Pyrga (Famagusta)

Pyrga (; ) is a village in Cyprus, located in the district of Famagosta and de facto in the district of Gazimağusa. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus.

Physical Geography

The village is situated 22 km west of Famagosta on the Nicosia-Famagusta highway.

Origins of Name

In ancient Greek, Pyrga means "red land". In 1975, the Turkish Cypriots changed their name to Pirhan, which translates to "dark".

History and Demographics

Before 1974, Pyrga was a Greek Cypriot village. After the Turkish invasion of 1974, the village is not controlled by the Republic of Cyprus. According to the Ottoman census of 1831, Pyrga was a mixed village, although inhabited mainly by Christians (Greek Cypriots). However, the records of the British period show that the village was inhabited exclusively by Greek Cypriots, with only a small minority of Turkish Cypriots appearing in the registers for short periods of time.

In 2011, the Statistical Service of Northern Cyprus reported that Pyrga had 56 inhabitants. The population trend shows an increase during the British period, from 3 (no exact number mentioned) to a steady growth.

Military Use

Pyrga is currently used as a military base by the de facto authorities in Northern Cyprus.

References

* Ottoman census of 1831
* British records of the village's population
* Statistical Service of Northern Cyprus (2011)
* Turkish invasion of 1974