Description

Årgates was always inhabited solely by Greek Cypriots. As can be seen from the chart above, in the Ottoman census of 1831, Christians (Greek Cypriots) constituted the only inhabitants of the village. During the British period, the population growth of the village showed an upward trend, increasing steadily from 234 in 1891 to 637 in 1960.

No one was displaced from this village during the intercommunal strife of the 1960s or in 1974. However, the village received many displaced Greek Cypriots in 1974, most of whom had fled from their homes in the Kyrenia district.

Currently the village is inhabited by its original villagers and many displaced Greek Cypriots originally from the Kyrenia district. With the settlement of displaced persons, the population of Ergates increased to 1,044 in 1976 from its 1973 figure of 812. In 1982 the village had grown to 1,121 inhabitants, and the last census of 2001 put the village¢s population at 1,857.