Agirda
According to Hill (1948), Agirda was formerly called Agridi, a place where the famous “Battle of Agridi” took place in 1232. The Battle of Agridi was fought on 15 June 1232 between the forces loyal to Henry I of Cyprus (such as those of the Ibelin family) and the imperial army of Frederick II, composed mostly of men from Lombardy. It resulted in an Ibelin victory and the successful relief of the siege of Dieudamour [Saint Hilarion], an Ibelin castle on Cyprus. The battle is mentioned by Novare, Amadi, Florio Bustron and Eracles.
Agridi appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 under the same name.
Asomatos
Asomatos appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 as “Asomato”.
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Asomatos”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time. Asomatos was recorded in 1890 by Athanasios Sakellarios as one of the villages inhabited by Maronites.
Today, Asomatos is occupied by the Turkish state.
Dikomo
Dikomo existed in 1374 as Hill (1948) mentions: “He had to accompany a force of 2000 men with which the Admiral went as far as Dikomo, where they encamped…”.
It existed during the Ottoman rule as a village in 1593, as Ronald Jennings mentioned an incident related to this village: “Tomazi v. (?) of Dikomo village of Girniye kaza sold Behine another three kantar for the same price”.
Today, Dikomo is occupied by the Turkish state.
Elia
Elia existed at around 1374 as an estate, mentioned by Hill (1948): “Belfarage’s appetite for fiefs was whetted by what the King had given him, and he asked for more, to wit the estate of Elia”.
Drummond mentions its existence as a village in 1750.
It existed as a village in 1815, as William Turner mentioned it during that year: “The villages we saw on our road today were lerolakos, Marmari, Thainia, Argatzi, Menikon, Zothia, Kakotopia, Nitzeta, Prassion, Morphon, Kazivera, Elea, Petra, and Sirleenkhori”.
Today, Elia is occupied by the Turkish state.
Floudi
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Fludi”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
Today, Floudi, according to the Cyprus Maronites blog does not exist as a village and its area belongs to the village of Agia Marina Skyllouras, which is occupied by the Turkish state.
Kalogrea
According to the Ottoman taxation records of 1572, Kalogrea (or Kalograia) existed during that year as a village, as it is translated from Arabic (with Turkish pronunciation) as “Kalugria”.
Kambyli
Kambyli appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 as “Gambili”.
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Gambili”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time. Kambyli was recorded in 1890 by Athanasios Sakellarios as one of the villages inhabited by Maronites.
According to the PRIO Cyprus Centre, the Maronites abandoned their village by 1940 and around that time, Muslim families from Larnakas tis Lapithou moved into Kambyli.
Being entirely inhabited by Turkish speaking people, its current name has changed to Hisarköy.
Karmi
It existed during the Ottoman rule as a village, between the years 1571-1640, as Ronald Jennings mentioned an incident related to this village: “Spahi Mahmud bn Mentes of Karni village of Girniye kaza made claim against Ahmed bn Seyfi of the village…”.
Drummond mentions its existence as a village in 1750.
Today, Karmi is occupied by the Turkish state.
Karpasha
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Carpassia”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time. Karpasha was recorded in 1890 by Athanasios Sakellarios as one of the villages inhabited by Maronites.
Today, Karpasha is occupied by the Turkish state.
Kazafani
[Its name is explained as “Casa” {home} “Epifani” {of Epifanis = Cypriot name}]
In 1460 it existed as a village as Georgios Boustronios mentions it: “And the armada went to Casa Pifani” [When the Egyptian army was backing up Jacques’s II actions to take the throne from Carlotta].
Kazafani appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 as “C.Pifani”.
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Casapifani”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time. It is mentioned as a village by Cornelis van Bruyn who visited it in 1683. He wrote: “The village, which consists of very few houses, is called Casafani”. According to Athanasios Sakellarios in 1890, the Christian inhabitants of Kazafani produced carob honey and pastelli, the latter produced by the Muslims as well.
Today, Kazafani is occupied by the Turkish state.
Klepini
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Cleipirio”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
Today, Klepini is occupied by the Turkish state.
Kormakitis
Kormakitis existed as a village in 1310, as we learn from Hill (1948), “She in fact persuaded them to retire from Nicosia, and they chose to go to Kormakiti, a large village on the peninsula of that name difficult of access and easy of defence”.
Kormakitis appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 as “Cormachiti”.
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Cormachiti”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
To get an idea of the number of its inhabitants, in 1606 in Kormakitis lived 188 non-Muslim taxpayers [male, capable of work, between the age of 15-75], and in 1643 there were 54.
According to Giovanni Mariti, Kormakitis existed as a village in the 1760s and it had previously been a city under the name of Kormia. Kormakitis was recorded in 1890 by Athanasios Sakellarios as one of the villages inhabited by Maronites.
Today, Kormakitis is occupied by the Turkish state.
Kyrenia city
According to Pavlides, the fortress of Kyrenia was built by the Byzantines after Cyprus re-joined the Byzantine Empire in 965.
Although Kyrenia was a town of no consequence, its fortifications were noteworthy. The town walls were not very formidable, but the citadel, until finally surrendered through treachery, had resisted a Genoese siege late in the 14th century as well as a four-year siege by Mamluks and a faction of Lusignans starting in 1460. According to Arbel (1984): “The plagues of 1505 and 1523 carried away a considerable proportion of Kyrenia’s inhabitants. At the end of the 1520s and the beginning of the 1530s, the town was said to have numbered between 800 and 1ooo souls. Estimates from 1543 and 1556 refer to only 600, and the document based on the census of 1563 -to 800 persons. Various plans were drafted and presented to Venice aiming at pulling down the town or even the fortress. Some former inhabitants of Kyrenia claimed in 1569 that owing to the destruction of their houses they were compelled to leave the town and live in other villages”. Kyrenia appears on Abraham Ortelius’s map of 1573 as “Cerines”. The number of its Christian inhabitants, in 1612 in Kyrenia were 177 non-Muslim taxpayers [male, capable of work, between the age of 15-75]. De Stochove stayed there in 1631. He mentioned that it was chiefly ruinous and that the larger part of the inhabitants were Greeks. Mentioned as Corinea in the 1760s by Giovanni Mariti, it was at that time a village producing wine. Lieut. Colonel W. M. Leake was in Kyrenia in 1800 and noticed the following: “The town is situated amidst plantations of oranges, lemons, olives, dates and other fruit trees, and all the uncultivated parts of the plains around are covered with bay, myrtle and mastic”.
