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.
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. |
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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