the Αgios Antonios church

Η εκκλησία του Αγίου Αντωνίου

Κιμέτ Αλίμπεϊ: Είμαι η Κιμέτ. Το όνομαν του παπά μου εν Ενβέρ. Λεμεσόν. Είμαι που την Λεμεσόν. Εγεννήθηκα στην οδόν Αγίου Αντωνίου στην Λεμεσόν. Το έτος 1944. Ο αριθμός του σπιθκιού μου ήταν 13.

Κατ’ ακρίβειαν, οι παλιές μου αναμνήσεις ήταν που επήαινα στην θάλασσα, επειδή το σπίτιν μου ήταν κοντά στην εκκλησία του Άι-Αντώνη. Τζ̆αι ξέρεις τζ̆είν’ τον μαχαλλά. Εμεγάλωσα τζ̆ειαμαί με Έλληνες. Δίπλα που τους Έλληνες είσ̆εν έναν πολλά παλιό κτίριο, τζ̆ειαμαί στον μαχαλλά, με τοίχους που τούβλα που εχώριζαν τα σπίθκια. Τζ̆αι ήμουν σε τζ̆είνον το σπίτιν. Εμεινίσκαμεν τζ̆ειαμαί με την θεία μου. Η θεία μου είσ̆εν τρία δωμάτια τζ̆αι η μάνα μου είσ̆εν άλλα τρία δωμάτια στον ίδιον διάδρομο. Τζ̆’ έτσι εκάμναμεν φασαρία ούλλα τα κοπελλούθκια. Τζ̆αι δίπλα μας ήταν ο παπάς, ο ιερέας της εκκλησίας με την οικογένεια του. Τζ̆’ ως τα δέκα μας επαίζαμεν με τα μωρά του. Ήμασταν ούλλα μαζίν ανακατωμένα. Εμοιραζούμασταν τα πάντα. Είσ̆εν έναν μεγάλον δέντρο στο τέλος του δρόμου τζ̆’ επαίζαμεν τζ̆ειαμαί χωστό μαζίν με τα ελληνούθκια. Τζ̆αι ξαφνικά ούλλα άλλαξαν.

Κοντά στον Άι-Αντώνη, τωρά τζ̆ειαμαί εν’ η Μαρίνα; Ξέρεις, ο μαχαλλάς ήταν πολλά κοντά στην θάλασσα. Τζ̆’ επηαίνναμεν τζ̆ειαμαί με τα μαγιό μας ακόμα τζ̆’ όταν ήμασταν 15 ή 17, εβάλλαμεν τα μαγιό μας τζ̆’ επηαίνναμεν στην θάλασσα. Ήταν πολλά κοντά, επερπατούσαμεν. Τζ̆αι η αποθήκη ήταν επίσης τζ̆ειαμαί. Η αποθήκη, το τελωνείον. Το τελωνείον. Εβάλλαμεν τα φορτία όταν έρκουνταν οι βάρκες. Είσ̆εν έναν μακρύ πράμαν τζ̆αι οι βάρκες δεν εμπορούσαν να έρτουν. Το πλοίον δεν εμπορούσεν να κοντέψει. Ελαλούσαμεν το μαούνα. τζ̆αι ο παπάς μου ήταν μαουνιέρης, ένας που τζ̆είνους. Εδούλευκε τζ̆ειαμαί. Εντάξει; Έφερναν τα φορτία. Ως τζ̆αι οι επιβάτες έτσι έφευκαν, έρκουνταν τα μεγάλα κρουαζιερόπλοια. Έρκουνταν τα κρουαζιερόπλοια τζ̆αι οι επιβάτες επήαινναν με τες βάρκες τζ̆ειαμαί. Έτσι τζ̆είνον τον τζ̆αιρόν τζ̆αι μετά που εμεγαλώσαμεν λλίον, ο παπάς μου άρχισε να μας φωνάζει, «Βάλτε κάτι πάνω σας γιατί έχει άντρες που δουλεύκουν τζ̆ειαμαί τζ̆’ εσείς πάτε με τα μαγιό σας.» Εβρίσκαμεν τον μπελά μας.

