Markos Drakou Monument

Markos Drakos was born in Lefka in 1932 and studied at the Samuel School. He was one of the first called to fight in the National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA), which fought against British colonialism.

On the 1st of April, 1955, the official day of the battle, Drakos took part in the blasting of the radio station. He was also assigned to coordinate the attack on the Nicosia Central Police Station. On September 23 of that year, along with fifteen comrades, he managed to escape from the fort of Kyrenia, where he was imprisoned by the British.

The militant fighter participated in a series of imprisonments against the British, as well as in the historical battle of Solon, in which, despite being hurt, he managed to escape.

On the rainy evening of the 18th of January, 1957, Markos Drakos and his fellow couriers headed to Evrychou. In the Sklinitzia area, Drakos and the rest of his group fell into a British ambush. At that time, Drakos, while trying to cover his comrades to escape, was subjected to deadly bursts of British guns.

At this point a marble statue was set up and the Greek flag was placed. The ecumenical Community Council was commissioned to build the monument. On the monument there is the inscription: ‘ΕΠΕΣΕ ΜΑΧΟΜΕΝΟΣ ΥΠΕΡ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ 18.1.1957’ (HERE HE FELL IN BATTLE FOR THE FREEDOM OF CYPRUS 18.1.1957).

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