LAKATAMEIA PANO

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Lakatameia is a suburb of Nicosia with a separate municipality. Officially the town emerged from two different villages: Pano (Upper) and Kato (Lower) Lakatamia. Unlike Kato Lakatameia, Pano Lakatameia was always solely inhabited by Greek Cypriots. Its name originates from the Greek "alakatia," i.e., wells, which were apparently abundant in the old village.
 
 
Historical Population:

From the Ottoman period to the present day, the village has been inhabited exclusively by Greek Cypriots. Throughout the British period, the population steadily increased, from 260 in 1891 to 929 in 1960.

Displacement:

At the end of the 1974 war, Lakatameia became an important reception center for displaced Greek Cypriots arriving from the north. Substantial refugee housing was developed in the area, with the largest development in Anthoupolis. In 1982, this latter refugee housing establishment alone was home to 4,708 refugees.

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the village is mainly inhabited by its original Greek Cypriot villagers and displaced Greek Cypriots who moved there in 1974 from their villages throughout north Cyprus. According to the Lakatamia municipality, the displaced families were housed in state refugee settlements or obtained accommodation under private self-housing schemes. This, in combination with the general trend of villagers living near the capital to move to the Nicosia suburbs, resulted in a population explosion that changed Lakatameia from a village to a city. The last census of 2001 put the total population of the village (both Kato and Pano Lakatameia) at 28,477. The municipality website offers a more up-to-date estimation of the population, placing it at least 40,000.   


 
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