EVRETOU

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Evretou is a village located ten kilometers southeast of Polis and three kilometers northeast of Loukrounou. Goodwin suggests that Evretou means “place where something may be found” in Greek. Turkish Cypriot sources, however, claim that the name derives from the word evrima or evredi, which in Cypriot Greek means “hidden treasure.” In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Dereboyu, meaning “along the stream.”
 
 
Historical Population:

As may be seen from the chart above, Evretou/Dereboyu was a Turkish Cypriot village from the Ottoman period. Throughout the British period, the village’s population fluctuated constantly, but did not increase at all.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from this village during the emergency years of the 1950s, nor during the intercommunal fighting of 1963-64. However, the village received displaced Turkish Cypriots from the nearby village of Loukournou(318). Richard Patrick recorded 22 displaced Turkish Cypriots still residing in Evretou/Dereboyu village in 1971. He also put the total population at 164.

After 1974, all the villagers of Evretou and displaced persons who had taken refuge there fled to the north. This movement took place in two phases. In the first phase, almost 50 of the villagers fled secretly over the mountains to the Turkish-controlled north in late 1974 and early 1975. In the second phase 112 villagers were evacuated to the northern part of the divide under escort by UNFICYP on 3 September 1975. They were subsequently resettled in Assia/Paşaköy(131), Larnaka tis Lapithiou/Kozanköy(238), Dikomos/Dikmen(217), Kontea/Türkmenköy(156), Matrasyka/İncirli(169) Morphou/Güzelyurt(072) and Famagusta(140). The number of Evretou Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 140-150 (125 in 1960 census).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, the village was not inhabited. Meanwhile, due to its abandonment and looting, most of the houses of the village fell into ruin. The 2001 census recorded only 5 people living there.  


 
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