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Hermes Street ( gr, Οδός Ερμού, tr, Ermu Sokağı) was a major shopping thoroughfare in central
Before Venetian times the River
Two thirds of the street is located abandoned within the
Nicosia
Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
. It runs from the North end of Ledra Street
Ledra Street ( el, Οδός Λήδρας ''Odos Lidras''; tr, Ledra Caddesi) is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the ''de facto'' Northern Cyprus, and ...
and into Ektoros Street in the East.
History
Before Venetian times the River Pedieos
The Pedieos (also Pediaios or Pediaeus or Pithkias; Greek: Πεδιαίος/Πηθκιάς, Turkish: ''Kanlı Dere'') is the longest river in Cyprus. The river originates in the Troodos Mountains close to Machairas Monastery and flows northeast a ...
course ran through the centre of the town, however this was then diverted when the new walls were built. The old river bed then became an open sewer until the arrival of the British in 1878. They found the cities sanitation to be in an appalling state so they decided the ownership of the land be given to anyone who could assist in rebuilding the area. Hermes Street was built in 1881 with the help of builders and labourers from the Kaimakli
Kaimakli ( el, Καϊμακλί ; tr, Kaymaklı or ) is a large northeastern suburb of Nicosia, Cyprus. Since 1968, it belongs to the Municipality of Nicosia. Its population in 2011 was 11,564.
Etymology
Kaimakli derives from the Turkish ''kay ...
area. They constructed the Cities main sewer under the street and built many shops on street level. The authorities gave many of the premises to the builders as a reward for their efforts.
The Street found itself located on the edge of the Greek Quarter of the city from 1958 until 1974.
Today
Two thirds of the street is located abandoned within the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), that was established in 1964 and extended in 1974 after the ceasefire of 16 August 1974, following the T ...
. From the Ledra Street
Ledra Street ( el, Οδός Λήδρας ''Odos Lidras''; tr, Ledra Caddesi) is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the ''de facto'' Northern Cyprus, and ...
crossing a metal gate blocks access into Hermes Street, however part of the street is still accessible from Manis Street.
See also
*Ledra Street
Ledra Street ( el, Οδός Λήδρας ''Odos Lidras''; tr, Ledra Caddesi) is a major shopping thoroughfare in central Nicosia, Cyprus, which links North Nicosia, the part of the city under the control of the ''de facto'' Northern Cyprus, and ...
* Onasagorou Street
Onasagorou Street is a major shopping street in central Nicosia that runs from Eleftheria square to Faneromeni School. It has been a fashionable shopping street since the 19th century and is currently the home of many high-priced fashion shops ...
* Rigenis Street
Rigenis Street ( el, οδός Ρηγαίνης}· ''Rigainis Street'') is a shopping street in central Nicosia that runs from Ledra Street to Solomos Square. It was the busiest street in Nicosia during the British Colonial period in Cyprus after ...
References
{{coord missing, Cyprus Streets in Nicosia Border crossings of Cyprus Border crossings of divided cities