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Cyprus Villa Holidays
Situated in Paphos, this private
detached holiday villa rental
offers: 3 bedrooms all en-suite, private swimming pool, BBQ and a
deluxe Spa Hot Tub.
www.cyprus-villa-holidays.co.uk |
Pre - History of Cyprus
The metal
"copper" is named after the country of
Cyprus by the Romans. In Latin
it was called aes Cyprium - meaning
the "metal of Cyprus", shortened to
cyprium and then corrupted to
cuprum. The ancient Greek
word for
copper
is chalkos.
*ca. 8500 BC: Possible first human
settlement by
epipalaeolithic
hunters and gatherers at
Aetokremnos.
*7000-5300 BC: Neolithic
** ca. 7000: Settlement of the island by
Neolithic farmers from the
Levant
(PPN B) who introduced
domesticated wheat,
cattle, sheep, goats, dogs and fallow
deer, wild foxes and tamed cats.
** 6th Millennium: aceramic
Khirokitia-culture
with round houses
**4500-4000: first pottery produced during
the
Sotira-Phase
* 4000-2500 Chalcolithic
**Erimi-Phase
(Chalcolithic I), copper known, but used
sparingly
** Ambelikou/Ayios Georghios (Chalcolithic
II)
*2700-1050 Bronze Age
**2700-1900: Early
Bronze
age.
First rectangular houses, re-introduction
of cattle from Anatolia,
introduction of
plough. Strong
Anatolian
influences
** Enkomi-phase: first cities, Systematic
copper mining and trade
*1900-1600: Middle Bronze Age
*1600-1050: Late Bronze Age, First use of
The
Cypriot syllabic script
in (LCIB).
** 1300-1200 BC Late Cypriot (LC) IIC,
local prosperity, re-building of cities.
** 1200-1100 BC: end of the late Bronze
Age (LCIIIA). Local production of
so-called
Mycenaean
pottery
** 1100-1050: latest bronze Age (LCIIIB,),
introduction of a new type of grave,
Mycenean influences in
pottery decoration, interpreted by some as an invasion from
the Greek mainland.
**1125-1050: Submycenean period.
*1050-700:
Iron
Age
* 1050-750: Geometric period
* 8th Century: foundation of numerous
Phoenician
colonies
Ancient-History of Cyprus
* 709 BC: Assyrian conquest of Cyprus by
King
Sargon
II
(721-705 BC) of Assyria.
* 669/663 BC: Independent city-kingdoms
* 570 BC: conquest by the
Egyptians
under
Amasis.
* 500 BC: first Cypriote coins,
using the Persian weight system.
* 499 BC: Kingdoms of Cyprus take part in
the
Ionian
rising
under
Onesilos of Salamis.
* defeat of the Cypriote kings,
re-conquest of the island.
* Around 450 BC: increased importance of
Kition.
* 450 BC:
Phoenician
rulers in Salamis
* 411 BC: The Teucrid
Etageres
I regains the throne of
Salamis.
* 400 BC: Evagoras attempts an
independent rule on Cyprus with
Athenian
help.
* 380 BC: Persian reconquest,
* 386 BC: treaty of
Antakidas,
Persian rule
over Cyprus accepted by
Athens.
* 350 BC: Cypriote rebellion, crushed by
Artaxerxes
in 344.
* 351-332 BC: Pythagoras of Salamis and
other Cypriote kings go over to
Alexander The Great
during the
siege of Tyre.
*331-310 BC:
Nicocreon
*310-306 BC: Menelaos is made satrap of
Cyprus.
*306-301 BC: Antigonus.
*301-30
BC
Ptolemaic Lagid Dynasty
*116
BC
Ptolemy Philometor sent to Cyprus by his
mother
Cleopatra
*109
BC
Alexander the brother of
Ptolemy IX Lathyros
sent to Cyprus by his mother Cleopatra.
*107
BC
Alexander returns from Cyprus and is made
king of Egypt. Ptolemy campaigns in
Palestine.
*58
BC
Cyprus becomes a
Roman
province.
*51
BC
Cyprus placed under the rule of Cleopatra
by
Julius
Caesar.
*30 BC Cyprus reverts to Roman rule.
*45
Paul
of Tarsus,
St
Barnabas
and
St
Mark
introduce
Christianity
to Cyprus and convert the Roman
governor Sergius Paulus
*115-116:
A
messianic Jewish revolt
results in the massacre of 240,000
Cypriots.Trajan.
intervenes to
restore the peace and expels
the
Jews
from Cyprus.
*335: The revolt of the usurper Calocaerus
is omated by Flavius Dalmmatius.
*c.350
Salamis is rebuilt by
Constantius II
the son of
Constantine
after being destroyed by earthquakes
and is renamed Constantia.
Middle-Ages
* 395 AD Cyprus becomes part of the
Byzantine Empire.