Today, Kyrenia is occupied by the Turkish state.
Lapithos
In 1307-8 the casale of Lapithos belonged to Echive d’lbelin, Lady of Beirut, according to Florio Bustron.
Lapithos existed in 1460 with the same name, as Georgios Boustronios mentions it.
The village of Lapithos existed during the Venetian rule, as Tommaso Porcacchi mentions it and its famous lemons. According to Etienne de Lusignan (1573), the village was in his opinion among the 20 largest villages in Cyprus during the Venetian Rule. During the 1760s, it was according to G. Mariti the largest and most extensive village of Cyprus at that time, and due to the plentifulness of cultivations he describes it as “the garden of the island”. Lapitha, as he names it, had formerly been a city under the name of Lapithos “which they say was built by Spartans. One of the nine kings resided here, the last of them was Pisistratus, who commanded the naval army of Alexander the Great”. A temple dedicated to Venus existed there. Lapithos produced vessels for the storage of commandaria.
According to Athanasios Sakellarios in 1890, Lapithos was inhabited by approximately 2400 people, primarily Christians and the village was famous for the production of vessels, the production of chairs and rosewater, as well as the needling of silk sheets. An abundance of lemon, orange, pomegranate and palm trees were seen there. Cotton was also produced as well as “the best colocasia of Cyprus”.
Today, Lapithos is occupied by the Turkish state.
Larnakas Lapithou
Athanasios Sakellarios mentioned in 1890 that the village was inhabited by around 380 residents and there were the ruins of the temple of Poseidon and fractions of marble idols.
Today Larnakas Lapithou is occupied by the Turks.
Metohi
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Metosci”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
Today, Metohi, according to the Cyprus Maronites blog does not exist as a village and its area belongs to the village of Agia Marina Skyllouras, which is occupied by the Turkish state.
Myrtou
According to the Ottoman taxation records of 1572, Myrtou existed during that year as a village, as it is translated from Arabic (with Turkish pronunciation) as “Mirtu”.
It existed in 1764 as Archimandrite Kyprianos mentioned an incident.
Today, Myrtou is occupied by the Turkish state.
Pletchia
This village is mentioned by Hill (1948) to exist at 1232: “Dieudamour [Saint Hilarion] was relieved; the investing force, unable to join the others in Kerynia, since Ibelin barred the way, fled to Blessia (Pletcha), in the plain south-west of Dieudamour, and thence towards Nicosia.
Today such a village does not exist.
Sysklipos
According to the Ottoman taxation records of 1572, Sysklipos probably existed during that year as a village, as it is translated from Arabic (with Turkish pronunciation) as “Iskilupu”.
Templos
Templos existed as a village at least since 1312 when it was a property of the Templar Knights according to Hill (1948).
Templos existed during the Ottoman rule as a village, between the years 1571-1640, as Ronald Jennings mentioned an incident related to this village: “Baba Ciryako v. Savu bought a house, courtyard etc. at Temblos village of Girniye kaza from Manesko v. Madyo of the village for 640 akce”.
Thermeia
It is probably mentioned as a village by Cornelis van Bruyn who visited it in 1683 and mispells it as “Sternia”: “The next morning we journeyed towards the convent called De la Paix, said to have been built by the Templars… In the distance is seen the village of Sternia, and close by it, on the shore, a fine old castle. Some mountains lie in the background”…”The village, which consists of very few houses, is called Casafani. Sternia, -with the castle of which I spoke, is but three Italian miles from the convent [Bellapais]”.
Trimithi
The village Trimithi is mentioned in 1610 in at least one of the Ottoman kadi records as follow: “On 25 March 1610 Abdullah’s son Hizir from the village of Trimithi in Mesarye sold his 7 ground floor rooms, stream, and a garden which produced nearly 5 bushels of fruit per year, to Mehmet. With the property went the right to half of the water that flowed on two days out 20”.
Trimithi is since under 1974 under the Turkish yoke.
Trimithia
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini as “Trimitia”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
Today, Trimithia, according to the Cyprus Maronites blog does not exist as a village and it is a location instead, under the name of “Trimithos” [male form] in Kormakitis, which is occupied by the Turkish state.
Vasilia
To get an idea of the number of its inhabitants, in 1606 in Vasilia lived 85 non-Muslim taxpayers [male, capable of work, between the age of 15-75], and in 1643 there were 50.
Today, Vasilia is occupied by the Turkish state.
Vouno
It is mentioned in 1596 by Girolamo Dandini [misspelt] as “Vono”, being one of the villages where Maronites lived at that time.
According to Wikipedia “With the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the inhabitants of the village of Vouno, like almost all the Greek and Maronite residents of the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, became refugees. The Turks renamed the village into “Taşkent” and destroyed the two Greek Orthodox churches in the village, that of Saint George and the Holy Cross. The Maronite church of Saint Romanos escaped destruction because the Turkish occupying forces decided to turn it into a museum. Thus, today the church is in good condition, at least externally, since nobody knows how it looks internally because it always remains shut and inaccessible”.