We approached Kato Arodes from the direction of Pano Arodes. This is the first building of prominence that we saw. It looks very "municipal". The grounds were very well maintained and I imagine it is still in use as something. We parked on the road near this building and explored the village on foot. We recommend you do the same.

According to the PRIO database, Kato Arodes had 432 residents, all of whom were TC. In 1976, that figure had dropped to 1. Later, in the 80s, Greek Cypriots displaced from the North settled, though their numbers dwindled by 2001.

Here is more info from the PRIO site, which is well worth browsing, by the way.

Kato (Lower) Arodes is one of the twin villages of Arodes located in the Paphos wine area Goodwin suggests that Arodes was named after the Greek island of Rhodes where the Hospitallers (who were then owners of the village) had their headquarters. Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name of Kalkanlı in 1958. It literally means “armed with a shield.”

Historical Population:

The Ottoman census of 1831 shows only one Arodes, and at that time the village was a mixed one. In the first British census, however, we see the division of Arodes into “upper” and “lower,” and Kato (“lower”) Arodes was predominantly inhabited by Muslims. During the British period, the population of the village increased steadily from 249 in 1891 to 432 in 1960.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the emergency years of the 1950s, nor during the intercommunal strife of 1963-64. However, the village served as a reception center for displaced Turkish Cypriots from the nearby villages such as Pano Arodes/Yukarı Kalkanlı(295). Most of the displaced persons stayed there until late 1964, when many returned to their village. Richard Patrick recorded only 11 displaced Turkish Cypriots still living in Kato Arodes/Aşağı Kalkanlı in 1971. He also noted that the total population of the village in that year was 475.

After the division of the island in 1974, the village was evacuated in two different phases. Some left secretly, travelling over the mountains to the Turkish-controlled north, taking a dangerous route in which one person died when he fell from a cliff. The remaining 316 persons were eventually escorted by UNFICYP on 20 August 1975 to the northern part of the divide. Goodwin claims that one Turkish Cypriot stayed behind. The villagers were mainly resettled in Kalo Chorio (Kapouti)/Kalkanlı(042), a village near Morphou/Güzelyurt in the north. Some also were resettled in Varosha/Maraş in Famagusta(140). The number of the Kato Arodes/Aşağı Kalkanlı Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 450-500 (432 in 1960 census).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, only a few displaced Greek Cypriots from the north settled in Kato Arodes/Kalkanlı in the late 1970s. According to Goodwin, in 1982, 54 of 67 remaining houses were empty and in ruins. The 2001 census recorded only 19 people living there.

As you will see, the village population must once again be on the rise, as there was definitely signs of life here when we visited.

This puzzled us. It was in front of the TC Building we have shown you in the last two pictures. Was it to help people load and unload items from a cart?