Kyrenia District is one of the six

districts of Cyprus Cyprus is divided into six districts ( gr, επαρχίες; tr, kaza), whose capitals share the same name. The districts are subdivided into municipalities and communities. The districts of Cyprus are listed in the table below. Note: Nor ...

. Its main town is

Kyrenia Kyrenia ( el, Κερύνεια ; tr, Girne ) is a city on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. While there is evidence showing that the wider region ...

( el, Κερύνεια; tr, Girne). It is the smallest of Cyprus' districts, and is the only one controlled in its entirety by the unrecognised

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

state of

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, isl ...

, where the same territory is administered as the ''de facto''

Girne District Girne District ( tr, Girne İlçesi) is one of six districts of Northern Cyprus. It is divided between two sub-districts: Girne Sub-district and the Çamlıbel Sub-district. Its capital is Kyrenia, also known by its Turkish name, as Girne. Its ...

, a distinct entity. It is bordered on the south by

Nicosia District Nicosia District (Greek: Eπαρχία Λευκωσίας) is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island country's capital city, Nicosia. The TRNC-controlled northern part of the district is the Lefkoşa District of the ...

and on the east and south-east by

Famagusta District Famagusta District ( gr, Επαρχία Αμμοχώστου, Eparchia Ammochostu; tr, Mağusa kazası) is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its main town is the island's most important port, Famagusta. History Most of the district has b ...

. It includes much of the north coast, with the towns of Kyrenia, Lapethos and

Karavas Karavas ( el, Καραβάς; tr, Alsancak is a town in the north of the Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus island. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. , the town has a population of 6,597. Etymology The name ''Karavas'' comes fro ...

. Also the

Kyrenia Mountains The Kyrenia Mountains ( el, Κερύνειο Όρος; tr, Girne Dağları) is a long, narrow mountain range that runs for approximately along the northern coast of the island of Cyprus. It is primarily made of hard crystalline limestone, w ...

, which overlook the coast, with the prominent castles of

St. Hilarion Hilarion the Great (291–371) was an anchorite who spent most of his life in the desert according to the example of Anthony the Great (c. 251–356). While St Anthony is considered to have established Christian monasticism in the Egyptian d ...

and Buffavento. Unlike the portions of Nicosia, Famagusta and

Larnaca Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 144 ...

under Northern Cyprus' control, which are variously partitioned into five of its six districts, the boundaries of Cyprus' ''de jure'' Kyrenia District are coterminous with Northern Cyprus' ''de facto'' Girne District. A district administration-in-exile exists in the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

-controlled part of the island, near

Ledra Palace The Ledra Palace Hotel is located in central Nicosia, Cyprus, and until 1974 was one of the largest and most glamorous hotels of the capital. The hotel was designed by the German Jewish architect Benjamin Günsberg and was built between 1947 and ...

, while the TRNC district has a ''

kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been retained an ...

''.

History

Under

Lusignan The House of Lusignan ( ; ) was a royal house of French origin, which at various times ruled several principalities in Europe and the Levant, including the kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus, and Armenia, from the 12th through the 15th centuries du ...

and Venetian rule, Kyrenia District was known as the contrée (French) or contrade (Italian ) of Cérines, which was one of the eleven provinces of the

Kingdom of Cyprus The Kingdom of Cyprus (french: Royaume de Chypre, la, Regnum Cypri) was a state that existed between 1192 and 1489. It was ruled by the French House of Lusignan. It comprised not only the island of Cyprus, but it also had a foothold on the Anat ...

. At that time, the province of Nicosia, known as the Vicomté, extended closer to the sea, encroaching upon the Pentadaktylos foothills in the present Kyrenia District.L’Ile de Chypre. Sa Situation Presente et ses Souvenirs du Moyen Age, by Louis de Mas Latrie, pub. Firmin-Didot et Cie, Paris. 1879; map and pp. 148-151 Under Ottoman Turkish rule, Kyrenia was one of the six cazas into which the island was divided. The

Caza Caza (), the pseudonym of Philippe Cazaumayou (; born 14 November 1941), is a French comics artist. Biography At 18, Cazaumayou started a career in advertising which lasted for ten years, but in 1970 he entered the field of bandes dessinées, ...

of Kyrenia, was divided into three nahiehs – Kyrenia, Lefka and Morphou.History of Cyprus, by George Hill, Cambridge University Press, 1952, vol IV, p.7 The caza was headed by a Kaimakan. When the British took control of Cyprus in 1878, these administrative units were retained. But by 1881, Kyrenia Caza was reduced to one nahieh, namely Kyrenia, which covered roughly the same as its present area.Census of Cyprus 1881, pr. Eyre and Spottiswoode, London, 1884 A British officer styled a Commissioner (later District Officer) was appointed for the Caza, while the Turkish Kaimakan was initially retained with certain of his functions. In 1881 the Caza and Nahieh of Kyrenia had a population of 13,266, (Greek 75%, Turkish 20%), representing 7% of the population of Cyprus.Cyprus Gazette 3 March 1882, publ.Government of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1882; p. 151 By 1960 the population had grown to 31,015 (Greek 79%, Turkish 14%, Maronite 6%).Census of Population and Agriculture 1960, pub.Printing Office of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1960; Vol.1, Table IV The Maronite population was almost entirely located in the villages of

Kormakiti Kormakitis (Cypriot Arabic: ; el, Κορμακίτης, ''Kormakítis''; tr, Kormacit or ) is a small village in Cyprus. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. Kormakitis is one of four traditionally Maronites in Cyprus, Maro ...

