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Xerovounos was a village situated in the Tyllira region of the Nicosia district, situated on the northern slopes of the Troodos mountains. In 1918, many of its inhabitants began to move down the mountain to areas near the sea where the village of Limnitis/Yeşilırmak is situated. Currently, Xerovounos is counted as part of Limnitis and was renamed Yukarı Yeşilırmak, meaning “upper Yeşilırmak.” However, from 1958 until 1975, Turkish Cypriots used the alternative name Kurutepe, meaning “dry hill.” 

 

Xerovounos/Kurutepe was always predominantly inhabited by Muslims (Turkish Cypriots). Most of the current inhabitants of Limnitis/Yeşilırmak originally came from Xerovounos. During the first half of the twentieth century, the village’s population increased significantly from 293 in 1901 to 535 in 1946. However, a significant drop was subsequently recorded in 1960, from 535 to 256. This was due to the separate population count for the village of Limnitis/Yeşilırmak which until 1960 had been recorded as part of Xerovounos/Kurutepe.

Displacement:

Although none of the village’s Turkish Cypriots were displaced in the 1960s, during that period Xerovounos/Kurutepe and Limnitis/Yeşilırmak(061) together served as an important reception center for many Turkish Cypriot refugees who fled from nearby villages. Patrick also notes that there were 135 displaced persons still living in Xerovounos/Kurutepe in 1971.

Current Inhabitants:

Since 1974, Xerovounos/Kurutepe has been considered a neighborhood of Limnitis/Yeşilırmak(061) and during that period was renamed Yukarı Yeşilırmak. As a result, it is not possible to determine its population. The 2006 census put the Limnitis/Yeşilırmak(061) population at 410, including Xerovounos/Kurutepe.  

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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)