Linobamvaki
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The Linobambaki or Linovamvaki were a
Crypto-Christian Crypto-Christianity is the secret adherence to Christianity, while publicly professing to be another faith; people who practice crypto-Christianity are referred to as "crypto-Christians". In places and time periods where Christians were persecuted ...
community in
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
, predominantly of
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
descent who were persecuted for their religion during Ottoman rule. They assimilated into the
Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( or ; ) are so called ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots are mainly Sunni Muslims. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,000 Turkish settlers were given land onc ...
community during
British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...
.


Etymology

The word ''Linobambaki'' comes from
Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...
, 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 usually meant to cr ...
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 List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
community was much less than towards the
Greek Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church (, , ) is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian Churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Rom ...
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 The culture of Northern Cyprus is the pattern of Human behavior, human activity and symbolism associated with Northern Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots. It features significant elements influenced by or developed upon the culture of Turkey, but combine ...
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 (Yeşilköy) * Agios Ioannis (Ayyanni) * Agios Sozomenos (Arpalık) * Agios Theodoros (Boğaziçi) * Armenochori (Esenköy) *
Ayios Iakovos Agios Iakovos ( 'Saint James'; '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 had a population of 229 inhabitants. It has his ...
(Altınova) *
Ayios Khariton Agios Chariton ( "Saint Chariton"; , previously ) is a small village in Cyprus. It is located north of Marathovounos, on the south side of the Kyrenia mountain range. Agios Chariton is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 20 ...
(Ergenekon) *
Dali Dali or DALI may refer to: Art and popular culture * Dali, a location in ''Final Fantasy IX'' * ''Dali'' (Dalida album) (1984) * ''Dali'' (Ali Project album) (1994) * Espace Dalí, Salvador Dalí's permanent exhibition in France Religion ...
(Dali) *
Frodisia Vroisha or Frodisia or Vroisia ( or ; 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 British Colonial Rule the populat ...
(Yağmuralan) *
Galinoporni Galinoporni (; ) is a village in Cyprus, located on the southern side of the Karpas Peninsula. Galinoporni is under the ''de facto'' control of Occupied Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 333. The village has always been exclusively popu ...
(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 abandoned ...
(Aşağı Kalkanlı) * Tylliria (Dillirga) *
Kritou Marottou Kritou Marottou () is a village in the Paphos District of Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientat ...
(Grit-Marut) *
Limnitis Limnitis (; ) 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 beach. Limnitis is under the ''de jure'' c ...
(Yeşilırmak) *
Louroujina Louroujina ( []; , previously or ) is a village in Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus, located within the salient (geography), salient that marks the southernmost extent of northern Cyprus. It was one of the largest mixed Cypriot villages before the Tur ...
(Luricina/Akincilar) *
Melounta Melounta (, ), 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'' control of Northern Cyprus. Agios ...
(Mallıdağ) * Potamia (Bodamya) *
Vretsia Vretsia (, ) is an abandoned Turkish Cypriot village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located east of Koilineia. After the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phas ...
(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 millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...
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
divide and rule The term divide and conquer in politics refers to an entity gaining and maintaining political power by using divisive measures. This includes the exploitation of existing divisions within a political group by its political opponents, and also ...
policies 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 (; ) 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 Strabo, the ancient settlement o ...
, Platanissos,
Agios Symeon Agios Symeon ( "Saint Simon", , previously also ) is a village in Cyprus, located on the Karpas Peninsula. It is under the ''de facto'' control of Northern Cyprus. As of 2011, Avtepe had a population of 119. It has always been inhabited by Turkish ...
and
Galinoporni Galinoporni (; ) is a village in Cyprus, located on the southern side of the Karpas Peninsula. Galinoporni is under the ''de facto'' control of Occupied Cyprus. As of 2011, it had a population of 333. The village has always been exclusively popu ...
.


See also

*
Karamanlides The Karamanlides (; ), also known as Karamanli Greeks: "Turkophone Greeks are called Karamanli Greeks or Karamanlides, and their language and literature is called Karamanli Turkish or Karamanlidika, but the scholarly literature has no equivalent ...
*
Urums Urums (, ; , ''Urúm''; Turkish and Crimean Tatar: ''Urum,'' ) are several groups of Turkic-speaking Greek Orthodox people native to Crimea. The emergence and development of the Urum identity took place from 13th to the 17th centuries. Bringin ...
*
Vallahades The Vallahades () or Valaades () are a Greek-speaking Muslim population who lived along the river Haliacmon in southwest Greek Macedonia, in and around Anaselitsa (modern Neapoli) and Grevena. They numbered about 17,000 in the early 20th centur ...
*
Hemshin peoples The Hemshin people (, ; ), also known as Hemshinli or Hamshenis or Homshetsi, are a bilingual ethnographic group of Armenians who mostly practice Sunni Islam after their conversion from Christianity in the beginning of the 18th century an ...
*
Crypto-Christianity Crypto-Christianity is the secret adherence to Christianity, while publicly professing to be another faith; people who practice crypto-Christianity are referred to as "crypto-Christians". In places and time periods where Christians were persecuted ...
*
Crypto-Christian Serbs After Ottoman conquests of Serbian lands in the late 14th century, conversion of Orthodox Christian Serbs began. Konstantin Mihailović (fl. 1455–63), an Ottoman janissary of Serb origin, spoke of Crypto-Christian Serbs in the janissary corps, hav ...


References

{{Cyprus topics Ottoman Cyprus Turkish Cypriot people by descent Crypto-Christianity in the Ottoman Empire