The high altitude of the Skortokefalos site near the Onufrio River made it difficult for local residents to access the river to irrigate their livestock. The construction of a level road was extremely challenging and costly. For this reason, they devised a road with a zigzag pattern to level out the terrain. And henceforth it was known as Zig Zag Skortokefalou Road.
The park has been designated a national forest park in order to preserve and make use of its important ecological, scientific, hydrological, and recreational functions and benefits. A National Forest Park Development Plan will be sought and put into effect for this reason.
Here is the present situation:
There are three picnic spots with tables, water, parking, restrooms, and playground equipment at the park.
Nature paths: There are a total of 5 trails in the park’s vicinity, and they cover a distance of 19 km. One of these trails has been created with wheelchair users in mind. There are informational markers along every route that outline the key sites of interest.
Mountain biking is practiced on a variety of forest parks’ bicycle paths.
The copper mines of the Tamasou region have been known for three thousand years, ever since the Kingdom of Tamasou was founded in the eighth century B.C. and became a due to the mining and trafficking of copper. 1951 marks the beginning of the reactivation of the Company under the name EME. Current-day drilling platforms are used to conduct research. The underground mining of the mines commences in 1953. Later on, miners’ disease was identified and claimed the lives of many young males.
The underground output of the mines was time-restricted. According to the last surviving miners, one of the Kapedes mines in the location “Kotshinovounaros” was once the source of gold extraction. The mine was decommissioned in 1928. Copper and iron pyrite were uncovered after many years of digging in the mine lake. They excavated the ground to construct a massive amphitheatre basin. It grew larger and larger over time, until the day the tinder ceased striking the copper. The mine was abandoned by the Hellenic Mining Company, its proprietor.
Georgios Zachariou: At 22 years old, he defied death. He was the first casualty of the bloody events of December 1963; he was killed battling in Taktakalla (Agios Kassianos).
Andreas Prodromou: The Turkish insurgents murdered him in cold blood between Analionta and Markio in the “Spanahi” region.
Kyriakos Neokleous: On July 23, 1974, a plane was shot down by hostile fire between Nicosia Airport and Gerolakkos.
Kostas Kapsalis: On 15 July 1947, the military leadership at the time directed and participated in the operation against the President. He was killed by friendly fire during the subsequent combat.
The expansion of the community necessitated the establishment of a location where children could play games alongside their urban counterparts. The Community Council therefore resolved in 2014 to construct a park with a futsal court and an outdoor gym. The community’s youth then painted the walls.
Since then, every day the park is filled with the sounds of children playing alongside their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
Grigoris Auxentiou was born in the community of Lysi between Nicosia and Famagusta on February 22, 1928. On January 20, 1955, Auxentiou met for the first time with Griva, the leader of the EOKA. (National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters), to whom he gave the speech of his Military Honour rather than the established E.O.K.A. oath. He then joined the struggle against the British. After being betrayed, the British were informed of his concealment place near Machaira on March 3, 1957. They surrounded the refuge with vehicles and helicopters, doused it with petrol and set it on fire. His charred body was interred on March 4 at the Central Prisons of Nicosia, in what is now known as “The Imprisoned Memorials”
The mountain “Helidonia” is located west of the village, on the banks of the river Gialia. At its base and across from it are the ruins of an ancient settlement, where, according to legend, the first Kapedes settlement existed. According to legend, this community was abandoned after a pandemic epidemic wiped out its inhabitants. Kyriakos Kakoullis asserts that the region was inhabited until 1850. According to testimony, a fatal epidemic came out during this time period, and the surviving inhabitants fled far away to avoid it. As part of the Machairas Management Plan, the Department of Forestry has begun restoring the village’s ruins.
In the past, the village fountains provided water for people to consume and wash their clothes, but also for shepherds and farmers to use in their work.
The skurka region is situated on carpeted land at the outset of the community. In the past, stone processing byproducts were deposited there for copper collection. Existing community furnaces were used for processing. There was a sizable “mountain” of skin residue that had accumulated over time.
Since the company that processed the skurka used the residues for road maintenance, there is only a limited quantity of skurka remaining.
The village of Kapedes is filled with marvellous and alluring sites. It is difficult to determine whether natural, historical, or religious attractions would be more beneficial. Due to the abundance of fascinating places to visit, however, it is possible for the average traveller to experience every aspect of the town.