Lythrangomi

Lythrangomi
village
Λυθράγκωμη (Greek) Boltaşlı (Turkish)
Panagia Kanakaria
Panagia Kanakaria
Lythrangomi is located in Cyprus
Lythrangomi
Lythrangomi
Location in Cyprus
Coordinates: 35°28′36″N 34°10′1″E / 35.47667°N 34.16694°E / 35.47667; 34.16694
Country (de jure) Cyprus
 • DistrictFamagusta District
Country (de facto) Northern Cyprus[1]
 • Districtİskele District
Government
 • MukhtarSefer Mani
Population
 (2011)[2]
 • Total228
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Lythrangomi (Greek: Λυθράγκωμη) or Boltaşlı (in Turkish) is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located on the Karpass Peninsula east of Leonarisso. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus.

The origin of the name Lythrangkomi is uncertain. One suggestion is that it means “erythra komi” (Greek: red village). The Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Boltasli, meaning “many rocks”, in 1958.[3]

Until the Turkish invasion of Cyrus in 1974, Lythrangkomi was a mixed village. There was a Turkish/Moslem majority in 1891, when the village had 103 Turkish Cypriots and 89 Greek Cypriots (including 5 at the monastery of Panagia Kanakaria).[4] Ten years later there were 80 Turks and 111 Greeks.[5] After this, the Greek proportion grew, but the village remained mixed with a significant presence of both groups. In 1960 there were 105 Turks and 170 Greeks.[6]

Easterly view showing mosque, as seen from the grounds of Panayia Kanakaria

After the invasion, most Greek Cypriots stayed and were enclaved in the village. There were 150 in October 1975.[3] But by December 1976, there only remained three elderly Greek Cypriots.[7] The original Turkish Cypriot villagers remained. Apart from these, there are settlers from Erbaa in the province of Tokat, inland of the Black Sea coast of Turkey. This village population in 2011 was 228, a drop from 266 in 2006.[2]

  1. ^ In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus unilaterally declared independence from the Republic of Cyprus. The de facto state is not recognised by any UN state except Turkey.
  2. ^ a b KKTC 2011 Nüfus ve Konut Sayımı [Northern Cyprus 2011 Population and Housing Census] (PDF), Northern Cyprus State Planning Organization, 6 August 2013, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2013
  3. ^ a b An Historical Toponymy of Cyprus, by Jack Goodwin, 2 vols., publ, MAM, Nicosia 1984-1985
  4. ^ Census of Cyprus 1891, printed by Eyre & Spottiswoode, London, 1893
  5. ^ Census of Cyprus 1901, publ. Government printing office, Nicosia, Cyprus, 1901
  6. ^ Census of Population and Agriculture 1960, pub.Printing Office of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1960; Vol.1, Table IV
  7. ^ PRIO web site www.prio-cyprus-displacement.net/default.asp?id=596 retrieved Aug 2018