A Hero’s Square and the Heroines Within

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Urban space is tactile and meaningful because of social context and content. The essence of an urban enclave depends on how fluidity and uses adjust spatially and socially in its broader context, and on how the physical space is activated by people’s choreography within. Human activity in urban space is purposeful and political, where the latter establishes the rules of engagement through relationships of power. This paper explores the socio-spatial form of an urban square and its evolution from contested territory to a site of resistance, and then to a contemporary public space characterized ostensibly by social equality and inclusion. The Square’s Greek name is transliterated into English as Heroon Square, which means Square of the Heroes, as it commemorates Cypriot men who died in the Second World War. Over the span of a century, the site evolved from private property to a cultural hub, before becoming the city’s red-light district. and then transitioning again in its current state as a rejuvenated, vibrant, urban space of mixed uses. The particular transformation from red-light district to an area of thriving economic activity signifies a shift in women’s place, from ‘prostitute’ serving men’s desires, to worker and colleague, revealing a complex relation between women’s socially sanctioned role and urban functions. The study explores the Square’s past through historiographic accounts, examines architectonic remnants that reveal past uses, and analyses the area’s present form through a series of onsite investigations. Thus, a layered history is constructed, elucidating the fascinating story of the women of Heroon Square, a.k.a. Heroes’ Square, and weaving a narrative of women’s agency within the processes of urban democracy.