The Royal Apollonia (issue 4, 2018) The Royal Apollonia (issue 4, 2018) | Page 14

A FABLE D ISLAN D
The
Republic of Cyprus is lo-
cated in Eastern Mediterranean. It is
rich in history and its strategic position in the area made it vul-
nerable to invasions from different civilizations. The New Stone
Age village in Khirokitia that dates back to 6800 BC has been
preserved to show that this island was populated in the Neo-
lithic era. Some of the oldest water wells in the world (9000
to 10,500 years old) are present here and the civilizations that
captured this country include Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians,
Persians, Romans, Arabs, French, Venetians and Turks. Each
invader followed the other, sometimes arriving in waves, like
the Greeks did and sometimes for short periods, thus impact-
ing the lifestyle and culture of the country. It became a British
colony in 1878 and was annexed formally following the First
World War. Cyprus has always been torn between the Turks
and Greeks as they demanded that this island belongs in their
area and consequently is a part of their state which resulted
in civil wars between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.
Cyprus was granted independence by Britain in 1960 but the
dispute continued and a green line was drawn in 1974 between
them. Officially Cyprus belongs to Greek Cypriot and now a
part of Commonwealth and Eurozone.
The Advent of Civilization in Cyprus
Exploring the
History of Cyprus
The ancient ruins, crumbling architecture, and the romantic old harbours
of Cyprus are like an open storybook that narrates the stories of decades
old voyages that washed up on the shores of this Mediterranean land that has an air of magic
and enchantment. The sea around this island has been witness to many civilizations that took
refuge here and country even paying benefits to them.
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T H E R O YA L A P O L L O N I A M A G A Z IN E • 2018 edition
The very first and oldest sign of human existence were found
in Aetokremnos, on the South Coast, of hunters and gatherers
who lived in settled communities in 8200 BC. As Bronze Age
came to an end, the island experienced the arrival of two waves
of Greek settlements that took over. The major Greek Gods/
Goddess and Kings namely Aphrodite, Adonis, Cinyras, Teucer,
and Pygmalion are associated with this island and thus this
place has an importance in Greek mythology and is very dear
to the Greeks. From 780 BC onwards, Assyrians took over the
land and later Egyptians gained the upper hand for a brief time
period. Alexander The Great conquered it in 333 BC but after
his death, Cyprus came under the Byzantine Empire. During
this time period, Cyprus became enriched with Hellenic and
Christian traditions and still holds on to them.
Independence from Colonization
The Muslim, Venetian and Ottoman Empire raided the
country later and the Kings of England snatched it from the
jaws of potential invaders. Nevertheless, Turk influence has
never been fully banished from here. The Ottoman govern-
ment established the millet system and abolished the feudal
system. Under this, non-Muslims were governed by their
own religious figures and authorities. Ottoman rule was op-
pressive and the economy of the country declined terribly.
Britain exploited Cyprus as a colony, used its naval routes
to control their other colonies, especially India. Meanwhile
the fight between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to
declare the island as part of Greece or Turkey continued
throughout. The United Nation made efforts to resolve the
issue by dividing the areas between them with a ‘green line’
which becomes a neutral area. The continuous invasion and
fights have had a drastic effect on the economy and overall
well-being of the country. Tourism declined too, owing to
the destruction of historical sites, which were restored later.
Greek Orthodoxy is the main re