Cyprus, from the first Mycenaean occupations to the current Turkish occupation

Located in the eastern Mediterranean, the island of Cyprus has always been in the way of conquering empires.

Greek civilization took root here, the Templar Order found their last refuge here before being annihilated, and the Venetians made the island flourish economically.

The Ottomans only managed to stop any real process of development, both economic and cultural.

After the occupation in 1974, the third of the island that is still under the umbrella of Turkey is obviously much less developed than the rest of the island.

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Chronological list of conquests:

📌 1400 BC – the first foreign occupations appear on the island – the Mycenaeans – who laid the foundations of the Greek culture that has survived to this day. The Mycenaeans stayed on the island until 1100-1050 BC.

📌 and this is how Cyprus end up to be the birthplace of Aphrodite (the goddess of beauty in Greek mythology) and Andonis (Aphrodite’s mortal lover).

📌 708 BC – Assyrian occupation for a century

📌 545 BC – Persian occupation

📌 333 BC – conquered by Alexander the Great. After his death, Cyprus became part of the Egyptian Empire under the Ptolemaic dynasty.

📌 58 BC – falls under the regime of the Byzantine Empire until 800 AD.

📌 649 AD – the periodic attacks from the Levant begin, which lasted for about 300 years.

📌 965 – Byzantine occupation is restored.

🚩 The archaeological site of Kourion will take you back in time 👉 Ancient city with million dollars view

The Templars and the Venetians

📌 1191 – Richard I of England occupied the island during the Third Crusade.

📌 1192 – the island is sold to the Templar Order, who in turn sold it to Guy de Lusignan (king of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the period 1186-1192).

📌 1197 – Aimery, brother of Guy de Lusignan, became king until 1205.

📌 1473 – Cyprus comes under Venetian occupation, after the death of the last Lusignan king. The Venetians erected protective walls in Nicosia.

339 years under Turkish occupation

📌 1539 – the Ottomans destroyed Limassol, therefore the Venetians fortified Famagusta and Kyrenia.

📌 1570 – an army of 60,000 Ottomans occupied the island and massacred many Greeks and Armenians. They later populated the island with the soldiers who participated in the conquest, with peasants and people in conflict with the law on the mainland. Under Ottoman rule the island went into an economic decline that lasted for 250 years.

📌 1828 – Greek and Turkish Cypriot revolt against the Ottoman Empire was suppressed.

The British Crown and independence

📌 1878 – Cyprus is ceded to the British Empire, following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 and the Congress of Berlin. Cyprus remained de jure under the Ottoman Empire until November 5, 1914.

📌 1906 – the port of Famagusta is completed.

📌 1915 – GB offered Cyprus to Greece, led by King Constantine I, on the condition that Greece join GB in WW1. The offer was rejected.

📌 1925 – Cyprus is declared a British colony.

📌 1950 – referendum on union with Greece, majority YES.

Independence and the Turkish invasion

📌1960 – Cyprus gains independence from Great Britain.

📌1974, July 20 – the Turkish invasion of Cyprus takes place which led to the occupation of a third of the island – most of the Famagusta region and the Kyrenia region – the occupied region is called Katehomena by the Cypriots. In 3 days the Turks landed 30,000 soldiers on the island. 180,000 Greek Cypriots were evacuated from the Turks.

📌The Turkish invasion is commemorated every year with the sound of sirens.

🚩Cyprus has the last divided capital in Europe 👉 Nicosia, the world’s last divided capital