, Asomatos and Karpaseia.

Settlements

According to ''Statistical Codes of Municipalities, Communities and Quarters of Cyprus'' per the Statistical Service of Cyprus (2015), Kyrenia District has 3 municipalities and 44 communities. Municipalities are written with bold.

Agia Eirini

Agios Amvrosios

Agios Epiktitos Agios Epiktitos ( el, Άγιος Επίκτητος; tr, Çatalköy) is a village in Cyprus, located east of Kyrenia. Agios Epiktitos, is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus.The village was named after an ascetic monk who fled the ...

Agios Ermolaos

Agios Georgios

Agirda Agirda ( el, Αγύρτα; tr, Ağırdağ) is a Turkish Cypriot village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus. It is under the de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially ...

Agridaki

Asomatos

Bellapais Bellapais is a small village in the Kyrenia District in the northern part of Cyprus, about four miles from the town of Kyrenia. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus The village was the home for some years of Lawrence Durrell, ...

Charkeia

Diorios Diorios or Dhiorios ( gr, Διόριος, tr, Tepebaşı) is a village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus, 2 km west of Myrtou. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. Etymology For its name various versions exist that ha ...

Elia Elia is a name which may be a variant of the names Elias, Elijah, Eli or Eliahu, and may refer to: People * Aelia (gens) or Elia, a ''gens'' of Ancient Rome Mononymic * Elia or Elijah, a biblical prophet * Elia, a pen-name of Charles Lamb First ...

Fotta Fotta or Fota ( el, Φώττα; tr, Dağyolu "mountain road", previously ) is a Turkish Cypriot village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an is ...

Kazafani Kazafani or Kazaphani ( gr, Καζάφανι, tr, Kazafana or ''Ozanköy'') is a village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. It was traditionally agricultural village, originally based arou ...

Kiomourtzou

Klepini

Kontemenos Kontemenos ( gr, Κοντεμένος, tr, Kılıçaslan) is a town located in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus, 7 km northwest of Skylloura. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), ...

Kormakitis Kormakitis (Cypriot Arabic: ; el, Κορμακίτης, ''Kormakítis''; tr, Kormacit or ) is a small village in Cyprus. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. Kormakitis is one of four traditionally Maronite villages in Cy ...

Koutsovendis Koutsovendis or Koutsoventis ( gr, Κουτσοβέντης, tr, Güngör) is a village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. Monastery of St. John Chrysostomos Just north of the village (a ...

Krini

Lapithos Lapithos or Lapethos ( el, Λάπηθος; tr, Lapta) is a town in Cyprus. ''De facto'', it is under the control of Northern Cyprus. Archeologists claim that Lapithos was founded by the Achean brothers Praxandros and Cepheus. According to Stra ...

Larnakas tis Lapithou Larnakas tis Lapithou ( el, Λάρνακας της Λαπήθου; tr, Kozan) is a village in Cyprus, near the town of Lapithos. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. The Anat Athena bilingual Greek-Phoenician inscription was ...

Livera Livera ( el, Λιβερά; tr, Sadrazamköy) is a small village on Cape Kormakitis, Cyprus, 8 km northwest of Kormakitis. ''De facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are offi ...

Motides

Myrtou Myrtou ( gr, Μύρτου, tr, Çamlıbel) is a town in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus, north of the city of Morphou. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. Name origin There are several traditions as to how the village got ...

Orga Orga may refer to: * Orga, Cyprus * Irfan Orga (1908–1970), Turkish author * Orga Sabnak, a character from ''Gundam SEED'' * Orga Systems Orga Systems was a software vendor for convergent charging and billing solutions with an international cus ...

Sysklipos Sysklipos ( gr, Σύσκληπος, tr, Akçiçek) is a village in the Kyrenia District of Cyprus, located 3 km east of Larnakas tis Lapithou. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus, inhabited by Turkish Cypriot refugees from P ...

Templos

Thermeia Thermeia ( el, Θέρμεια; tr, Doğanköy) is a historic village, now a suburb of Kyrenia, Cyprus. ''De facto'', it is under the control of Northern Cyprus. Its population in 2011 was 868. History Thermeia is an ancient village located t ...

Trapeza

Trimithi Trimithi ( gr, Τριμίθι; tr, Edremit) is a small village in Cyprus, located 6 km west of Kyrenia. ''De facto'', it is under the control of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of ...

Vasileia

Vouno

References

{{Authority control Districts of Cyprus