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Charkeia, or Kharcha, is situated on the northern slopes of the Kyrenia mountain range, two miles southwest of Agios Amvrosios/Esentepe. It was always a Greek Cypriot dominated village, though there were some Turkish Cypriot families living there until 1921. According to Goodwin, the name is a corrupted version of Khalkia which means “copper workshops” in Greek. In 1976 Turkish Cypriots changed its name to Karaağaç, meaning “black tree.” This name was brought by the displaced Turkish Cypriot from Pelathousa(330) who were resettled there in September 1975. Karaağaç was the Turkish name of Pelathousa(330). 

 

As can be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831, Muslims constituted almost 40% of the population. Approximately ten years after the beginning of the British administration in the island, this number fell to 13.8%. In 1921 only one Turkish Cypriot was living in the village. In 1960, when the island gained independence, apart from two Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots constituted the sole inhabitants of the village.

Displacement:

Due to intercommunal strife, in January 1964 the two remaining Turkish Cypriots fled the village and took refuge in the village of Kornokipos/Görneç(157).

The displacement of all the Greek Cypriots from this village took place in 1974, when all of the Charkeia Greek Cypriots fled from the advancing Turkish army in July and sought refuge in the south. Currently the Greek Cypriots of Charkeia are scattered throughout the island’s south. The estimated number of the Greek Cypriots from this village who were displaced in 1974 was around 560 (553 in the 1973 census).

Current Inhabitants:

Following the displacement of the Greek Cypriot inhabitants of the village in 1974, the village was repopulated by displaced Turkish Cypriots from Pelathousa/Karaağaç(157), a village in the Paphos district. During the last ten years, many European citizens have bought property in the vicinity of the village. The 2006 census puts the village’s de jure population at 264. However, this number increases in certain holiday months due to the new holiday homes that have been built near the village, and also because of the large numbers of Charkeia/Karaağaç villagers who work and normally live in the cities but keep their houses in the village.

  

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Websites:

• http://www.cyprus-village.com/ (for the villages)
• http://news.karpasha.com/
• http://human-rights-archaeology.blogspot.com/
• http://kypros.org/Occupied_Cyprus/ (for the villages in the north)