ASPROGIA

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Asprogia is a village situated in the southwest Troodos mountain range, seventeen kilometers southwest of Kykko monastery and immediately west of Pano Panagia. Asprogia means “white soil” in Greek. However, Goodwin suggests that the village was earlier called Aspro Panagia, meaning “White Virgin (meaning Mary, mother of God).” In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Aktepe, meaning “white hill.”
 
 
Historical Population:

As may be seen from the chart above, the ethnic ratio of the village changed frequently. For instance, according to the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians constituted the majority. However, British censuses in 1891 and 1901 showed that Muslims were in the majority. These proportions fluctuated until 1960, when the census in that year showed Greek Cypriots in the majority.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the emergency years of the 1950s. However, during the intercommunal fighting of 1963-64, all the Turkish Cypriots of the village fled the village on 7 February 1964 and sought refuge in Anadiou/Görmeli(290) village, subsequently staying there until 1974. Some also moved to the villages of Istinjon/Tabanlı(308) and Lapithiou/Bozalan(316).

After 1974, all the villagers of Asprogia/Aktepe, along with the inhabitants of the villages where they had sought refuge, fled to the other side of the divide. This movement took place in two phases. In the first phase, most of the villagers left secretly, travelling over the mountains to the Turkish-controlled north. In the second phase, the rest of the villagers were eventually escorted by UNFICYP on 1 September 1975 to the northern part of the divide. They were mainly resettled in Makrasyka/İncirli(169). Others were resettled in Lapithos/Lapta(237), Palaikythro/Balıkesir(081) and Varosha/Maraş in Famagusta(140). The number of Asprogia Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 120-130 (101 in 1960 census).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, the village continued to be inhabited by its original Greek Cypriot villagers. However, due to its abandonment, most of the Turkish Cypriot houses of the village fell into ruins. During the late 1970s, most of the Greek Cypriot inhabitants of the village also chose to migrate to the towns. The 2001 census recorded only 53 people living there.  


 
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