DIORIOS

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Diorios is a village in the Kyrenia district located thirteen miles northwest of the capital city of Nicosia and only one mile west of Myrtou/Çamlıbel. The origin of the name of the village is obscure. Until recently, it was called Yorghios by Greek Cypriots and Yorgoz by Turkish Cypriots. Goodwin suggests that the name may have derived from the words “dyo oros,” meaning “between two mountains” in ancient Greek. Turkish Cypriots changed the name to Tepebaşı in 1975, meaning “top of the hill.”
 
 
Historical Population:

As can be seen from the chart above, Diorios was always a mixed village, and Greek Cypriots always constituted the majority. In the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians constituted almost 60% of the population. This percentage increased slightly during the first half of the 20th century (65% in 1946). However, by 1960, when the island gained independence, the Greek Cypriot percentage of the population had further increased to almost 77 % of the village total.

Displacement:

Due to intercommunal strife, in January 1964, all the Turkish Cypriots (approximately 160) from this village fled and took refuge in Agirda/Ağırdağ(211), Fota/Dağyolu(221), Kambyli/Hisarköy(224) and Ortaköy(080) in Nicosia and stayed in those locations until 1974 when they were relocated back to their village.

The displacement of all the Greek Cypriots from this village took place in 1974, when all of the Greek Cypriots of Diorios fled from the advancing Turkish army in July and August and sought refuge in the south. Currently the Greek Cypriots of Diorios are scattered throughout the island’s south. The number of the Greek Cypriots from this village who were displaced in 1974 was around 500 (495 in the1973 census).

Current Inhabitants:

Apart from the original Turkish Cypriots of Diorios who returned in 1974, there are also some Turkish nationals from Samsun province of northwest Turkey who settled in the village in the late 1970s. The 2006 census puts the village’s population at 427.  


 
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