Cyprus-Forum.com

[cmantas_liberal]

yeah i was refering to the settlers using the term 'gypsies' - thats why i put the brackets and not on the Romas

[sadik]

In Cyprus who have 4 main sub-groups of gypsies. The 3 are Moslem and they joined the TC community, the other one is Christians and they joined the GC community. These groups are called, Khilinjirioi, Khouroupettioi, Khouloufioi and finally the Mandies who are the Christian group.

Exiting!

Kifeas, do you have a resource for the history of Cypriot Gypsies? I think it's a very interesting subject. As far as I see, religios affiliations of Gypsies in general are not very strong. So, there must be some other reasons why they chose GC or TC communities. Only coincidence? Level of acceptance they received from two communities? Or something else...

[Kifeas]

In Cyprus who have 4 main sub-groups of gypsies. The 3 are Moslem and they joined the TC community, the other one is Christians and they joined the GC community. These groups are called, Khilinjirioi, Khouroupettioi, Khouloufioi and finally the Mandies who are the Christian group.

Exiting!

Kifeas, do you have a resource for the history of Cypriot Gypsies? I think it's a very interesting subject. As far as I see, religios affiliations of Gypsies in general are not very strong. So, there must be some other reasons why they chose GC or TC communities. Only coincidence? Level of acceptance they received from two communities? Or something else...

Hello Sadik,
I Read some of these things from a website on the Internet which were extracts from a Greek language book, but I didn't bookmark the website nor the title of the book. My impression regarding their affiliation with one community or the other is that it dates from the Ottoman times. It is true that they are not very religious although they definately acknowledge themselves to be either Moslem or Christian, as it is also evident in their personal names. Generally speaking the Gypsies have a bit of an opportunistic nature and usually they will side where their interests are mostly served, but this is all the beauty about them.

I do not think anyone asked them where do they want to belong in 1960 when the concept of GCs and TCs was institutionalized through the reference in the constitution. I think each community assumed their belonging based on what religion they were regarded as following.

Not the one remembering to have read but it aslo has some interesting information: http://www.domresearchcenter.com/news/cyprus/

[Piratis]

These groups are called, Khilinjirioi, Khouroupettioi, Khouloufioi

Well, those names/words have very negative meanings. I just wonder which existed first. The word or the name of the gypsy tribe?

[Main_Source]

lol Khilinjiroi...

my dad uses that word as a dis...

so thats where it comes from.

[Kifeas]

This article gives a different perspective from what I read before. It says that there are only two groups of gypsies in Cyprus, the Ghurbetti (khouroupettoi in Greek) and the Mandi (Mandies) and all the other names that I refered above are rather pejorative terms.

"We will particularly describe the three groups of Gypsies present on the island, the Ghurbeti or Turkish-speaking Muslim Gypsies, the Mandi or Greek-speaking Christian Gypsies and the Romanlar, Turkish-speaking Gypsies from Anatolia. All of these groups also speak dialects of “Ghurbetcha” (Khurbetçı), “Romançe” (Romani) to a greater or lesser extent. The terms “Ghurbeti” and “Mandi” are self-appellations, others like “Kilinjiri”, “Yiftos”, “Tsiganos”, “Khoulliphoi” and even “Atsingani” being ascribed, pejorative terms applied by the surrounding Turkish and Greek-Cypriot communities. We have avoided the use of the ethnonym “Roma” or “Rroma”, as the Cypriot Gypsies that we met did not use it. Such terminology would obscure their complex notion of origins."

http://www.domresearchcenter.com/journal/18/cyprus8.html

[BirKibrisli]

Kifeas,thanks for the links about the Gypsies.All I knew about them was that they visited us in the village sometimes and polished our pots and pans and sharpened our knives. They were looked down upon,and we were warned they might steal us and raise us as Gypsies (as if they didn't have enough of their own to raise!). Do you know if they were subjected of any violence after 1963?TCs certainly never accepted them as their own,and given the fact they mostly chose to remain in the South after 1974,they probably felt safe there.There might be some lessons to be learned from them about living in harmony with your neighbours,don't you think?

[Kifeas]

Kifeas,thanks for the links about the Gypsies.All I knew about them was that they visited us in the village sometimes and polished our pots and pans and sharpened our knives. They were looked down upon,and we were warned they might steal us and raise us as Gypsies (as if they didn't have enough of their own to raise!). Do you know if they were subjected of any violence after 1963?TCs certainly never accepted them as their own,and given the fact they mostly chose to remain in the South after 1974,they probably felt safe there.There might be some lessons to be learned from them about living in harmony with your neighbours,don't you think?

Actually those that were mostly Turkish speaking and Moslems (Churbets or khurupettis) were mostly living in the north (outskirts of north Nicosia and famagusta) before 1974 and they did remain after the division. They were also joined by their kin ones who used to live in the south, immediately after 1974 together with the other TCs that used to live in the south. In the south the only ones that remained were the Mandis who were are supposed to be the Greek speaking /Christian ones.
It is only recently (last 10 years) that a lot of the Churbets started moving into the south, presumably after finding out that they would get monthly welfare assistance from the government if they were unemployed. Besides that, a lot of the Churbets (around 300) emigrated from the north in the early 90’s and went and settled in London. Interestingly enough, their initial hosts in settling up in London were the Mandis who emigrated in London during the 50’s /60’s.
As for their acceptance in the south in the rent years, it wasn’t remarkable at all. The government had a very hard time finding places to house them because no one (village or municipality) wanted them to be housed anywhere near them. Another observation was that some of them would cross south, receive the money and then cross back into north and come back the next month.

[Viewpoint]

Kifeas,thanks for the links about the Gypsies.All I knew about them was that they visited us in the village sometimes and polished our pots and pans and sharpened our knives. They were looked down upon,and we were warned they might steal us and raise us as Gypsies (as if they didn't have enough of their own to raise!). Do you know if they were subjected of any violence after 1963?TCs certainly never accepted them as their own,and given the fact they mostly chose to remain in the South after 1974,they probably felt safe there.There might be some lessons to be learned from them about living in harmony with your neighbours,don't you think?

Surely your question would also have to be put to a Gypsy to hear the other side of the story how they are treated by GCs. Whats conveyed to us is that they are looked down upon and were also once used for propaganda purposes before the boarders were opened to show GCs what TCs on the other side of the fence are really like.
Why havent these people prospered? are they lazy? scrounging off the south? are there any in official positions?? do they educated themselves?? do they consider themselves TCs???

[Kifeas]

Kifeas,thanks for the links about the Gypsies.All I knew about them was that they visited us in the village sometimes and polished our pots and pans and sharpened our knives. They were looked down upon,and we were warned they might steal us and raise us as Gypsies (as if they didn't have enough of their own to raise!). Do you know if they were subjected of any violence after 1963?TCs certainly never accepted them as their own,and given the fact they mostly chose to remain in the South after 1974,they probably felt safe there.There might be some lessons to be learned from them about living in harmony with your neighbours,don't you think?

Surely your question would also have to be put to a Gypsy to hear the other side of the story how they are treated by GCs. Whats conveyed to us is that they are looked down upon and were also once used for propaganda purposes before the boarders were opened to show GCs what TCs on the other side of the fence are really like.
Why havent these people prospered? are they lazy? scrounging off the south? are there any in official positions?? do they educated themselves?? do they consider themselves TCs???

Viewpoint, do not get exited! None of the two communities ever accepted them and no one said the opposite.