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History

The village existed under the same name during the mediaeval times. In older maps it is found marked as "Tracori". De Masse Latri mentions the village as a feud that belonged to the Order of the Knights Templar during the 13th century. However, after the breakup of this order in the beginning of the 14th century, like the other villages under the Templars, Trachoni came to the possession of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. At any rate, the name of the village reveals that it is older than the mediaeval Frank era, most probably having been established during the Byzantine years.

The name of the village originated from the ancient Greek word "trachon", as Stravonas also mentions, which meant rugged and stony ground. Furthermore, many other venues named Trachoni or Trachonas exist in Cyprus. However the Turkish-cypriot inhabitants of the village called it Kaykale, meaning stone-made fortress. In one region of the village, the hill Vounaros on its west to be precise, ancient artifacts have been found; they prove that a prehistoric settlement of the Neolithic or/and the Chalcolithic age existed there.

Administrative.

A. Location.
A village with mixed population, in the Akrotiri peninsula of the district of Limassol, located about eight kilometers southwest of the city of Limassol. A great portion of its area of administration is included in the territory of the British Sovereign Base of Akrotiri-Episkopi. South it connects with the village Asomatos.

B. Altitude.
Trachoni is built on an average altitude of twenty meters. The elevation of the area is plain and with a slight North-to-South tilt. Its highest point (52 meters) is the hill Vounaros west of the settlement.

C. Rainfall.
Trachoni receives an average annual rainfall of about four hundred and twenty millimeters. Citrus, olives, vines (table grape and wine making varieties), vegetables, cereals, forage plants, fruit trees (mainly fig trees), and a few locust trees are cultivated in the territory.

D. Terrain.
From a geological perspective, deposits from the Athalassa formation (limestone gravel and sand) and the recent deposits of sediment from the Holocene geological era dominate the area of administration. Terra Rola, gravel, and alluvial layers were deposited over them.

Population during 1881-1982.

The village had several fluctuations of population. 

Date  Inhabitants
1881 165
1891 183
1901 205
1911 239
1921 175
1931 145 (106 Greek-cypriots, 39 Turkish-cypriots)
1946 248 (186 Greek-cypriots, 62 Turkish-cypriots)
1960 (305 Greek-cypriots, 117 Turkish-cypriots)

 

After 1964, because of the intercommunal clashes that followed the Turkish-cypriot mutiny, most Turkish-cypriot inhabitants of Trachoni abandoned the village. Under instructions from Ankara to create strong Turkish-cypriot pockets in Cyprus they relocated in nearby entirely Turkish-cypriot and mixed villages. In 1973 the population was 531 (510 Greek-cypriots, 21 Turkish-cypriots). After the Turkish invasion in 1974 their leadership forced the remaining Turkish-cypriots inhabitants of Trachoni to abandon the village, along with all the other Turkish-cypriots in the non-occupied area, and relocate in the occupied territory. Their relocation took place in 1975. In 1976 the inhabitants of Trachoni (all Greek-cypriots) numbered 609. Afterwards the village received a large number of dislodged Greek-cypriots. Refugee Self-Help Housing Settlements were created in four areas of the vicinity with a total of 543 building plots. In 1982 the inhabitants of the village, the dislodged refugees that resettled in the area included, numbered 1766. According to the 1982 official census Trachoni ranked 10th in population size in the district of Limassol.

 
 
 
 
CONTACT US
 
COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF TRACHONI
Eirinis & Filias 9
4651, Trachoni Lemesos
Tel.: 25398894
Fax: 25710867
E-mail: [email protected]
 
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