The Builder’s tools

The Builder’s tools

Building is one of the oldest professions still surviving to this day in Cyprus. Education in the ‘htistiji’, or construction work, began at a young age. Typically, following a decision by the father of the family, and given that no technical school existed at the time, a young man of around 11 or 12 years of age would drop out of school and begin his apprenticeship under a Master builder. The suburb of Kaimakli in Nicosia was in the past a centre of education for builders, as many young men from all over the island would arrive in the area as ‘tsirakkia’, or young apprentices, to learn from other Masters the arts of Building and Carpentry.

  • ‘Ramma’: A piece of string tied to the ‘lina’, used for the alignment of walls during construction.
  • ‘Vourni’ (Trough): A trough at the construction site into which clay was transferred for the builder to use.
  • ‘Mistri’ (Trowel): Used by the builder for the placement of clay and plinth during construction.
  • ‘Martelli’ (Hammer): Tool used for the heavy processing of stone in construction.
  • ‘Kouspi’ (Pick): Tool used for the light processing and marking of stones in construction.
  • ‘Martelli’ (Hammer): Tool used for the heavy processing of stone in construction.
  • ‘Kouspi’ (Pick): Tool used for the light processing and marking of stones in construction.
  • ‘Zigi’: Tool used to ‘weigh’ the walls during construction to make sure they are straight. Rounded ‘Trividi’ (Trowel): Used to apply and spread mortar or plaster on the walls of buildings.
  • ‘Faouta’: A long wooden instrument used to place clay on the walls for plastering.
  • ‘Malas’: A metal trowel used to spread limestone on the wall during plastering.
  • ‘Mistra’ (Plastering trowel): Used for smoothing of the plaster at the final stage of plastering.
  • ‘Maloui’: A tool used for the frames of houses and for plastering.
  • ‘Mastrakkas’ (Mallet): A type of mallet used to work hard stone. Also used for finetuned placement of marble tiles.
  • ‘Fadi’ (spirit level): Used during the levelling of the floor to ensure that it was perfectly horizontal throughout its surface.
  • The broken ‘Fadi’ and its history. This broken ‘fadi’ belonged to Panayis Magiras, who worked with a number of other builders in the construction of the Maronite church in Kormakitis. One day, the First Builder at the construction site went to check if the stone fitting work was proceeding correctly, when suddenly the ledge onto which he and another worker were standing collapsed, leading to their deaths. This ‘Fadi’ was broken under the stones as the two unlucky workmen were falling.