Θθυμούμαι την παιδική μου ηλικία. Είσ̆εν μέσα ωραία βότσαλα. Η άμμος εν ήταν πολλά καθαρή. Αλλά ήταν η αγαπημένη μας θάλασσα. Ξέρεις, επερνούσαμεν τζ̆ειαμαί ούλλη την ημέραν, ακόμα τζ̆αι το πρωίν. Επαίρναμεν μαζίν μας έναν μεγάλον μαστραππά γεμάτον νερόν τζ̆αι λλίον χαλλούμι μέσα, έναν άσπρον ρούχον που πάνω τζ̆αι το πιάτον ανοιχτό, τζ̆’ επέρναμεν το στην θάλασσα. Εβάλλαμεν το μέσα. Επεριμέναμεν τα ψαρούθκια να έρτουν τζ̆’ εκλείναμεν το έτσι. Επαίρναμεν το σπίτιν. Η μάνα μου ετηγάνιζε μας τα για πρόγευμαν. Τούτα ήταν τα καλλίτερα. Τζ̆αι τον χειμώνα - ο παπάς μου είσ̆εν μια μιτσ̆ιά βαρκούα, ψαρόβαρκα. Τον χειμώνα έβαζε την βάρκα στον κήπον μας. Το καλοκαίρι, την άννοιξη, επήαιννε τζ̆’ έπιαννεν μας ψάρια. Ήταν όπως την σοκολάτα. Τζ̆αι μετά εμεγάλωσα.

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Φεριχά Τσαγκίν: Α, τα σαββατοκυρίακα… Οι γείτονες μας εφορούσαν τα καλά τους, εθαύμαζα τα πολλά. Επηαίνναν στην εκκλησία. Φυσικά, στην εκκλησία έψαλλαν ύμνους. Κάποιες φορές εζητούσα που τον παπά μου την άδειαν. «Παπά, άφησ’ με να πάω τζ̆’ εγώ!» επαρακαλούσα τον. «Εντάξει, κόρη μου, πήαιννε!» ελαλούσεν μου. Φυσικά τζ̆’ εμπιστευκούμασταν τους. Οι γείτονες μας ήταν όπως τα αδέρφκια μας. Εννοώ πως είχαμεν υπέροχες αναμνήσεις μαζίν τους. Τζ̆αι θθυμούμαι που επήαιννα στην εκκλησία. Θθυμούμαι τους να ψάλλουν ούλλοι μαζίν. Ποττέ δεν θα ξεχάσω τα υπέροχα ρούχα τους. Τούτη εν ακόμα μια που τες αναμνήσεις μου. Επηαίνναμεν στην εκκλησία του Αγιαντόν… Την εκκλησία του Αγιαντόν.

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Ερτάν Ντεμιράγ: Νναι, τζ̆αι για παράδειγμαν… Ο παππούς μου τζ̆αι η γιαγιά μου… Υπάρχει μια περιοχή Τσερκέζ Τσιφλίκ (Τσιφλικούθκια) στην Λεμεσόν. Τζ̆ειαμαί στο Τσερκέζ Τσιφτλίκ ενοικίασαν πρώτα έναν σπίτιν. Εμετακόμισαν τζ̆ειαμαί. Τζ̆ειαμαί ενοικίασαν μια φάρμα τζ̆’ έκαμναν αγροτικές δουλειές. Τζ̆αι μετά, βλέπεις, επήαμεν τζ̆’ εμείς τζ̆ειαμαί. Τζ̆αι ξέρεις, μετά τα γεγονότα του 1955… Η γειτονιά του Αγιαντόν ήταν μικτή γειτονιά. Τούρκοι, Έλληνες, ήταν μια μικτή γειτονιά, επειδή έχει μιαν εκκλησία τζ̆ειαμαί, την εκκλησία του Αγιαντόν. Όταν οι Έλληνες έφυαν που την γειτονιά… Οι Τούρκοι εμετακόμισαν στην γειτονιά, εννοώντας στα σπίθκια που είχαν αφήσει οι Έλληνες που έφυαν γύρω στο 1955. Στην γειτονιά.. Τζ̆’ εν έτσι που εγκατασταθήκαμεν.

Πού εμείνισκα; Στο σοκάκιν Σεχίτ Φαΐκ Καχίτ Σουρούριν... Αριθμός 44. Το σπίτιν που εμεινίσκαμεν… Πρέπει να το αναφέρω τούτον - εννοώ πως.. Τον τόπον που έφταναν τα φορτία στο λιμάνι της Λεμεσού. Υπήρχαν αποθήκες, σταθμοί… Μόνον έναν ττέλι μας εχώριζε που τούτες τες αποθήκες. Τζ̆αι οι Βρετανοί είχαν έναν πράμαν… Οι Βρετανοί στρατιώτες είχαν έναν μιτσίν στρατόπεδρο δίπλα που το λιμάνι.

