
THOI and P.A.O.K., undertook a regulating role with the various
events that they organize, like the games at Easter, the religious
events, the dances with their dancing groups and they have
become the agents of the residents to keep them firmly with
their roots and religion.
However, it does not stop here. The old building of the school
has been changed and it functions as the Community Medical
Center, which it visited every week by a governmental doctor
who offers medical care to those who need it. Thus the old
people, mainly, residents of the Community, receive their
medical care without loosing time in the buses and the city
hospitals. Also the room that is used for the meetings of
the Community Council accommodates the Community Library,
where people can visit it, borrow books or read books.
NATIONAL CONTRIBUTION
As all the villages, thus Kapedes gave their present in the
fights of the island with their own contribution in fights
and blood. At the duration of the fight for freedom 1955-59,
the people from Kapedes were there. The arrests, the imprisonments,
the tortures did not prevent them to accommodate the "Stavraeto
tou Machera", the days of his big chase and few days
before the holocaust. It is here that he shaved his beard,
removed the robes and wore again his honored guerrilla uniform.
They were also involved in the events of 1963 and in the Turkish
invasion in 1974.
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