Louroujina ( []; , previously or ) is a village in Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus, located within the salient (geography), salient that marks the southernmost extent of Northern Cyprus. It was one of the largest Turkish Cypriot villages in Cyprus before the

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish ...

. In 1974, Louroujina was secured so as to be placed within a contiguous Turkish Cypriot zone, which later became Northern Cyprus. The United Nations Buffer Zone separates the Louroujina salient from the area controlled by 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 ...

. There is now a tunnel which has been designed to enter the village without going through any army points. The village is now open to everyone. There are many historic untouched buildings in this village. Prior to 1960, Louroujina's population was

Turkish Cypriots Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı Türkler''; el, Τουρκοκύπριοι, Tourkokýprioi) are ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,00 ...

and

Greek Cypriots Greek Cypriots or Cypriot Greeks ( el, Ελληνοκύπριοι, Ellinokýprioi, tr, Kıbrıs Rumları) are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community. According to the 2011 census, 659,115 r ...

. The Turkish Cypriots constituted a majority. The Greek Cypriots, who numbered about 100, fled the village during the

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

years. By 1973, 1,963 Turkish Cypriots were living in Louroujina. After the Turkish invasion, the majority were relocated in nearby villages; however, about 300 opted to stay, in contravention of the authorities' demand that they vacate the village. , Louroujina had a population of 390. According to legend, Louroujina is so named because it was founded by a woman named "Lorenziya". In 1958, it was renamed in Turkish, meaning "raiders". The new name is said to have been inspired by an inter-communal clash between Greek Cypriots and Louroujina Turkish Cypriots, who outnumbered the former, at Pyroi (Gaziler). In their flight, the Greek Cypriots shouted, "the Turkish Cypriots from Louroujina are flooding in" (in Turkish: ).

Sports

Turkish Cypriot Akıncılar Sports Club was founded in 1942. As of 2016, it competes in Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) K-PET 2nd League.Northern Cyprus
Association of Football Clubs

References

Communities in Nicosia District Populated places in Lefkoşa District Municipalities of Northern Cyprus {{Cyprus-geo-stub