Η γειτονιά μας; Γεννικά, ο κόσμος που εμείνισκε στην γειτονιά μας, οι πιο πολλοί ήταν ψαράδες. Μερικοί που τζ̆είνους ήταν ψαράδες… Ήταν μερικοί που είχαν μπακάλικα. Τέλος, ήταν έναν πράμαν δίπλα που την εκκλησία… Κάτι σουβλάκια... Τζ̆ειαμαί που ήμασταν, είσ̆εν θκυο-τρεις ταβέρνες: την ταβέρνα Αγορά, την ταβέρνα του Σαλίχ Νταγί τζ̆αι την ταβέρνα του Οσμάν Νταγί. Ελαλούσαμεν τον, ο κουτσός Οσμάν, είσ̆εν μια ταβέρνα. Έτσι, στην γειτονιά μας ήταν έναν μέρος για να φάεις τζ̆αι να πιεις. Είσ̆εν ανθρώπους που εδούλευκαν ψαράδες. Κάποιοι που τζ̆είνους εδούλευκαν στην ελληνική πλευρά του λιμανιού. Λιμενεργάτες… Μερικοί εδούλευκαν σε ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις. Εννοώ πώς έτσι ήταν οι σχέσεις μας στην Λεμεσόν! Εννοώ ότι δεν είχαμεν που τζ̆είνα τα «Μεν δουλεύκεις στην ελληνική πλευρά!» Ούλλοι εδούλευκαν. Οι Έλληνες… Δεν υπήρχε σύνορο για εμάς. Για παράδειγμαν, θθυμούμαι τα ψάρκα που εψάρευκαν οι ψαράδες. Είσ̆εν έναν Ελληνοκύπριο έμπορο; Τον Θεόδωρο. Τζ̆είνος ο άνθρωπος… Ήξερεν τζ̆αι πολλά καλά τουρκικά. Κάθε πρωίν έρκετουν στην γειτονιά, επερίμενεν να φτάσουν οι ψαράδες, έπιαννεν τα ψάρκα, όσες οκάδες τζ̆αι να ήταν, έγραφε τα τζ̆’ επλήρωνε όσα τζ̆αι να εστοίχιζαν.

Ayandon (Αgios Antonios) kilisesi

KIYMET ALİBEY: Ben, Kıymet. Babamın adı Enver. Limasol- Leymosun’luyum. Leymosun’da, Agios Antonios sokağında doğdum. 1944 yılında. Kapı numaramız 13’tü, orda.

Aslında, en eski hatıralarım denize gitmekdi, çünkü evimiz Agios Antonios kilisesine çok yakındı. O mahalleyi bilin. Orda büyüdüm, Rumlarnan. Rumlarnan yan yana. Çok eski bir binaydı, ordaki mahalle, daş duvarlar evleri ayırırdı. Ben da bu evdeydim. Deyzeymnan yaşardık. Deyzem üç oda kullanırdı, annem da diğer üç odayı kullanırdı, aynı havlıda, anladın? İşte, çocuklarnan yaramazlık yapmaya başladık. Yan gomşumuz da bilin ya, popazdı, kilisenin popazıydı ve ailesiynan galırdı. Ve biz, on yaşımıza gadar onun çocuklarıynan oynadık. Hep garışıkdık. O zamana gadar her şeyi paylaşırdık. Yolun sonunda gocaman bir ağaç vardı ve onun altında saklambaç oynardık hep birlikte, bütün Rum çocuklarıynan. Ondan sonra, ansızın, her şey değişdi. Agios Antonios’e yakın, şimdi Marinadır hani? Bilin, mahalle denize çok yakındı. Mayolarımızı giyerdik, 15-17 yaşımızda bile, mayolarımızı giyerdik ve denize giderdik. Çok yakındı, yürüme mesafesinde. Ve depo da ordaydı. Depo, gümrük binası. Malları orda dutarlardı gemiler geleceğinde. Uzun bir şey vardı, çünkü gemiler yanaşamazdı. Yakına gelemezlerdi. Mavna derdik. Ve babam da mavnaydı, onlardan biriydi. Orda işlerdi. Tamam? Malları getirirlerdi. Yolcular da ordan giderdi, büyük tur gemileri gelirdi. Tur gemileri geldiğine, yolcuları ordan tekneynan götürürlerdi. O zamanlar ve biraz daha büyüdüğümüzde, babam bize bağırmaya başladıydı, “Üstünüze bişey geyin, çünkü orda çalışan adamlar var ve mayoynan geçersiniz ordan.” Biraz sorun olurdu bize. Çocukluğumu hatırlarım. Güzel daşlar vardı orda. Gum çok da temiz değildi. Ama bizim biricik denizimizdi. Anladın ya, bütün günü orda geçirirdik, sabahları bile. Gocaman, su dolu bir maşrapa götürürdük, içinde hellim olurdu. Üstüne da beyaz tülbent geçirirdik. Ve tabağı açardık ve denize götürürdük. Goyardık oraya. Balıkların gelmesini beklerdik, gücük balıkların gelmesini sonra da böyle kapatırdık gendilerini. Eve götürürdük. Annem da bize kahvaltı için balık gızartırdı. Hep böyle şeylerdi. Kışın da babamın güçük bir teknesi vardı, balıkçı teknesi. Kışın, tekneyi bahçede dutardı. Yazın, ya da ilkbaharda da açılırdı ve bizim için balık dutardı. Böyle bir çocukluk. Sonra da büyüdük.

