Kormakitis
Kormakitis
Kurmajit | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 35°20′34″N 33°00′39″E / 35.34278°N 33.01083°E | |
Country | Cyprus (de jure) Northern Cyprus (de facto) |
• District | Kyrenia District |
Elevation | 168 m (551 ft) |
Population (2011)[2] | |
• Total | 309 |
Kormakitis (
is named after the village.All of the remaining
During the weekends the population of Kormakitis increases to more than 600 as displaced former residents return to visit relatives and celebrate Mass. Access has been made easier since 2003 when the Turkish Cypriot authorities relaxed rules on visits to Northern Cyprus. Many Maronites who were displaced from Kormakitis have renovated and upgraded the village and homes for weekend use.[4]
Etymology
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2015) |
There are several versions for the name of the village. The most common instance of folk etymology is related to the Maronites who arrived from Kour, Batroun. Feeling nostalgic, they used to repeat the sentence "Nahni jina wa Kour ma jit" "We came (to Cyprus) but Kour hasn't come".[3] Another instance of folk etymology is related to the Phoenician settlement of Kormia. The present village would take its name from the expression Kormia jdide, or "New Kormia".[3] These hypotheses seem consistent with the pronunciation of the village in Cypriot Greek (Κορματζίτης /Korma'dʒitis/) and Cypriot Turkish (Kormacit /Korma'dʒit/). The standard Greek name Kormakitis is an attempt to adjust the name to standard Greek pronunciation, whereas the new Turkish name Koruçam was made up after 1974 for political reasons.
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (April 2015) |
Middle Ages
Originally from Lebanon and Syria, today's
Ottoman and British administration
During the
Contemporary era
After Cyprus gained independence in 1960, projects were carried out within the village. In 1962, the village school was constructed, which was able to enrol 210 students and employ seven teachers. In 1965, the village was connected to the electric grid and houses were connected to water mains for the first time.[8]
Following years of
Before the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Kormakitis had around 1,000 inhabitants.[13] The number of Maronites has since decreased. It is estimated that between 100 and 165 Maronites remained in the TRNC.[13][14] The decline in population has been attributed to a lack of jobs and secondary education, leading to migration, migrating mainly to Nicosia and Limassol.[14][15] During the school year 1999–2000, the Kormakitis Primary School was forced to close down, due to a lack of pupils, providing evidence of Kormakitis's declining young population.[16][17]
In 2006,
Climate
Kormakitis has a hot Semi-arid climate with long, dry and hot summers and cool winters with mixed weather of sunny spells and rain.
Climate data for Kormakitis | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14 (57) |
15 (59) |
18.5 (65.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
32.5 (90.5) |
35.5 (95.9) |
35 (95) |
32.5 (90.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
22 (72) |
16.5 (61.7) |
25 (77) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 10 (50) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
16.5 (61.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
25.5 (77.9) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
25 (77) |
21 (70) |
16 (61) |
11.5 (52.7) |
18 (64) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6 (43) |
6 (43) |
7 (45) |
8.5 (47.3) |
15 (59) |
18 (64) |
20 (68) |
20.5 (68.9) |
18 (64) |
15 (59) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7 (45) |
12 (54) |
Source: www.in.weather.com [19] |
Demographics
Year | Maronites
|
Greek Cypriots | Turkish Cypriots | Total | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1570 | Not available | Not available | Not available | 850 | |
1831 | 91 | - | - | 91 | Male population only |
1841 | Not available | Not available | Not available | 200 | |
1891 | 423 | - | 7 | 430 [20] | |
1901 | 503 | - | 10 | 513 [21] | |
1911 | 617 | - | 11 | 628 [22] | |
1921 | 666 | - | 10 | 676 [23] | |
1931 | 730 | - | 6 | 736 [24] | |
1946 | 889 | 5 | - | 894 [25] | |
1960 | 1093 | 18 | - | 1111 [26] | |
1973 | 1257 | - | - | 1257 [27] | |
1996 | 220 | - | - | 220 [28] | De jure population, including other nationals |
2006 | 195 | - | - | 195 [29] | De jure population, including other nationals |
Architecture
Churches
Several churches and chapels have been built within Kormakitis and the surrounding fields. These churches and chapels belong to the Maronite Church, a denomination of the Catholic Church. Saint George's Church, located within Kormakitis was built in 1930. Devoted to the patron saint of the village the Church, construction started in 1900. The designs and plans of the church were prepared by the Maltese architect Fenec and the Maltese Civil Engineer Cafiero. The inhabitants of the village offered donations for the construction of the church. The church constituted as the official church of the Maronite Church of Cyprus, prior 1974. Today, Saint George's Church is used by the remaining inhabitants. Icons and religious items dating from the 12th century are located within the cathedral.[30]
