That's enough of Seladi tou Appi. I wanted to get a closer picture showing the whole of Alevga, so as we drove around the valley to get there we stopped at a hill. A quick climb would hopefully give me a nice vantage point. However, when I got to the top there was a big tree growing between me and the village, so no picture was forthcoming. On the way down I found this old goat carcass, so you can have a look at that instead.

So, we arrive at Alevga itself. There aren't that many buildings here, compared to somewhere like Foinikas. According to PRIO there were 123 inhabitants before the village was abandoned, in 1964. The page also states the following:

Alevga was a small hamlet situated in the Tylliria/Dillirga region of Cyprus, three kilometers from Pakhyamos and four kilometers from the coast. The meaning of Alevga is obscure. Turkish Cypriots adopted the alternative name of Alevkaya in 1958, literally meaning “flame rock” or “rock in flames.”

Looking at this picture of the red rocks, you can see what the Turkish Cypriots were getting at.

As you can see, the village is in ruins now, though some buildings have been used for farm animals.

So what else does PRIO have to say about the village?

All the Turkish inhabitants of Alevga/Alevkaya were displaced in 1964. The village was evacuated by UNFICYP in August 1964 when the area was under attack by General Grivas and the Greek Cypriot National Guard in the infamous Tyllira Battle. Most of the Turkish Cypriots of Alevga/Alevkaya sought refuge in the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Kokkina/Erenköy(050). They remained there until 1976 when they were once again moved to the Turkish-controlled part of the island, most settling in the Greek Cypriot village of Yialousa(205) in the Karpasia/Karpaz peninsula.

You can't see it from here, but most of the houses were on the hill behind that red container. Spring vegetation has obscured a lot of the remains but believe me, when you are walking through the green it soon becomes apparent when there is rubble beneath your feet.

You can't see very clearly from this picture, but there was a sizeable gap beneath that road which had been eroded over the years.

Anyway, I had never heard of the Tyllira Battle, so I thought it prudent to do a bit of research. It is difficult commenting on events that happened over 50 years ago, as truth is one of the first casualties of war and you can never be sure that what you are reading is 100% accurate. So I have tried to keep my citations to neutral sources.