PETRA TOU DIGENI

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Petra tou Digeni is a Turkish Cypriot village situated in the northwest Mesaoria/Mesarya Plain, eight kilometers east of Kythrea/Değirmenlik and three kilometers south of Kalyvakia/Kalavaç. The village was named after Digenis Akritas, who according to one legend defended the island against the Arab raids, even though he was himself half-Arab. Turkish Cypriots always called the village Yeniceköy. The Ottoman census of 1831 recorded the village’s name as Yenice so it is not clear when the name Petra tou Digeni was adopted by Greek Cypriots
 
 
 
Historical Population:

In the 1831 Ottoman census, Muslims (Turkish Cypriots) constituted the sole inhabitants of the village. Although the village remained predominantly inhabited by Muslims (Turkish Cypriots), there was a Greek Cypriot family living there in 1911 and 1921. The village’s population increased steadily from 86 in 1891 to 263 in 1960.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the intercommunal strife of the 1960s. However, during this period, the village served as a temporary reception center for displaced Turkish Cypriots who had fled from nearby villages. According to Richard Patrick, in 1971 there were no displaced Turkish Cypriots residing in the village.

Current Inhabitants:

It is currently inhabited only by its original villagers. The last Turkish Cypriot census of 2006 put the village’s population at 401.  


 
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