TERA

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Tera is a village located on the western foothills of the Troodos mountain range overlooking Chrysochou valley, eight kilometers south of Polis and one and a half kilometers northeast of Kritou Terra. The name likely derives from terra, meaning “land” in Latin. In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Çakırlar, meaning “blue-eyed persons.” 
 
Historical Population:

As may be seen from the chart above, Tera was a Turkish Cypriot village from the Ottoman period. Throughout the 20th century, the population of the village decreased steadily from 332 in 1901 to 252 in 1960.

Displacement:

No one was displaced from Tera during the emergency years of the 1950s, nor during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-64. However, the village received some displaced Turkish Cypriots, mainly from Kritou Terra(315), in January 1964. In 1971, Richard Patrick recorded 59 displaced Turkish Cypriots still living in the village.

On 22 July 1974, the village surrendered to Greek Cypriot forces after the Turkish sector of Polis did the same. However, after a ceasefire was declared in August of that year, many Fighters and villagers fled the village, travelling over the mountains to the island’s north, by then under Turkish control. The 192 persons who remained in Tera were evacuated to the north under UNFICYP escort on 12 August 1975. Many of them were resettled in Larnaka tis Lapithiou/Kozan(238). Others chose to be resettled in the towns of Famagusta(140), Kyrenia(236) and Lefka/Lefke(060), or the villages of Argaki/Akçay(020), Zodeia/Bostancı(047) and Kythrea/Değirmenlik(056). The number of Tera/Çakırlar Turkish Cypriots who were displaced after 1974 was around 280 (252 in the 1960 census).

Current Inhabitants:

After the departure of the Turkish Cypriots, the village was used for the settlement of some displaced Greek Cypriots from the north, as well as other ordinary citizens. The 2001 census recorded 19 persons residing there. However, most of the village is not inhabited and is now in ruin.  


 
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