Dipkarpaz

From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.

Dipkarpaz (Greek: ΡιζοκάρπασοRizokarpasso) is a town on the Karpaz-Peninsula in the North Cyprus, since 1974 in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus that is not internationally recognised. It is the biggest town on the Karpaz. The Karpaz-area consists of terra fusca and is very fertile. Crops include carob, cotton, tobacco and grain. There is a tobacco-factory in the town. During the Invasion of 1974, the peninsula was cut off by Turkish troops, and the Greek-speaking inhabitants could not flee to the South. Thus, Dipkarpaz has the biggest Greek speaking population in the TCKK, who are actively encouraged to stay on by Greek nationalists. The Greek speaking inhabitants are still supplied by the UN, thus, Greek merchandise can be bought in some of the shops. Today, there is a big Kurdish minority as well, closely supervised by the TCKK-police. The town has both a Kafeneion and a Kahvehane that seem to be used indiscriminately by both linguistic groups.

There are two churches in town: St. Synesios and the church of the Holy Trinity. They are built in the typically Cypriote mixed style between the late Gothic introduced by the Lusignans and the late Byzantine of the orthodox tradition. When the orthodox bishops were banished by the Lusignans in 1222, the Bishop of Famagusta was sent to Dipkarpaz and was based in St. Synesios, that is still the main orthodox church of the region.

Dipkarpaz is partly located in the ancient city of Carpasia at the West coast, founded by king Pygmalion.