Ayios Dhometios
| Ayios Dhometios | |
|---|---|
 Ayios Dhometios
|
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| Coordinates: 35°11′0″N 33°20′0″E / 35.18333°N 33.33333°ECoordinates: 35°11′0″N 33°20′0″E / 35.18333°N 33.33333°E | |
| Country |
 Cyprus
|
| District | Nicosia District |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dr. Kostas Petrou |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 12,456 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Website | http://www.dad.org.cy/ |
Ayios Dhometios (Greek: Άγιος Δομέτιος or Άη Δεμέτης; Turkish: Aydemet) is a suburb located west of the Cypriot capital Nicosia. It has a population of 12,456 (2011 census) making it one of Cyprus' biggest municipalities.
Since 2003 and the opening of the border, Ayios Dhometios is the site of the islands most important checkpoint in Cyprus, through which thousands of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots pass over the line every day.
Ayios Dhometios, has existed since ancient times as a small village, located 4 kilometres west of Nicosia. Mention of Ayios Dhometios comes from as early as the Franks era. The town is named after St. Dometios who originated from Persia in the 4th century AD and who became Christian later in his life. He lived in a cave in Mesopotamia and converted many people into Christianity. Roman Emperor Ioulianos accused Dhometios of tricking people, so Dhometios answered the Emperor that all of these harmless people visit him freely and he cannot just send them away. Ioulianos felt offended by his answer and ordered his death. Dhometios was stoned to death at 362 AD. The church of Ayios Dhometios was built in the 17th century and is dedicated to the Saint. It's built on a small hill and is one of the town's main attractions.
The parish of Ayios Pavlos is located around the church of Saint Paul. The Ayios Dhometios junior high school is also located in Ayios Pavlos.
Ayios Dhometios has been a municipality since 1986 and the mayor is elected directly by the people in mayor elections that take place every five years. The elections of December 17, 2006 saw mayor Dr. Andreas Hadjiloizou get re-elected into office. He was elected into office in 1996 and re-elected in 2001. Mr Costas Petrou is the current mayor after defeating Dr. Andreas Hadjiloizou in the December 2011 elections.
The opening of the buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the 'Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' in April 2003 set up debate about opening some additional checkpoints both for cars and on foot along the Green Line. One of the areas selected was the end of Demokratias avenue in Ayios Dhometios. Finally, an agreement was reached and in late April 2004 both sides started separate works building a road and placing control buildings. On May 23, 2004 the checkpoint opened to the public, and on the first day thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots, on both sides passed through the check point. Since then, Ayios Dhometios has become the main passing point for vehicles, with thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots passing through every day.
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Wikipedia