Trikomo, Cyprus

Trikomo Τρίκωμο (Greek) Yeni İskele  (Turkish)
The main square in Trikomo
Trikomo Location in Cyprus
Coordinates: 35°17′15″N 33°53′30″E / 35.28750°N 33.89167°ECoordinates: 35°17′15″N 33°53′30″E / 35.28750°N 33.89167°E
Country	Cyprus
• District	Famagusta District
Country (controlled by)	Northern Cyprus
• District	İskele District
Government
• Mayor	Hasan Sadıkoğlu (Independent)[1]
Population (2011)[2]
• Total	1,948
• Municipality	7,906
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Climate	Csa
Website	Trikomo Municipality

Trikomo (Greek: Τρίκωμο) or Yeni İskele (in Turkish) is a town in north-eastern Mesaoria in Cyprus. De facto, it is under the control of Northern Cyprus. Trikomo gained municipality status on 1 June 1998.^[3] It is the administrative center of the İskele District of Northern Cyprus.

History

Prior to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus of 1974, the population of the village consisted almost entirely of Greek Cypriots, most of whom fled during the conflict and some of whom were later transported to the south. In 1974, Turkish Cypriots from Larnaca ("İskele" in Turkish) settled in Trikomo, giving it its new name (lit. "New İskele", later shortened to İskele).^[4]

Turkish Cypriot Larnaca Municipality that was founded in 1958 moved to Trikomo in 1974.^[5]

Culture, sports, and tourism

Turkish Cypriot Larnaka Gençler Birliği or İskele Gençlerbirliği Sports Club was founded in 1934 in Larnaca, and as of the 2015-16 season plays in the KTFF Süper Lig.^[6][7]

Panagia Theotokos in Iskele (Trikomo)

The town is known for its annual international folk dance festival and the Panagia Theotokos Church, which hosts an icon museum showcasing rare examples of medieval iconography in Cyprus.^[8] The church is a twin church consisting of Orthodox and Catholic sections. Its older Catholic section dates to the Byzantine era while the Catholic section was built in the 12th century^[8] during the Lusignan period.^[9]

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Trikomo is twinned with:

• Beykoz, Istanbul, Turkey^[10]
• Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey^[11]
• Finike, Antalya, Turkey (since 2015)^[12]
• Mamak, Ankara, Turkey^[13]
• Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey^[14]
• Samsun, Turkey (since 2006)^[15]

References

1. "İskele Belediye Başkanlığı sonuçları: Bağımsız Hasan Sadıkoğlu kazandı". Haber KKTC. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
2. KKTC 2011 Nüfus ve Konut Sayımı [TRNC 2011 Population and Housing Census] (PDF), TRNC State Planning Organization, 6 August 2013
3. Iskele Municipality
4. "TRIKOMO", Internal Displacement in Cyprus (PRIO Cyprus Centre), retrieved 20 October 2014
5. Iskele Municipality History
6. "Orda bir köy var uzakta...!". Yeni Düzen. 24 August 2009. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
7. Northern Cyprus Association of Football Clubs
8. "Karpaz Area Local Development Strategy". EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot Community. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2015.
9. "Panagia Theotokos". cyprustemples.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
10. "We are connected to Cyprus with Our Hearts". © Dost Beykoz. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
11. "Twin towns of Buyukcekmece Municipality". © Buyukcekmece Municipality. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
12. "Twin Town to Finike from Cyprus". © Finike Municipality. Retrieved 2015-06-18.
13. "Mamak - Twin Towns". © Mamak-City.sk. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
14. "İskele Belediyesi ve Pendik Belediyesi arasında "Kardeş Şehir" protokolü imzalandı.". © Pendik-City.sk. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
15. "Samsun - Twin Towns". © Samsun-City.sk. Retrieved 2013-10-19.