Varisha

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Varisha is a village in the Tylliria region, in the northern foothills of the Troodos mountains. It is located eight kilometres west of Xeros in the northern part of the Green Line.

Varisha means "tired" in Greek Cypriot. This town is located within the United Nations buffer zone (Buffer Zone). Although there are no Turkish Cypriots currently living in it, they changed their name to Sirinkoy, which means "a nice people" in Turkish.

Intercommunal conflict

According to the Ottoman census of 1831, the people were inhabited exclusively by Muslims (20). However, the British census of 1891 recorded that only 20 of 79 people were Muslim. The British documents show that many of the people of the village converted to Christianity in 1882. After this massive conversion, the Muslim population of the village was significantly reduced. While the Christian increased steadily during it, the Muslim population continued to decline until, in 1931, only two elderly Turkish Cypriots remained.

The total population of Varisha / Sirinkoy increased steadily, from 79 in 1901 to 223 in 1960.

No one was displaced from this town during the inter-community struggle of the 1960s. In 1974, however, all its inhabitants fled the village as the Turkish army moved forward. Today, like many Greek Cypriot refugees, the Varisha villagers are scattered in southern Cyprus.

Current population

The village is abandoned, within the buffer zone of UNFICYP.

Bibliography

The Road to Bellapais. Pierre Obertling. Social Science Monographs, Boulder. New York. 1982.

Northern Cyprus
History of Cyprus
Geography of Cyprus
Cyprus villages