North Cyprus History

Strategically located at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, the island of Cyprus has been influenced by passing-by voyagers, traders and conquerers over many centuries. The earliest settlers came to Cyprus from the nearby Mediterranean countries. The Neolithic and Chalcolithic period show the first inhabitants dated back to 7500 B.C. It is well-proven by wealth of artifacts and unearthed settlements found where today stand Kyrenia, Çatalköy and other cities in the south.

The Bronze Age (2500 - 1050 B.C.) in Cyprus is strongly connected with copper production (copper being abundant in the troodos mountains) and trade development. This period brought a transformation of the settlements into commercial centres. Mycenean people left their traces in Cyprus at this time, manufacturing decorative pottery and domestic implements. During 1050 - 475 B.C the Iron Age gained precedence as iron was stronger than bronze. The period was marked with the replacement of the Horned God, so much adored by Myceneans, by the cult of the Goddess Astarte, later known as Aphrodite. City kingdoms were also established.

Under Persian rule (475-325 B.C.)successive kings of Cyprus struggled hard for sovereignty. However, after several campaigns ended in failure they paid tribute to the Empire. The most powerful crusades were those of the kings of Evagoras and Alexander the Great.

Majestic monuments like Theatre of Kourio and Tombs of the kings in Paphos proved a flourishing of architecture during the Hellenistic period (325-50 B.C). The philosopher Zeno of Kitium (334-262 B.C.) contributed to the cultural and social development of the island at this time.

Although the Roman period (50 B.C-330 A.D) was marked with disasters like earthquakes and droughts, it also reflected flourishing architecture and prosperity. The sights that we see today like the Mosaics, the Odeion, the Theatre, the Asklepieion and the Agora in Paphos or Salamis ruins are typical of Roman period. Around 45 A.D christianity arrived on the island with the arrival of St Barnabus and Paul the apostle. One of the earliest converts is recorded as Sergius Paulus the Roman proconsul.

It was during the Byzantine period (330 - 1191 A.D.) that the island suffered a series of Arab raids, from which cities such as Salamis never recovered. The raids brought Islam to the country and during this period major fortifications were built, including the castles of St Hilarion, Buffavento, and Kantara and also Kyrenia Castle itself.

Frankish rule (1192-1489 A.D.) in Cyprus is connected with Richard the Lionheart and feudal system of Medieval Europe. Richard the Lionheart took possession of Cyprus in 1191 and subsequently sold it to the Knights Templar, who in turn sold it to the disposessed king of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan. Evidence of the period is the beautiful Gothic Bellapais Abbey in Kyrenia district.

When the Venetians (1489-1571) came to the island, they wanted to control it for purely monetary reasons. The port of Famagusta was an important and wealthy trading centre. Its strategic position made it an ideal point from which Venice could try and control all the eastern trade routes. During this period Nicosia and Famagusta walls and gates were built to protect the cities against the Ottomans.

The Ottoman rule (1571-1878 A.D.) was notable principally for oppressive taxes, misrule and decline of trade as well as forr poverty and famine. Moreover, all the beautiful churches and cathedrals were converted into mosques - Agia Sofia in Nicosia and Agios Nikolaos in Famagusta were converted into Selimiye Mosque and Lala Mustafa Mosque.

In 1878 Cyprus came under British control and modern systems were introduced with improvements in agriculture, education and public services as well as road and other infrastructure works. British rule continued to 1960.

Between 1955 and 1959, the Greek Cypriots struggled for liberation and Enosis (Union with Greece) refusing the colonial rule of Britain an armed offensive began. At this time the EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters) led by George Grivas was responsible for a series of violent attacks. The Republic of Cyprus reached its independence in August 1960 with a British engineered constitution, aimed at protecting the rights of the minority turkish community.

However there remained ethnic tensions, partly as a result of a greek desire to unite the island with Greece, a policy in which the turkish community wanted no part. The unrest resulted in serious sectarian violence and the UN arrived to try to reconcile and police the two parties. The EOKA-B grew out of its predecessor as an instrument of terror directed at the turkish community who were perceived by greeks as the obstacle to a union with Greece. In 1974 the military junta then in power in Athens conspired with others to overthrow the Cyprus government of Archbishop Makarios. Following a coup, a former EOKA thug Nikos Sampson assumed the presidency. Fearing for the safety of the embattled turkish community, Turkey intervened militarily five days later. The decisive turkish intervention resulted in the fall of both the military junta in Athens and the Sampson regime in Cyprus. However the two communities were more divided than ever and the result was the partition of the island. Turkish refugees abandoned land in the south to flee to the safety of the north and many greeks fled south, also abandoning their land. Since then, the island has remained divided into two parts, the northern part being Turkish, while the southern part is Greek.

In 1983 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established, currently only recognized by Turkey and Azerbaijan. The south part is referred to as Republic of Cyprus.

Hillcrest Property Consultants
Kyrenia
Northern Cyprus
TRNC
Tel: (0044) (0)1634 778344
Email: info@hillcrest-cyprus.com