“ Occupied Towns, Displaced Municipalities” curated by Dr. Savvas Kokkinos. Translated in English.

226 Pages·2017·10.66 MB·English

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M U N I C I P A L I T I E S
K y r e n i a
L a p i t h o s
K a r a v a s
K y t h r e a
M o r p h o u
L y s i
L e f k o n i k o
A k a n t h o u
F a m a g u s t a
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Occupied Towns/
Displaced Municipalities
o f t h e R e p u b l i c o f C y p r u s :
a B r i e f H i s t o r i c a l R e v i e w
Written and researched by
Savvas Th. Kokkinos
Dr Modern History, Bse Political Science and
Public Administration
N I C O S I A 2 0 1 2
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ISBN: 978-9963-2816-2-6
© COMMITTEE OF CYPRUS OCCUPIED MUNICIPALITIES (UNION OF CYPRUS MUNICIPALITIES),2012 NICOSIA
Writing: Dr Savvas Kokkinos
Photographs provided by the stated photographers/organisations
Photographs of the Antiquities Department published with permission of the director of the Antiquities
Department
All rights reserved
The content of this work may not be reproduced, publicly disseminated, broadcast, translated, adapted or otherwise
modified, in whole or in part, without written permission
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“The house where I was born, even if strangers tread on it,
there it stands, haunted, like a soul, inviting
and waiting for me”.
COSTIS PALAMAS
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Κyrenia
Αkanthou
Lapithos ? Κaravas ? ?
Lefkoniko
Κythrea ?
Morphou
Famagusta
? Lysi
Map of Cyprus showing the nine occupied cities of the displaced municipalities.
Area under Turkish-Military Occcupation
Cease-fire line
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GREETING BY MR. ALEXIS GALANOS, PRESIDENT
OF THE OCCUPIED MUNICIPALITIES COMMITTEE
It is with profound emotion and sincere satisfaction that I welcome the publication of this book,
which brings to life images and memories from our occupied land.
Regrettably, the consequences of the 1974 Turkish invasion, the partition of the island and the
uprooting of thousands of inhabitants, are still being felt today. Hundreds of people are missing;
the refugees have lost their property while basic human rights such as freedom of movement and
settlement are openly violated. Even now, Turkey and the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime continue
to methodically plunder Cyprus European cultural heritage in the Turkish-occupied area, which
deeply affects everyone. Churches are desecrated, religious icons are destroyed, ancient relics are
smuggled, archaeological sites are illegally excavated and schools are left in ruin.
The nine occupied municipalities of Cyprus, who witnessed the capture of their land and their
citizens’ dispersal all over Cyprus, are still experiencing the consequences of the tragic events of
1974.Famagusta, Kyrenia, Morphou, Lysi, Lapithos, Kythrea, Karavas, Lefkoniko and Akanthou are
temporarily housed in the free areas of Cyprus struggling to keep their memories alive and the
longing for return to their homeland.
The nine refugee municipalities are ambassadors for the tragedy suffered by the Cypriot people.
They are the link between the older generation who experienced both joy and sorrow and
survived the bitterness and uprooting from their homeland and the younger generation who
have never seen their parents’ and grandparents’ villages. This publication brings to life the
accounts of those who were born and raised, lived and toiled in the occupied cities and towns.
Furthermore, it provides indisputable evidence of the long history of Cyprus civilization, it
rekindles our memories and conveys our deep sorrow. The nine occupied municipalities
strive to maintain the bonds of their displaced residents as well as the bonds we all have with
our occupied land.
It is my hope that this year will be the very last one when these nine municipalities are absent
from their land while approximately 37% of Cyprus land remains under Turkish military occu-
pation. I hope that next year our occupied village and city church bells will ring out festively.
I hope that the rest of the people of Cyprus will realize that the occupied municipalities are not
only struggling to return to their homeland, but also for the survival of Cyprus as a whole.
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On the land that bore us shall we stand tall
as wind-swept trees,
battered by the rains, yet holding firm
preparing their fruit on their branches.
On the land that bore us shall we stand tall
cherishing the memory of those who came
before,
and holding dear those who shall come
and with divine serenity deep within us.
Nikos Kranidiotis
“Studies”, 1951
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NOTE BY THE OCCUPIED MUNICIPALITIES COMMITTEE
"Occupied towns – Displaced Municipalities of the Republic of Cyprus" is the title of the book
which the Committee of the Occupied Municipalities has undertaken to publish.
The goal of this publication is a review of historical facts on the nine occupied towns of the
Republic of Cyprus and their displaced municipalities, informing the public about the tragic
consequences of the Turkish invasion of 1974, strengthening the common consciousness and
preserving the memory of our occupied places.
