Timi is a village located in the Paphos district, ten kilometers southeast of the town of Paphos (Ktima) and three kilometers northwest of Mandria. The name may derive from the Greek word timi, which means “honor,” or other relatives of this word meaning “true” or “honest.” In 1958 Turkish Cypriots adopted the name Ovalık, meaning “open plain.”
Until 1964, Timi was a mixed village with a Greek Cypriot majority. As may be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians (Greek Cypriots) constituted almost 61% of the population. This ratio increased to 69% in 1891, almost fifteen years after the British arrived. By 1946, the Greek Cypriot proportion of the population was still 69%. In 1960, the Greek Cypriot proportion of the village dropped to 65%.
Displacement:
The first temporary displacement took place in June 1958, after many Greek Cypriots from nearby villages such as Anarita(291) and Nata intimidated the Turkish Cypriots of Timi village. All the frightened villagers sought refuge in the Turkish sector of Mandria(322) village, and remained there for three months until the British administration established a police station in Timi, when they returned to their homes. In January 1964, the Timi Turkish Cypriots again left their homes for the relative safety of Mandria(322), but this time, they were persuaded to return to Timi after only two days.
During the 1974 war, Greek Cypriot forces captured the Turkish quarter of Timi after a short exchange of fire. All the fighting age males were arrested and sent to the Geroskipou POW camp. After 66 days of confinement they were exchanged with Greek Cypriot POWs and sent to the island’s north, by then under Turkish control. During their captivity, some of the remaining villagers fled and sought refuge in the Akrotiri Sovereign British Base Area. They were transferred to the north via Turkey in January 1975. The 117 persons who had stayed in Timi were eventually evacuated to the north under UNFICYP escort on 16 August 1975. The Turkish Cypriots from Timi were mainly settled in Karavas/Alsancak(226) and Lapithos/Lapta(237) villages, although some families were also settled in other villages and towns in the north. The number of displaced Timi Turkish Cypriots may be estimated to have been around 230 (220 in the 1973 census).
Current Inhabitants:
The village is currently occupied by its original Greek Cypriots inhabitants and a number of displaced Greek Cypriots from the north, who were settled in Timi’s Turkish Cypriot quarter. The 2001 census put the village’s population at 899.
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