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FERİHA ÇAĞIN: Haa, hafta sonları… komşular hep giyinirlerdi, süslenirlerdi, ben onlara çok özenirdim. Kiliseye giderlerdi. Onların kilisede, tabii, şarkılar söylenirdi. Hatta bazan ben da babamdan izin alırdım. “Baba, n’olur ben de gideyim!” derdim. “Tamam, kızım, git!” derdi. E, güveniyorduk tabii. Komşularımız bizim kardeşlerimiz gibiydiler… Yani, çok güzel anılarımız vardı. Ve kiliseye gittiğimi hatırlıyorum. Orda, hep beraber şarkı söylediklerini, güzel güzel giyindiklerini unutamıyorum. Yani, anılarımdan biri de bu… Ayandon Kilisesi’ne gitmiştik… Ayandon Kilisesi.

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ERTAN DEMİRAĞ: Evet, şey, mesela… Dedeminan nenem … Limasol’da Çiftlikler bölgesi var. Çiftlikler bölgesinde, ev kiraladılar ilk. Oraya daşındılar. Orda bahçe kiraladılar ve bahçecilik yaparlardı. Ondan sonra, işte, biz da geldik. E bilin bu 1955 olaylarından sonra… Ayandon mahallesi garışık bir mahalleydi. Türk-Rum garışığıdı, çünkü orda, şey, kilise var, Ayandon Kilisesi. Rumlar gaçınca mahalleden... mahalleye Türkler yerleşti, yani, bizim galdığımız evler ‘55’lerde terk eden Rumların evleriydi… mahallede… Ve öylece yerleştik.

Nerde yaşardım? Şehit Faik Cahit Sururi Sokak… 44 numara. Galdığımız evi… söyleyim… bu, Limasol Limanı’na gelen malların ambarları, depoları vardı… Tam o depoların… bir tel ayırırdı bizi. İngiliz’in da şeyi vardı…İngiliz askerlerinin da… eski limanın yanında küçük bir kampı vardı.

Mahallemiz? Genelde, bizim mahallede kalan insanlar…çoğu balıkçılıkla… bir kısmı balıkçılık yapardı…eee… Bakkalı olan vardı. Son, kilisenin yanında … şey açıldıydı, bir dönerci restoran… Bizim olduğumuz tarafda, iki üç dane meyhane varıdı: Agora Meyhanesi, Salih Dayı’nın Meyhanesi, bir da Osman Dayı vardı. Topal Osman derdik, onun meyhanesi vardı. Yani, bizim mahalle yeme içme yeriydi… Balıkçılıkla uğraşanlar vardı. Bir kısmı, Rum tarafında, limanda çalışan vardı, liman işçisi… Bir kısmı Rum işyerlerinde çalışırdı. E, bizim ilişkiler Limasol’da, öyleydi! Yani bizde yoğudu…e işte… “Rum’da çalışma!” Herkes çalışırdı. Rum’un… sınır diye bir olay yoğudu bizde. Mesela, ben hatırlarım, balıkçıların topladığı balıkları. Rum bir gamat varıdı. Theodoros. O adam… Güzel da Türkçe bilirdi. Her gün, sabahdan, mahalleye gelir, beklerdi balıkçılar gelsin, alırdı balıkları, kaç kilo-okkaysa…yazardı, parasını verirdi.

KIYMET ALIBEY: I'm Kiymet. My father's name is Enver. Limassol… I'm from Limassol. I was born in Agios Antonios street in Limassol. In the year 1944. My house number was 13 there.

