Andreas Avraam Photography
The Long History Of Kokkinotrimithia Concentration Camp
Kokkinotrimithia camp has been used for several different purposes throughout history. Its original purpose was to hold illegal Jewish refugees seeking to resettle in Palestine after WWII. Between August 1946 and May 1948, the British government intercepted more than 50,000 Holocaust survivors, they confined these survivors in detention camps established in Cyprus so as to control the mass migration of people into Palestine. The British military operated the detention camps following a harsh POW model. Enclosed by barbed wire and guard towers, conditions were severe, crowded tents and tin huts led to unbearable heat in summer and freezing cold in rainy winters. There was no electric lighting, poor sanitation and limited access to water and food. Around 2000 babies were born in these camps, with deliveries in the Jewish wing of Nicosia's British military hospital. Tragically, 400 Jewish detainees lost their lives on the island, finding their resting place in Margo cemetery, a derelict Jewish cemetary now located in the occupied areas of Cyprus. Unfortunately the cemetary is also located inside a Turkish military base and access is strictly forbidden.
The most popular use of the camp was probably in the 1950s during the EOKA insurgency, which was a Greek Cypriot nationalist movement seeking the end of British rule and the unification of Cyprus with Greece. The camp was used to detain suspected EOKA members and sympathizers, with all of the detainees held there without trial. Conditions were extremely harsh, often there would be uprisings, sometimes resulting in fires and hunger strikes. In response, the British Army would often conduct mass torture of the prisoners, beat them and kept them awake by firing shots and throwing stones. Such uprisings resulted in the loss of privileges. Sending and receiving letters and weekly visits were banned. During the periods of punishment, attempts at destroying human dignity were cruder and harsher than usual and included methods such as the stripping naked of prisoners in public, isolation in disciplinary cells and survival on bread and water. My own grandfather, who is now 93 years old, a former member of EOKA was a prisoner in total for four years, with some time also spent at Kokkinotrimithia concentration camp.
Eventually Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960, the camp was taken over by the Cypriot government. However, its use changed dramatically in the aftermath of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Following the military invasion of Turkey and their occupation of northern Cyprus, many refugees were displaced from their homes and ended up living in the camp. The conditions were reported to be difficult, with overcrowding and limited facilities.
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The Long History Of Kokkinotrimithia Concentration Camp
Kokkinotrimithia camp has been used for several different purposes throughout history. Its original purpose was to hold illegal Jewish refugees seeking to resettle in Palestine after WWII. Between August 1946 and May 1948, the British government intercepted more than 50,000 Holocaust survivors, they confined these survivors in detention camps established in Cyprus so as to control the mass migration of people into Palestine. The British military operated the detention camps following a harsh POW model. Enclosed by barbed wire and guard towers, conditions were severe, crowded tents and tin huts led to unbearable heat in summer and freezing cold in rainy winters. There was no electric lighting, poor sanitation and limited access to water and food. Around 2000 babies were born in these camps, with deliveries in the Jewish wing of Nicosia's British military hospital. Tragically, 400 Jewish detainees lost their lives on the island, finding their resting place in Margo cemetery, a derelict Jewish cemetary now located in the occupied areas of Cyprus. Unfortunately the cemetary is also located inside a Turkish military base and access is strictly forbidden.
The most popular use of the camp was probably in the 1950s during the EOKA insurgency, which was a Greek Cypriot nationalist movement seeking the end of British rule and the unification of Cyprus with Greece. The camp was used to detain suspected EOKA members and sympathizers, with all of the detainees held there without trial. Conditions were extremely harsh, often there would be uprisings, sometimes resulting in fires and hunger strikes. In response, the British Army would often conduct mass torture of the prisoners, beat them and kept them awake by firing shots and throwing stones. Such uprisings resulted in the loss of privileges. Sending and receiving letters and weekly visits were banned. During the periods of punishment, attempts at destroying human dignity were cruder and harsher than usual and included methods such as the stripping naked of prisoners in public, isolation in disciplinary cells and survival on bread and water. My own grandfather, who is now 93 years old, a former member of EOKA was a prisoner in total for four years, with some time also spent at Kokkinotrimithia concentration camp.
Eventually Cyprus gained independence from British rule in 1960, the camp was taken over by the Cypriot government. However, its use changed dramatically in the aftermath of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Following the military invasion of Turkey and their occupation of northern Cyprus, many refugees were displaced from their homes and ended up living in the camp. The conditions were reported to be difficult, with overcrowding and limited facilities.
Instagram: andrewavraam_photography
FB: Andrew Avraam Photography
Shares, Likes and Comments are very much appreciated as it helps my Artwork grow.