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Moniatis is a village of the Troodos mountain range, approximately five kilometers southeast of Pano Platres and thirty kilometers northwest of the city of Limassol. The villagers of Moniatis claim that the village took its name from the many “mantres” (sheepfold) that existed during the time when the village was founded (www.moniatis.com). In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Elmalı, meaning “place with apples.” 

 

As can be seen in the above chart, the village had a mixed population from the Ottoman period. In 1831 the population percentage of the village was evenly shared by both communities. Throughout the British period, while the Greek Cypriot population increased steadily, the Turkish Cypriot population declined. The Turkish Cypriot proportion of the population decreased from 46% in 1891 to 25% in 1960.

Displacement:

Although many Turkish Cypriots left the village between 1946 and 1960, the first conflict-related displacement took place in December 1963. After the outburst of intercommunal strife in December 1963, all the Turkish Cypriots fled the village in early 1964 and sought refuge in the Limassol(269) enclave. Some went back to the village after 1968, and Richard Patrick recorded 10 Turkish Cypriots living in the village in 1971. The rest remained in Limassol(269), and after the island’s division either fled or were transferred to the north by August 1975. The total number of displaced Turkish Cypriots from Moniatis/Elmalı can be estimated to be 100-110 (90 in the 1960 census). According to the village’s web site there are still three Turkish Cypriots currently living in the village (www.moniatis.com).

Current Inhabitants:

Currently the village is mainly inhabited by its original Greek Cypriot villagers. There are also some displaced Greek Cypriots who were given empty Turkish Cypriot houses on a temporary basis. The last Cypriot census of 2001 put the total population at 227.  

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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)