Actually, my old memories are going to the sea now because my house was near Agios Antonios’ church. And you know that mahalla. I was grown up there with Greek. Next to the Greek. it was a very old building, mahalla there, with brick walls separating the houses. And I was this house. We are living with my auntie. My auntie used three rooms and my mother used another three rooms in the same, you know, avli (courtyard)? So, we start making trouble with children. And next door, you know, he was the papa, the priest of the church with his family. And we used to play with his children also until ten years old. We were all mixed. Until we used to share everything. There was a big tree at the end of the road and we used to play under there playing hide and seek, all with the Greek children. And then all of a sudden everything changed.

Near Agios Antonios, now that is Marina? You know, the mahalla was very close to the sea. And we used to put our swimsuits even when we were like 15 or 17, we used to put our swimsuit and go to the sea. Very close, walking distance. And the warehouse was there also. The warehouse, the custom house. The custom house. We used to put their goods when the boats were coming. There was a long thing that the boats could not come. The ship could not come near. We called it mauna (barge). And my father was a ‘mauna’ (barge porter), one of them. Working in there. Okay? They used to bring the goods. Even the passengers used to go, the big cruisers used to come. Cruisers used to come and they used to go by boat to there. So, during that time and then when we were a little bit older, my father started shouting us, “Put something on you because the men were working there and now, you're crossing it with the swimsuits.” We had so trouble. I remember my childhood. They were nice stones in it. It wasn't a very clean sand. But it was our beloved sea. You know, we used to stay all day, even in the morning. We used to take a big maşrapa (tin jug). Full of water and some halloumi cheese inside. A white cloth on top. And the plate open and take it to the sea. Put it there. Waiting the fish to come, little fish to come, and close it like that. Take it home. My mother used to fry for us for breakfast. That was all the things. And in winter, my father has a small boat, fishing boat. In winter he used to take the boat to our garden. In summer, in spring he used to go and catch fish for us. It was this kind of childhood? And then I grow.

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FERIHA CAGIN: Ah, during the weekends… Our neighbours used to dress up in fancy clothes, I used to admire them a lot. They would go to church. Of course, at church they would sing songs. In fact, sometimes I would ask my father for permission. “Dad, please let me go as well!” I would plead with him. “Okay, my daughter, go!” he would tell me. And of course, we trusted them. Our neighbours were like our brothers and sisters… I mean, we had lovely memories together. And I remember going to church. I remember them singing all together. I’ll never forget the wonderful outfits they used to wear. This is another one of my memories. We went to Ayandon (Agios Antonis) Church… Ayandon Church.

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ERTAN DEMIRAG: Yeah, and, for example… My grandfather and grandmother… There’s a Ciflik mahalla (Tsiflikoudia) in Limassol. In the Ciflik area, they first rented a house there. They moved there. There, they rented a farm, and they would do farming. And later on, you see, we came there as well. And, you know, after the whole 1955 incidents… Τhe Ayandon neighborhood was a mixed neighborhood. Turks, Greeks, it was a mixed neighborhood, because there’s a church there, Ayandon Church. When the Greeks left the neighborhood... The Turks moved into the neighborhood, meaning the houses that we lived in were the houses of Greeks who had left around 1955. In the neighborhood… And that’s how we settled in.

Where I lived? Sehit Faik Cahit Sururi sokak… Number 44. The house we were staying in… I’ll tell you… Where goods used to arrive in Limassol Port. There were warehouses, depots… Only a single wire-fence separated us from those warehouses. And the British had a thing… The British soldiers had a little camp next to the port.

Our neighbourhood? Generally, the people living in our neighbourhood, most of them were fishermen. Some of them were fishermen, eehm… There were some who had convenience stores. At the end, there was a thing next to the church… A doner restaurant… Where we were, there were two or three meyhanes (taverns): Agora Meyhane, Salih Dayı’s Meyhane, and there was Osman Dayı. We used to call him Topal Osman, he had a meyhane. So, in our neighbourhood it was a place to wine and dine… There were people working as fishermen. Some of them worked on the Greek side in the port. Dockers… Some worked in Greek owned businesses. I mean our relations in Limassol, that’s how it was! I mean, we didn’t have the whole “Don’t work in the Greek side!” Everyone used to work. The Greeks… There was no such thing as a border for us. For example, I remember the fish caught by the fishermen. There was a Greek Cypriot dealer. Theodoros. That man… He also knew Turkish very well. Every morning he would come to the neighbourhood, he would wait for the fishermen to arrive, he would take the fish, however many okkas it might be, he would write it and give whatever money it costed.