The Chapel of Saint George, often referred as Chapel of Saint George of the seeds, is a chapel situated near the Mediterranean Sea, north of Kormakitis. It was built in 1852. Every year, on 3 November, a Mass is celebrated by the Maronite Community dedicated to Saint George. This is done to coincide with the start of the agricultural season, the farmers pray to Saint George for a successful harvest. According to the tradition, after Mass, the Maronites have lunch by the sea to celebrate Saint George.[30]
The Chapel of the Holy Virgin is a small chapel situated in the west of the village. The chapel was thought to have been built in 1453. Recently renovated it is frequently visited.[30]
The Chapel of Saint George, often referred as Chapel of Saint George of the Nuns, is a chapel situated next to the monastery of the Franciscan sisters, in the center of the village. It was built in 1534 and was the first chapel to be built inside the village. The monastery of the Franciscan sisters was built in 1936, next to the village's square.[30]
See also
- Cypriot Maronite Arabic
- Maronites in Cyprus
- Maronite Church
- Rizokarpaso
References
- ^ "kormacit route in Turkish Republic Of Northern Cyprus, Cyprus". MapMyRide. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "KKTC 2011 Nüfus ve Konut Sayımı" [TRNC 2011 Population and Housing Census] (PDF) (in Turkish). TRNC State Planning Organization. 6 August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Kormakitis". Maronite Community of Cyprus. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013.
- ^ a b c Papapostolou, A. (23 May 2010). "Maronites in Cyprus try to revive old language". Greek Reporter. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Leonidou, Leo (19 April 2005). "Government refuses to recognise elected Kormakitis mukhtar". Cyprus Mail.
- ^ "Cyprus' Maronites celebrate news of pope's visit". The Washington Times. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Webb, Andrea (May 2006). "Mercy Mission" (PDF). Soldier Magazine. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2013.
- ^ a b c "Ιστορικό". Kormakitis.net. 1 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Catholic Community of Cyprus: The Maronite Community". Papal Visit to Cyprus. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012.
- ^ Hadjilyra, Alexander-Michael. "The Maronites of Cyprus" (PDF).
- TIME. 29 July 1974. Archived from the originalon 7 March 2008.
- ^ "The Turkish Invasion 1974". Nicosia Municipality. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013.
- ^ a b Spinthourakis, Julia-Athena; et al. (November 2008). "Education Policies to Address Social Inequalities: Cyprus Country Report" (PDF). Department of Elementary Education. University of Patras. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Maronites hope for a unified Cyprus". YouTube. 6 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
- ^ Coleman, Gina. "A minority community with a rich history and culture" (PDF). InTouch: 26–27.
- ^ "Annual Report 2008 of the Ministry of Education" (PDF). Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Education. 2008. p. 276. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
- ^ "Annual Report 2007 of the Ministry of Education" (PDF). Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Education. 2007. p. 252. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
- ^ Leonidou, John (10 January 2006). "Maronites ponder Kormakitis return". Cyprus Mail. Archived from the original on 17 October 2010.
- ^ "Climatology: Averages & Records for Kormakitis".
- ^ Colonial Office (1893), "Cyprus: Report on the census of Cyprus, taken 6 April 1891," Mediterranean, No. 39. London: Colonial Office.
- ^ Mavrogordato, Alexander (1901), "Report and general abstracts of the census of 1901, taken on 1 April 1901," Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
- ^ Mavrogordato, Alexander (1912), "Report and general abstracts of the census of 1911, taken on 2 April 1911," London: Waterlow & Sons.
- ^ Hart-Davis, C. H (1922), "Report and general abstracts of the census of 1921, taken on 24 April 1921," London: Waterlow & Sons.
- ^ Hart-Davis, C. H (1932), "Report of the Census of 1931," Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
- ^ Percival, D.A. (1949), "Census of population and agriculture 1946 report," Nicosia: Cyprus Government Printing Office.
- ^ Republic of Cyprus (1962), "Census of population and agriculture, 1960," Nicosia: Government Printing Office.
- ^ Ministry of Finance (1973), "Micro-Census (April 1973) Population by Village and Ethnic Group, Volume I." Nicosia: Department of Statistics and Research.
- ^ TRNC Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of State Planning Organization, "15 December 1996 General Population Census Results (Summary), 26, November 1997," Nicosia.
- ^ TRNC 2006 census preliminary results: www.devplan.org
- ^ a b c d "Churches". Maronite Community of Cyprus. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013.