Koloni is a village located six kilometers southeast of Paphos (Ktima) and immediately southeast of Geroskipou. Koloni means “small column” in Greek. In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Yolüstü, meaning “situated on the road.” The village is indeed located on the old Paphos-Limassol highway.
As may be seen from the above chart, Koloni was predominantly inhabited by Turkish Cypriots from the Ottoman period. During the British period, the population of the village increased from 48 in 1891 to 101 in 1960. There were a couple of Greek Cypriot families living in the village until the 1950s.
Displacement:
No one was displaced from this village either during the emergency years of the 1950s or during the intercommunal strife of 1963-64. Although the village was not organized as a Turkish Cypriot enclave with Fighters guarding it, it still served as a reception center for some displaced Turkish Cypriot families who had fled the villages of Pano Archimandrita(293) and Geroskipou(306). The majority of the displaced Turkish Cypriots who had taken refuge in Koloni remained there until 1975. Richard Patrick recorded 48 displaced Turkish Cypriots living in Koloni/Yolüstü in 1971. He also noted that the total population of the village in that same year was 160.
Following the division of the island in 1974, most of the inhabitants attempted to flee over the mountains to the northern part of the divide but were caught by the Greek Cypriot police and brought back to the village. On 5 September 1975, all 115 villagers were evacuated under the escort of UNFICYP and transferred to the northern part of the divide. They were mainly resettled in Karavas/Alsancak(226).
Current Inhabitants:
After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, Koloni/Yolüstü village was used for the settlement of displaced Greek Cypriots who had fled from the north. The 2001 census put the village’s population at 254.
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