A History
Of Cyprus And Understanding The Culture
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If you
are planning a holiday in Cyprus then it can be well worth finding out
about some of Cyprus's history first. This can make your visit much more
interesting and help you understand and appreciate the culture and way of
life. Read on for a brief history of Cyprus.
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The History of Cyprus is
certainly a very interesting one. Cyprus is one of the most popular
tourist destinations within the Mediterranean. It is the third largest
island within the Mediterranean and it started off as a former British
Colony. Whilst over 2 million tourists flock there each year, hardly
anybody knows the true history behind the country. By understanding the
history it allows you to appreciate the way of life and the culture of
Cyprus a whole lot more.
How
Cyprus Has Evolved
Cyprus
has always been a country full of love and war. According to a myth,
the goddess Aphrodite was born within the country and she represented
beauty and love. If you think of the word "Aphrodisiac" you
will see that it closely matches the goddesses name and it is thought
that was where the word actually came from.
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Aphrodite
is actually the reason why so many couples now flock to the island. They
believe that the island is one of the most romantic of them all and it is
a particular favourite when it comes to wedding destinations. The myth is
that if you get married in Cyprus you will have a happy and everlasting
marriage. Of course whether that is true or not remains to be seen but
there is no denying that the setting is very romantic.
It has
only been in the last twenty years that evidence has been found regarding
ancient Cyprus and what might have gone on. According to research and
finding, the earliest people to be in Cyprus were known as
"Aetokremnos" and they lived mainly on the islands south coast.
That was roughly in the year 10,000 BC. At the same sort of time there
were findings that have suggested that there were two quite short lived
populations on the east and the west coasts of the island too. However
not much is known about the two or how they died out.
The
most interesting thing about Cyprus’s history is that there
seems to be a gap between the ancient population and the more settled
population in 8200 BC. It is a mystery what happened to them and it is
something that archaeologists would love to find out.
Generally
the history of Cyprus involves people capturing the island, purchasing
the island and fighting over the island. In 1192 "Guy of
Lusignan" a French knight, purchased the island because he had
recently lost his own kingdom to the Templars.
It
wasn’t until 1960 that Cyprus actually gained independent
status. By this time there were two main populations living happily on
the island and they were the Greeks and the Turks. The Cyprus flag was
developed in the same year and it represents two olive branches under a
picture of the island and that is to symbolise peace. Before the
independence of the island it was packed full of violence and war.
However
the peace did not last long and there was a Turkish invasion of the
island in the 1970’s. They were not happy living side by side
with the Greeks and so they took the law into their own hands.
These
days however Cyprus is a much more peaceful country. The days of war are
long over and the culture and the history of Cyprus is now celebrated by
its local people. The history is definitely an interesting one and it is
worth knowing if you are planning on moving to the country.
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