The following articles are written by our lead researcher Ismail Veli Kirlapo
Old Village Jokes
Most stories are based on real people and events. These are occasionally mixed with jokes and stories from other villages. Real Stories from Lurucina (Lurucina’dan Gerçek Hikayeler) Artun Zeki Gökşan Born in 1960 in Lurucina, Artun Zeki Gökşan lived in his village up to the age of 18. He went to the primary school in Lurucina. He then went on to study at The English School in Nicosia for two years. He continued his studies at Türk Maarif Koleji in Nicosia after 1974. He graduated from Hacettepe University in Ankara as a...
read moreOrhan Seyfi Arı: A Tribute to the Teacher of Teachers
Described by the Minister of Education as the “Teacher of Teachers”, Orhan Seyfi Arı was one of the most influential people in recent Cypriot history and served as headteacher in the village of Lurucina from 1953 to 1959. Background Born on 12th December 1918 in Lapithiou (Bozalan), Paphos, Orhan Seyfi Arı was the youngest of four children of Emete and Huseyin Avni Ahmet (from the Gakkuro family). His family owned vineyards and olive orchards and his father was a liberal Hoca (religious cleric) who opposed the idea that...
read moreOld Maps of Cyprus
This page deals with archive documents relating directly or indirectly to Lurucina. The aim is to expand this particular section in order to help us all understand our past in a more constructive manner. As Lurucina was not a particularly important village in history, finding documents relating to it can be pretty tedious and laborious. However, thanks to the dedication of many and their love for their village, enough information has been preserved to help us piece together what is turning out to be one of the most extensive research...
read moreMurder of the Priest in 1924
By Ismail Veli Kirlapo This page is dedicated to the tragic events in Lurucina in 1924 when 2 brothers were hanged after the murder of the village priest. Complete court documents from the 1924 murder trial of Mustafa Bairam ‘Pattas’ & Yousouf Bairam ‘Pourounti’ and the courts sentence give us a fascinating first hand account of the events as they developed. Important Note: The page numbers on top and bottom of the documents are often different to each other, this is possibly from archive...
read moreThe History of Lurucina
By Ismail Veli Kirlapo The origins of Lurucina seems to be clouded in mystery. Stories and the legendary fable of the beautiful Lorenzia have been in existence for generations. No one really knows the truth, neither do I consider myself a leading expert on the subject. One thing is certain however, with 650 towns and villages on the Island, and a history going back to possibly the 12-13 century AD Lurucina itself is only important to the people who originated from the village. One fact remains however that Lurucinali’s do feel they...
read moreLife in Lurucina
By Ismail Veli Kirlapo Like the rest of the world, the second world war affected many aspects of Cypriot life. Despite the harsh conditions, many youngsters began to organise cultural, sporting and other social activities. This blog gives a taste of some of the key aspects of life in Lurucina. Lurucina Türkish Youth Club Like the rest of the world the second world war effected many aspects of Cypriot life, despite the harsh conditions however young people began to organize cultural, sporting and other social activities. With the ever...
read moreA Brief Look at Mehmet Katri’s family
By Ismail Veli Kirlapo The name Katri originates from Qadiriyyah. The Qadiri Order is one of the oldest Sufi Orders. It derives its name from Abdul Qādir Gīlānī [Turkish: Abdülkâdir Geylânî] (1077-1166), a native of the Iranian province of Mazandaran. The order is one of the most widespread of the Sufi orders in the Islamic world, and spread to Central Asia, Turkey, Cyprus, Balkans and much of East and West Africa. The Qadiriyyah have not developed any distinctive doctrines or teachings outside of mainstream Islam. They believe in the...
read moreWorld War II Veterans of Lurucina
By Ismail Veli Kirlapo This page is dedicated to the World War 2 Lurucina veterans who volunteered to serve in the Cyprus Regiment and Cyprus Volunteer Force. The 42 men from Lurucina were part of the 19. 829 Cypriots who fought for the British and other Commonwealth nations in the World War against Nazism. The information compiled and published by Petros Papapolyviou (an academic and historian at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia), has written a number of works on the service of Cypriots in many wars. He is an accomplished...
read moreUncovering the Origins of Lurucina
by Ismail Veli (Kirlapo) One of the most talked and debated issues of the people of Lurucina is: “who were our ancestors?” Even many other Cypriots not from Lurucina have made countless claims. Some insist that we were Christian Greeks who converted to save tax. Many believe our origins were Venetians who converted to save themselves from discrimination from both Greeks and Turks. Some insist we originated from Ottoman Turks. No historic evidence has ever been presented to back up any claim. Some arguments though sounding...
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