EKGOMI

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Engomi, or Ekgomi, is a village located in the Famagusta district, only two miles southwest of Salamis settlement and four miles northwest of the city of Famagusta. Ekgomi derives from the words “nea komi,” meaning “new village” in ancient Greek. In 1975, Turkish Cypriots changed the name to Tuzla, after the home village of those displaced Turkish Cypriots who were resettled there. The name Tuzla means “saline” and was originally the name of a suburb west of Larnaca(361) and near the salt lake.
 
 
Historical Population:

As can be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831 Christians (Greek Cypriots) constituted the only inhabitants of the village. Throughout the British period the village was predominantly inhabited by Greek Cypriots. Its population steadily increased from 210 in 1891 to 667 in 1960.

Displacement:

All of the village’s inhabitants were displaced in 1974. Most fled between July and August of that year from the advancing Turkish army to the southern part of the island. Currently, like the rest of the displaced Greek Cypriots, the Greek Cypriots of Ekgomi are scattered throughout the island’s south, with large pockets in towns. The number of the Ekgomi Greek Cypriots who were displaced in 1974 was around 830 (822 in the 1973 census).

Current Inhabitants:

Initially the village was populated by displaced Turkish Cypriots from the Tuzla neighborhood in the Larnaca(361) town. In 1976 and 1977, some Turkish nationals also settled in the village, mainly deriving from Adana and Trabzon provinces. The growth of the city of Famagusta over the past ten years significantly affected the village, as it became increasingly incorporated as a suburb of the city. As a result, it has experienced both a construction and a population boom. The 2006 census puts the village’s population at 1,877, more than double the figure of 702 given in the 1996 census.  

 
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