On November 4, the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Nikander, one of the disciples of the Apostle Titus. On this day, the church of the same name, which is located on the borders of our metropolitan region and is administratively and functionally under the parish of Sotiras, celebrates.
According to Athanasios Sakellarios, Agios Nikandros was a sharer of the monastery of Agia Napa. As the property of the monastery in question, it is mentioned in the Land Code of the Holy Archdiocese of Cyprus.
Near Agios Nikandros there is a ruined ancient aqueduct, while the spring that came out of some rock has today dried up. On old maps the forest of Agios Nikandros is marked and it is assumed that the area received its name from an old temple dedicated to Agios Nikandros, the ruins of which were there until the period of the national liberation struggle of EOKA. In this area, the militants built a large and safe hideout.
The current chapel was built by the Blessed Pavlos Pavlakis, Regional Head of Famagusta, as a treasure from its rescue in the 2000s, while in the basement of the church there is a relevant exhibition of archival material about the EOKA struggle that refers to that hideout.
On the eve of the feast, Friday, November 3, the solemn Vespers was celebrated. It was preceded by a torchlight procession by the band of the Catechetical Synagogues Sotiras "Bearers of Christ" and the Sotiras Reserve Commando Club from Sotiros Square to the chapel. This was followed by a trisago by Archimandrite Georgios Ioannou in memory of the fighters who acted in the region of the same name during the period of the fight at the monument to all fallen fighters. The next day, the Solemn Divine Liturgy was celebrated.
