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The Linobambaki or Linovamvaki were a
Crypto-Christian Crypto-Christianity is the secret practice of Christianity, usually while attempting to camouflage it as another faith or observing the rituals of another religion publicly. In places and time periods where Christians were persecuted or Christian ...
community in
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 ...
, predominantly of
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and Greek-Orthodox descent who were persecuted for their religion during Ottoman rule. They assimilated into the Turkish Cypriot community during
British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...
.


Etymology

The word ''Linobambaki'' comes from
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, which derives from the combination of the words (''lino'') "linen" and (''vamvaki'') "cotton". The term was used as a
metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide (or obscure) clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are often compared wi ...
in order to demonstrate that even though they had Latin Catholic origins, they chose to appear outwardly Muslim.


History

The Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–73) concluded with the remainder of Cyprus under Ottoman rule, and immediately after the war, sanctions were put in place for the Latin population of the island. With Ottoman-Venetian rivalry at its peak, the Ottomans feared the security risk posed by the Latin Catholics of Cyprus, and in particular that they would entice the Venetians to return. As a result, Ottoman tolerance towards the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
community was much less than towards the
Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...
community. In addition to political and religious pressure, there was an economic oppression that included removing their rights to own property. The Catholic inhabitants affected by these measures consisted of Latins, Venetians, Genoeses, Maronites and Armenians who had converted to Islam in order to circumvent these Ottomon legal precepts. Their artificial and interested embrace of the religion led them to eventually earn the name of Linobambaki. The Linobambaki did not outwardly practice or demonstrate their religious beliefs, due to their faux conversion to curry favour with the Ottomans and the Orthodox communities. Thus in their daily life, they chose to have either one Christian and one Muslim name, or a common name found in both faiths like Ibrahim (Abraham), Yusuf (Joseph) or Musa (Moses). At annual conscription they were often drafted into the Ottoman army, and they avoided paying taxes for non-Muslims. The Linobambaki did not entirely convert to a traditional Muslim life, and only demonstrated religious practices and beliefs that would gain them advantages only afforded to Muslims. For example, they frequently consumed alcohol and pork, and didn't attend religious services; traditions similar to continuing Turkish Cypriot culture today. Many of the Linobambaki villages have Christian saint names that begin with άγιος (ayios), or "saint" to attribute their Latin Catholic origins. Linobambaki's cultural roots and history can be found throughout Turkish Cypriot life and literature. For example, two of the most prominent main characters from Cypriot folklore are "Gavur Imam" and "Hasan Bulli". Linobambaki became a part of the majority of all uprisings and revolts against Ottoman rule, and other local government bodies on the island. Linobambaki are mentioned by foreign travellers who visited Cyprus before the 20th century. The English historian and traveller William Hepworth Dixon who visited Cyprus in 1878 describes the Linobambaki as a "troublesome but comic element", changing religion from day to day. Fathers pretend that they circumcise their children, and give them names that sound both Muslim and Christian, such as Yacoub, Jousouf and Mousa. He notes that whole villages of "white" Cypriots use these tricks.


