VATILI

Click Here for Map

Vatyli, or Vatili, is a village in the Famagusta district, located in the Mesaoria/Mesarya plain, five kilometers north of Lysi/Akdoğan village. The village was apparently named after Stephano Vatyli, a feudal lord of the Latin period whose land covered the area where the village now stands. Since the Ottoman period, Turkish Cypriots have used the name Vadili, a Turkish variation of the original name that also happens to have the meaning “with a valley.” They kept the village’s name after 1974.
 
 
Historical Population:

As can be seen from the chart above, Vatili was always a mixed village. Although Greek Cypriots constituted the majority during the British period, Muslims were the majority in 1831. Over the course of the twentieth century, the Greek Cypriot proportion of the population increased steadily from 58% in 1891 to 69% in 1946. In 1960, Greek Cypriots constituted almost 73% of the population.

Displacement:

There was no displacement during the events of 1963-4. However, all of Vatili’s Greek Cypriot inhabitants were displaced in August 1974, as they fled 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 Vatyli are scattered throughout the island’s south. The displaced population of Vatili can be estimated at around 2,300, since its Greek Cypriot population was 2,250 in 1973.

Current Inhabitants:

Currently, Vatili/Vadili is mainly inhabited by its original Turkish Cypriot villagers and displaced Turkish Cypriots from various villages in the south. However, during 1976 and 1977, apart from its original inhabitants and displaced persons from the south, the village was also used for the settlement of some persons from Turkey, mainly from Adana and Konya provinces. The 2006 Turkish Cypriot census puts the total population of the village at 2,117.  

 
REFERENCES
 
Books and Reports:


Websites:



Print