AGIA VARVARA

Click Here for Map

Agia Varvara is a village in the Paphos district, located ten kilometers southeast of Paphos (Ktima) and three kilometers northwest of Anarita. Agia Varvara means “Saint Barbara” in Greek. Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name of Engindere in 1958. It literally means “vast stream.” 
 
Historical Population:

As may be seen from the chart above, the village was a mixed one, with a Turkish Cypriot majority until 1974. During the British period, the population of the village constantly fluctuated. In 1960 the Turkish Cypriot inhabitants of the village constituted almost 57% of the total population of the village. This percentage was 71% in 1891.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the emergency years of the 1950s. The first displacement took place during the intercommunal fighting of 1963-64. During this period eight Greek Cypriot families out of thirteen fled the village and sought refuge in nearby Greek Cypriot villages. Some Turkish Cypriots also left the village in March 1966. According to Richard Patrick, some shooting incidents among the villagers and the intervention of the Greek Cypriot police caused tension. As a result of this friction, about one-half of both communities left the village. There were only 72 Turkish Cypriots and 36 Greek Cypriots living in the village in 1971.

All the Turkish Cypriots left the village after 1974, and the village was evacuated in two different phases. Some left secretly to the Turkish-controlled north, while those unable to leave were eventually escorted by UNFICYP on 30 August 1975 to the northern part of the divide. They were mainly resettled in the villages of Karavas/Alsancak(226), Trachoni/Demirhan(099) and Pentageia/Yeşilyurt(084), and the towns of Famagusta(140) and Morphou(072). The number of the Agia Varvara Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 150 (130 in 1960).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriot part of Agia Varvara/Engindere was partially used for settlement of displaced Greek Cypriots from north of the divide. Currently the village is mainly inhabited by its own villagers. The 2001 census recorded only 46 people living there.  


 
REFERENCES
 
Books and Reports:


Websites:



Print