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TRAKHONAS/KIZILBASH

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Trakhonas, Kızılbash or Kızılay, is a suburb of the city of Nicosia. Before 1974, it was located on the north edge of the capital city. According to Goodwin, Trakhonas means “rough and stony place” in Cypriot Greek. Kizilbash (Kızılbaş), on the other hand, literally means “red head.” Kızılbash was also the name of certain Alawite tribes of Anatolia. Some Turkish Cypriot historians believe that the current location of Trakhonas had once been used as a settlement for these Alawite tribes. During the Ottoman period, Trakhonas was called Kızılbaş. However, in 1975 the Turkish Cypriot leadership changed the name from Kızılbaş to Kızılay, perhaps because of the associations of the name Kızılbaş with a “heretical” branch of Islam that was not consonant with the Sunni Islam affiliated with Turkish nationalism. In addition, during the 1970s the Alawite communities of Turkey were very active in leftist movements. Kızılay means “red crescent.”

 
Historical Population:

At least since 1831 Trakhonas/Kızılay has been predominantly inhabited by Greek Cypriots. In the 1940s, with the development of new settlements such as Gelibolu, Turkish Cypriots started to move into the vicinity of Trakhonas. Sometime after 1946, Turkish Cypriots began to settle in the village, as well. In 1960 there were 921 Turkish Cypriots living in Trakhonas/Kızılay (including the Gelibolu neighborhood). Trakhonas became part of the Nicosia municipality in 1968.

Displacement:

The first conflict-related displacement took place during the intercommunal disturbances of 1964. Most of the Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of Trakhonas/Kızılay (apart from Gelibolu) fled the village in January and moved to the Turkish Cypriot-controlled part of Nicosia(074). Some went back to live in their houses (especially those near the Turkish Cypriot-controlled part of the city) in 1968, but the majority stayed where they had sought refuge.

All the Greek Cypriots from this village were displaced in July and August 1974, fleeing from the advancing Turkish army. Currently, like the rest of the displaced Greek Cypriots, the Greek Cypriots of Trakhonas are scattered throughout the island’s south, with large pockets in towns. The number of the Trakhonas Greek Cypriots who were displaced in 1974 was around 2,500 (2,361 in 1960).

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the village is mainly inhabited by its original Turkish Cypriot inhabitants and displaced Turkish Cypriots who moved there after the1974 war. Many families of “martyrs,” or what the Turkish Cypriots call those who died in the intercommunal fighting, were given houses in this neighborhood. Many of the displaced Turkish Cypriots from Omorfita(077) of 1963 also live in Trakhonas/Kızılay.  


 
REFERENCES
 
Books and Reports:
  • Colonial Office (1893), “Cyprus: Report on the census of Cyprus, taken 6th April 1891,” Mediterranean, No. 39. London: Colonial Office.
  • Department of Statitstics and Research, 1997. Estimates of Turkish Cypriots and Settlers from Turkey, Ministry of Finance [Republic of Cyprus], Nicosia.
  • Fehmi, Hasan (2003), “Güney’de Kalan Değerlerimiz,” Lefkoşa (Nicosia): Özyay Matbaacılık.
  • Fellahoğlu, Esat (2010), “Ulusal Direnişte Baf Köyleri,” İstanbul: Bayrak Matbaacılık.
  • Giray, Halil: KKTC Yerleşim Birimleri, Yürürlükteki ve Eski İsimler Listesi KKTC İskân Bakanlığı : KKTC Coğrafi İsimler Kataloğu : (Cilt – I and II), Lefkoşa.
  • Goodwin, Jack C. (1984), “An Historical Toponymy of Cyprus (Forth edition),” Nicosia (copy number 6).
  • Hart-Davis, C. H (1922), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1921, taken on the 24th April, 1921,” London: Waterlow & Sons.
  • Hart-Davis, C. H (1932), “Report of the Census of 1931,” Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
  • Hatay, Mete, (2005). “Beyond Numbers: An Inquiery into the Political Integration of the Turkish ‘Settlers’ in Northern Cyprus,” PRIO/Cyprus Centre Report  4/2005, Nicosia/Oslo, PRIO.
  • Hill, Sir George, (1952). A History of Cyprus, Vol. IV., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  • Ioannides, Christos P., 1991. “In Turkey’s Image: The Transformation of Occupied Cyprus into a Turkish Province,” Aristide D. Caratzas, New York.
  • KKTC Başbakanlık Devlet Planlama Örgütü Müsteşarlığı, “15 Aralık 1996 Genel Nüfus Sayımı Sonuçları (Özet), 26, November 1997,” Nicosia.
  • Mavrogordato, Alexander (1901), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1901, taken on the 1st April, 1901,” Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
  • Mavrogordato, Alexander (1912), “Report and general abstracts of the census of 1911, taken on the 2nd April, 1911,” London:  Waterlow & Sons.
  • Menardos, Simos (2001), Τοπωνημικαι και Λαογραφικαι Μελεται (Topographical and Folkloric Studies), Nicosia: Centre for Scientific Studies
    Perry, Frederic W., 1884. Report on the Census of Cyprus 1881, Eyre and Spottiswoode, London.
  • Republic of Cyprus, 1961. “Census of Population and Agriculture, 1960: Volume I: Population by Location, Race, and Sex,” Nicosia
  • TRNC 2006 census preliminary results can be found at:  www.devplan.org
    TRNC Prime Ministry State Planning Organisation Statistics and Research Department, Census of Population: Social and Economic Characteristics of Population, December 15, 1996, TRNC Prime Ministry, Nicosia, 1999.
  • Standing Cypriot Commission for the Standardization of Geographical Names (2007), “Οδηγος Τυποποιησης Ονοματων (Guide to Standardized Names),” Nicosia: Ministry of Education and Culture.
  • Ministry of Finance (1973), “Micro-Census (April 1973) Population by Village and Ethnic Group, Volume I.” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research.
  • Özad, Murat Hüsnü (2002), “Baf ve Mücadele Yılları,” Lefkoşa (Nicosia): Akdeniz Haber Ajansı Yayınları.
  • Patrick, Richard (1976), “Political Geography and the Cyprus Conflict: 1963-1971,” Department of Geography, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo.
  • Percival, D.A. (1949), “Census of population and agriculture 1946 report,” Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
  • Republic of Cyprus (1962), “Census of population and agriculture, 1960,” Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
  • Republic of Cyprus (1984), “Census of population 1982,” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research, Ministry of Finance.
  • Republic of Cyprus (2003), “Census of population 2001,” Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research, Ministry of Finance.
  • St John-Jones, L. W., 1983. “The Population of Cyprus: Demographic Trends and  Socio-Economic Influences” (with a foreword by W. H. Morris-Jones), Maurice  Temple, Smith Limited, London.
  • T.C. Başbakanlık Devlet Arşivleri Genel Müdürlüğü (2000), “Osmanlı İdaresinde Kıbrıs (Nüfus-Arazi Dağılımı ve Türk Vakıfları),” Ankara: Osmanlı Arşivi Daire Başkanlığı Yayın No: 43.
  • Yorgancıoğlu,  Oğuz: Kıbrıs’ta Türkçe Yer Adları ve Veriliş Yöntemleri Üzerine Bir Araştırma Kıbrıs Araştırmaları Dergisi, Cilt : 2, Sayı : 3, Yıl : 96


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