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Kofinou is a large village situated in the Larnaca district, two kilometers northeast of Agios Theodoros village. It is located on the old Nicosia-Limassol highway. It used to be two twin villages called Kato Kofinou and Pano Kofinou. Kofinou means “cane/wicker basket” in Greek. Until 1958, the Turkish Cypriot alternative name of the village was Köfünye. However, in 1958, they adopted another alternative name, Geçitkale, literally meaning “fortress of the passageway” in Turkish 

 

As can be seen in the above chart, although there was a small Greek Cypriot community living in the village, Kofinou was predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots from the Ottoman period. Throughout the British period, the population of the village increased significantly, rising from 477 persons in 1891 to 728 in 1960. The majority of the village’s Greek Cypriot population left in the 1950s, so that by 1960 only eighteen Greek Cypriots remained in the village.

Displacement:

In 1963 and 1964 the village served as an important reception center for displaced Turkish Cypriots who had evacuated their villages. Richard Patrick recorded 330 displaced Turkish Cypriots still living in the village in 1971, the majority of whom had fled from Lefkara(362) village. There were also some displaced Turkish Cypriots from other villages such as Pyrga/Çamlıbel(372), Anafotida(349), Anglisides(350) and Agia Anna(345). The village also served as the military headquarters of the sub-region of the Larnaca enclave. In September 1974, most of the Turkish Cypriots from the village fled to the Turkish-controlled north of the island. Many also sought refuge in the Dhekelia British Sovereign Base Area until they were resettled in the north. The remaining Turkish Cypriots were evacuated by UNFICYP in August 1975. Most of the Turkish Cypriots of Kofinou were resettled in Lefkoniko(162) village in the Famagusta district, renaming it Geçitkale after the Turkish alternative name of Kofinou. The total number of the Turkish Cypriot displaced persons (excluding other persons who sought refuge there in 1964) from this village is estimated to be around 750-760 (710 in 1960).

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the village is inhabited by displaced Greek Cypriot families from the north. The 2001 census puts the village’s population at 1,311.

  

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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)