Interestingly, they're all referenced in Wikis on Google Earth as 'deserted Turkish Cypriot village'.
Also interestingly, whilst they're in Paphos District of the Republic of Cyprus, they're not far from the 'Green Line' that divides the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Faded Green Paint
The giveaway to the Turkish heritage (apart of course from them being deserted!) is the faded green paintwork. Greek Cypriots tend to paint doors blue, Turkish Cypriots tend to paint them green.
The history of these villages is exactly the same as the other deserted villages I've visited in Cyprus. During the war in 1974 the Turkish population fled north to what's become the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus leaving their homes behind them.
They're protected against the day Cyprus' troubles are resolved, when their former owners will be able to return.
In Ruins
In the meantime there's no maintenance going on, and the often flimsy construction makes the houses vulnerable to the frequent earth tremors in Cyprus.
The result is 36 years have taken their toll and the villages are largely tumbledown. Should the original owners ever return, they're going to need more than a tin of paint to restore their homes to their former state!
In the majority of cases, local farmers have adopted the villages pending the return of the owners. They've become home to herds of goats, pigs, chickens - the village's former buildings being used as shelter for the livestock.
It always feels a bit spooky poking about these villages. Like somebody's watching you. Or perhaps its just the spirits of the owners living on.
The long and the short of it was I spent a fun afternoon testing my four wheel driving skills on tracks used pretty infrequently and playing cameras and pictures. Joy!
See The Pictures
Check out pictures from this outing of:
And also check out pictures from my previous outings to:
