Lythrangomi

Lythrangomi (Greek: Λυθράγκωμη) or Boltaşlı (in Turkish) is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located on the Karpass Peninsula east of Leonarisso. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus.

The origin of the name Lythrangkomi is uncertain. One suggestion is that it means “erythra komi” (Greek: red village). The Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name Boltasli, meaning “many rocks”, in 1958.

Until the Turkish invasion of Cyrus in 1974, Lythrangkomi was a mixed village. There was a Turkish/Moslem majority in 1891, when the village had 103 Turkish Cypriots and 89 Greek Cypriots (including 5 at the monastery of Panagia Kanakaria). Ten years later there were 80 Turks and 111 Greeks. After this, the Greek proportion grew, but the village remained mixed with a significant presence of both groups. In 1960 there were 105 Turks and 170 Greeks.

After the invasion, most Greek Cypriots stayed and were enclaved in the village. There were 150 in October 1975. But by December 1976, there only remained three elderly Greek Cypriots. The original Turkish Cypriot villagers remained. Apart from these, there are settlers from Erbaa in the province of Tokat, inland of the Black Sea coast of Turkey. This village population in 2011 was 228, a drop from 266 in 2006.