The old primary school building, the Epitaphios kept in the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, and one of the five funerary masks found in the cemetery of Síndos offer three distinct cultural-historical perspectives. Together, they lead from architectural and educational history to a tradition connected with the settlement of refugees from Adana, and to the craftsmanship involved in making an archaeological find. For travelers considering Sindos as a place to stay, these perspectives create a clearly defined cultural focus: historical details can be understood through their concrete connections to buildings, the history of remembrance, and archaeological finds.

The old primary school building

The old primary school building of Síndos was built in 1932 on the site of Hamdi Bey’s three-story konaki and first began operating in 1934–1935. The dates mark different stages: 1932 refers to its construction, and 1934–1935 to the start of operations. This distinction separates the building’s history from its first use, while the reference to the konaki identifies the earlier building on the same site. In 2008, the exterior of the old primary school building was designated a monument. This date therefore refers not to its construction or the start of operations, but to the designation of the building’s exterior.

The Epitaphios and remembrance

The Epitaphios in the Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Síndos offers a different historical perspective; it is still kept there today. After many refugees from Adana settled in Síndos, the Epitaphios was brought there, fulfilling the wish of its donor, Polyxeni. This story links a specific change in the population with the Epitaphios’s journey to its current place of safekeeping and the donor’s intention. Unlike the school building, whose dates mark its construction and first period of operation, the focus here is on the tradition surrounding the settlement, transfer, and donor’s wish. For travelers interested in culture, this offers another way to explore Síndos: not through a building’s construction dates, but through a story tied to the object and where it is kept.

A funerary mask from Síndos

The archaeological perspective is reflected in five funerary masks found in the cemetery of Síndos. One of these five masks was made from a thick sheet of gold, hammered over a wooden form; an additional sheet shaped the nose. The total refers to the finds in the cemetery, while the detailed information about the goldwork concerns just one mask. The sequence of gold sheet, wooden form, and separately shaped nose makes the process of manufacture tangible without treating the five finds as identical. Here, the focus is on the working of a specific archaeological find, while the Epitaphios is viewed through the tradition surrounding its donor, and the school building through its construction and use.

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