Settlements

Many of the villages and neighbouring areas accepted as Turkish Cypriot estates, were formerly Linobambaki activity centers. These include: *
Agios Andronikos Agios Andronikos ( el, Άγιος Ανδρόνικος "Saint Andronicus f Kanakaria; tr, Yeşilköy "green village") is a village between Leonarisso and Gialousa, on the Karpass Peninsula, in Cyprus. It is under the ''de facto'' control of N ...
(Yeşilköy) * Agios Ioannis (Ayyanni) *
Agios Sozomenos Agios Sozomenos ( gr, Αγιος Σωζόμενος tr, Arpalık (lit. "place of barley")) is a deserted village in the Nicosia District of Cyprus, close to the Green Line and near Potamia. It is located at the confluence of the Alikos river ...
(Arpalık) * Agios Theodoros (Boğaziçi) * Armenochori (Esenköy) *
Ayios Iakovos Agios Iakovos ( el, Αγιος Ιάκωβος 'Saint James'; tr, Altınova 'golden plain', previously ) is a village in Cyprus, located northwest of Trikomo. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, Agios Iakovos ha ...
(Altınova) * Ayios Khariton (Ergenekon) * Dali (Dali) *
Frodisia Vroisha or Frodisia or Vroisia ( el, Βροΐσια or ; tr, Vroişa or ). Although in 1891 there were some Greek Cypriots living in Vroisha, from 1901 to 1960 the village was almost solely inhabited by Turkish Cypriots. During the period of ...
(Yağmuralan) *
Galinoporni Galinoporni ( el, Γαληνόπορνη; tr, Kaleburnu) is a village in Cyprus, located on the southern side of the Karpas Peninsula. Galinoporni is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 333. T ...
(Kaleburnu) *
Kato Arodes Kato Arodes ( Greek: Κάτω Αρόδες) is a village in the North West of Cyprus close to the Akamas peninsula. It is about 23 km from the town of Paphos. In 1975 (a year after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus), Kato Arodes was aband ...
(Aşağı Kalkanlı) * Tylliria (Dillirga) *
Kritou Marottou Kritou Marottou ( gr, Κρήτου Μαρόττου) is a village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located 2 km east of Fyti Fyti ( el, Φύτη or ) is a village in the Paphos District of Cyprus. It is situated on a plateau 25 km north- ...
(Grit-Marut) *
Limnitis Limnitis ( el, Λιμνίτης; tr, Yeşilırmak) is a coastal village in the Tylliria region of north-western Cyprus. The upper parts of the village are located 20 metres above sea level, but Limnitis extends all the way down to the beac ...
(Yeşilırmak) * Louroujina (Luricina/Akincilar) *
Melounta Melounta ( gr, Μελούντα, tr, Mallıdağ), is a village in the Famagusta District of Cyprus, located 9 km north of Lefkoniko, or Gecitkale, on the south side of the eastern Pentadaktylos mountain range. It is under the ''de facto'' ...
(Mallıdağ) * Potamia (Bodamya) *
Vretsia Vretsia ( gr, Βρέτσια, tr, Vretça) is an abandoned Turkish Cypriot village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located east of Koilineia. After the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Turkish-Cypriot natives of the village abandoned their ...
(Vretça)


Today

The Ottoman Empire's
millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets a ...
system was abolished during British administration. In this period, the people of Cyprus were split into two main groups in censuses and administrative records. Because of the polarisation politics of the British administration, Linobambaki were integrated into the Turkish Cypriot community. There were still Greek speaking settlements that identified themselves as Turkish Cypriots during the 1950s; settlements such as
Lapithos Lapithos or Lapethos ( el, Λάπηθος; tr, Lapta) is a town in Cyprus. ''De facto'', it is under the control of Northern Cyprus. Archeologists claim that Lapithos was founded by the Achean brothers Praxandros and Cepheus. According to Stra ...
, Platanissos,
Agios Symeon Avtepe or Agios Symeon ( el, Άγιος Συμεών "Saint Simon", previously known as in Turkish) is a village in Cyprus, located on the Karpas Peninsula. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, Agios Symeon had a ...
and
Galinoporni Galinoporni ( el, Γαληνόπορνη; tr, Kaleburnu) is a village in Cyprus, located on the southern side of the Karpas Peninsula. Galinoporni is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 333. T ...
. There is currently a non-governmental organisation called "LINOBAMBAKI" in Cyprus.


See also

*
Karamanlides The Karamanlides ( el, Καραμανλήδες; tr, Karamanlılar), also known as Karamanli Greeks or simply Karamanlis, are a traditionally Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox people native to the Karaman and Cappadocia regions of Anatolia. Th ...
* Urums * Vallahades *
Hemshin peoples , , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = Hamshen people by country , population = 150,000 – 200,000 , popplace = , regions = , region1 = , pop1 = 150,000 , ref1 ...
*
Crypto-Christianity Crypto-Christianity is the secret practice of Christianity, usually while attempting to camouflage it as another faith or observing the rituals of another religion publicly. In places and time periods where Christians were persecuted or Christiani ...
* Crypto-Christian Serbs


References

{{Cyprus topics Ottoman Cyprus Turkish Cypriot people by ethnic or national origin Crypto-Christianity in the Ottoman Empire