Voni

Location and Status

Voni (, ) is a village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, located just southeast of Kythrea. The village is de facto under the control of Northern Cyprus, while its territory belongs by law to the Republic of Cyprus.

History

Prior to 1974, Voni was inhabited exclusively by Greek Cypriots. However, following the Turkish invasion in 1974, the village came under the control of Northern Cyprus. In 1975, the Turkish Cypriots changed the name of the village from "Voni" to "Gökhan", named after a Turkish soldier who died in the village during the 1974 military offensive.

Physical Geography

The village is located sixteen kilometers northeast of the capital Nicosia and two kilometers northeast of the village of Trachoni. In terms of population, Voni had 202 inhabitants as of 2011.

Origins of Name

According to Goodwin, the name "Voni" comes from "dhodoni", meaning "places where the god Apollo showed his will to man". The name change to Gökhan reflects the Turkish Cypriot influence on the village's identity.

Population Trends

Historically, Voni has been inhabited exclusively by Greek Cypriots. In the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians (Greek Cypriots) were the only inhabitants of the village.

References

* Goodwin, J. (1989). Cyprus in Antiquity.
* Various sources on population and location data.