We consider that this publication constitutes a valuable source of information for the younger
generations, a valuable tool to raise awareness of the work of the occupied municipalities, and a
testament to concerted efforts for a return to our homeland, to our ancestral homes under
conditions of real liberty, democracy, security and dignity. The displaced municipalities shall keep
fighting for the achievement of their goal.
It is noted that the order of the occupied towns and the displaced municipalities has been laid
out according to the progression of the Turkish invasion of 1974. It is an approach that gives this
book coherence and momentum.
The Committee of the Occupied Municipalities wishes to convey its warm thanks to those who
helped in shaping this book. It wishes to express its genuine appreciation for the collaboration
of Dr. Savvas Kokkinos, who collected valuable information, material from the archives of our
municipalities and from other historical sources and who undertook the compilation of this book.
The photographic material was provided by the Press and Information Office, the Antiquities
Department, the Byzantine Museum, the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation , the Museum of
Folklore Art of the Society of Cypriot Studies, the various archives of the nine occupied
municipalities, as well as various friends and colleagues who are cited in this publication. We
warmly thank them for providing this material.
Sincere thanks also go to the manager of "En Tipis Publications" Voula Kokkinou, for her
devotion and her hard work in bringing this publication to fruition.
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INTRODUCTION
Cyprus, a Mediterranean island, is at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa.
Discoveries of prehistoric sites in the Aetokremou-Akrotiri area confirm that it was inhabited at the end
of the 10th millennium B.C. Alasia, Aspelia, Kerastia, Sfikia Aerie, Halkoessa, Ourania and Kyprida were
some of the terms used to describe the island in antiquity. Because of its location as well as its natural
resources and the creative civilization of its inhabitants, Cyprus was a target for successive superpowers.
It was raided or conquered by the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Arabs, Crusaders, Francs,
Venetians, Turks and British, but it never betrayed its Greek soul. Since it was a trade center and
crossroads where people of different origins converged, Cyprus became a melting pot for a number of
different civilizations, developing a unique culture, which superseded its size.
Mycenaean merchants in Engomi and Palaipaphos (Kouklia) as well as Greek god temples are testimony
to the presence of Greeks in Cyprus prior to the Trojan War. Kinyras from Kilikia was the founder-king
of Palaipaphos and also the priest of the Temple of Aphrodite (according to Marianus Scotus, 200 years
before the Trojan War). Kinyrashosted Agamemnon and presented him with the renowned breast
plate. The Greek identity of the island was reinforced by the arrival of the Achaeans around 1200
B.C., after the end of the Trojan War. Cities / kingdoms were founded all over the country by Achaean
commanders, marking their arrival in Cyprus. Agapinoras settled on the west coast of the island at
Maa-Palaiokastro, and later moved to Palaipafos. The Argives built Curium. The Dryopes from Kythnos
island and Golgos founded Asini and Golgous (near modern Athienou), respectively. Amathos, Aerios’s
son, founded Amathus. Akamantas founded Akamantida and his father Faliros founded Aipeia, which
was later renamed Soloi by king Phylokypros. Chytros, Akamantas’s grandson, founded Chytrous
(near modern Kythrea). Tefkros Telamonios, Aiakides’s son and Ajax's half-brother founded Salamina near
Engomi, in memory of his birthplace Salamina island. The Achaean general Kifeas founded Kyrenia in
memory of his homeland Achaean Kyrenia. Praxandros from Lakonia founded Lapithos. These settlements
transformed and expanded continuously.
The Greeks' new presence prevailed politically and culturally all over Cyprus. It boosted the island's Greek
character, endowing it with a uniform civilization, language and religion. This branch of Hellenism was
alluded to by Homer, while the adventures and dreams of its inhabitants were accounted for in ancient
Greek mythology/history. Despite being enslaved several times by different conquerors, the aforemen-
tioned cities/kingdoms retained their names throughout the centuries. Cyprus, likewise, retained the name
that Homer reported in the Iliad for the first time. Some of these cities/kingdoms or their successor
cities formed the modern municipalities of the Republic of Cyprus. There is irrefutable evidence that the
occupied cities as well as Cyprus as a whole have a common Greek identity. Archaeological findings,
Greek inscriptions, Greek monuments, Greek fables and traditions, ancient statues or mosaics depicting
Greek gods, preserved ancient Greek texts with relevant references and other literary sources attest to
that. Furthermore, the existence of Greek customs and traditions, the Greek language, the Greek-
Orthodox religion and in general the Greek culture on the island from the dawn of history is testament
to that. All this confirms that the native population of the whole island is Greek and that the culture it
developed superseded the boundaries of place and time, thus validating its historical continuity.
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