* 647 The
Arabs
invade Cyprus under
Muawiya
and occupy it.
* 683 The Arab garrison is withdrawn after
the Arabs are defeated by Constantine IV.
* 688 Emperor Justinian II and Caliph al-Malik
sign a treaty. No garrisons stationed in
the island, and the
collected taxes being divided among the Arabs and the Emperor.
* 965 Cyprus is restored to Byzantine rule
by Nicepheros Phokas
* 1185-1192 Cyprus independent Empire
under Isaak Comnenus
* 1192
Richard I of England,
Richard Cœur de Lion
(kör due lyôN')
or better known as
Richard the
Lion - Heart, captured
Messina on his way to Acre and married
(1191) Berengaria of Navarre. The island
is
sold to the
Templar Order,
who in turn sell it to
Guy of Lusignan.
*1192-1489
Guy of
Lusignan
and his descendants rule Cyprus as an
independent kingdom.
*1489-1571 Cyprus becomes an overseas
colony of the Venetian Republic after
having been purchased
from the last member
of the Lusignan dynasty.
* 1571 Having been put under siege the
previous year,
Famagusta
is captured and Cyprus becomes part of
the
Ottoman Empire.
Ottoman-Empire Period
*1571
The Ottomans take Famagusta, Cyprus
becomes a part of the Ottoman Empire.
*1572-1668
Twenty eight bloody uprisings, most of
these were by the Muslim forefathers of
the Turkish
Cypriots, who staged 27rebellions according to famous Cyprus
historian Harry Luke. One of the most
memorable is that of rebel leader Halil
Agha who in 1624 assassinated the Ottoman
pasha, Chil Osman
in Nicosia, and later
burned his palace.Halil Agha held control
over certain areas of Cyprus, which was
an embarrassment for the Ottomans. Agha
criticized both the Ottomans for asking
for too much tax from
the Muslims and the
Greeks who were acting as good citizens by
paying a larger amount of these taxes.
He gained support from other Muslim Turkish
Cypriots. Agha challeged Ottoman authority
over the
island, so much so that the imperial porte in Constantinople ordered
that soldiers be dispatched to crush
the
militia. Later Agha was defeated and beheaded, but his campaign is important
for Turkish Cypriot
feelings of nationhood. Had he succeeded there would
have been a Turkish Cypriot state as early
as
1624.
*1625-1700
Great depopulation of Cyprus. The plague
wipes out over half of the population
*1821
Greek Cypriots side with Greece in a
revolt against Turkish rule. The island's
leading churchmen are
executed as punishment. 20,000
Christians
flee the island.
*1869
The
Suez
Canal
opens.
Modern-History of Cyprus
Following the
defeat of the Ottoman Empire in
World
War I,
Cyprus was annexed by Britain in 1925 and
made a crown colony.
Between 1955-59
EOKA
was created by Greek Cypriots and led by
George
Grivas
to perform
enosis
(union of the island with Greece). However
the EOKA campaign did not result union
with Greece but
rather an independent
republic, The Republic of Cyprus, in 1960.
In 1960 Turkish Cypriots were only the 18%
of the Cypriot population. However, the
1960
constitution
carried important safeguards
for the participation of Turkish Cypriots
to the state affairs, like vice-
president
being Turkish Cypriot, 30% of parliament
being Turkish Cypriot, etc. Archbishop Makarios
would be the
President
and
Dr
Fazil Kucuk
would become Vice President. One of the
articles in the
constitution was the
creation of separate local municipalities
so that Greek and Turkish Cypriots could
manage their own municipalities in the big
towns. This article of the constitution
has never been
implemented by the Republic
and president Archbishop Makarios. In
response to the Greek-backed coup
Turkey
invaded the island
in
1974
and seized the northern third of the
island, Turkish Cypriots in the
south
would travel north and
Greek
Cypriots
in the north would move south. The
de
facto
state of
Northern Cyprus was proclaimed in
1975
under the name "Turkish Federated State of Northern Cyprus".
The name was changed to
its present form on
15
November
1983.
The only country to formally recognise
The "Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus"
is
Turkey.
Turkey refer to the
Republic of Cyprus
as the
"Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus" and refuse formal
recognition against the international
and
European law.
Timeline of
Cyprus
*1878-1960:
British occupation. The British take over
the administration of the island, ceded by
the Ottomans, for its strategic value, to
protect their sea route to
India
via the
Suez
Canal.
In exchange, Britain agrees to help
Turkey
against future
Russian attacks.
*Crown commissioners:
**Sir Robert Biddulph (1880-?)
**Sir Walter Sendall (1892-1898)
**Sir Charles King-Harman (1904-1910)
*1914:
Cyprus is annexed by
Britain
when Turkey joins with
Germany
and
Austro-Hungary
in
World
War I.
*1925:
Cyprus becomes a
British Crown Colony.
*Governors:
**Sir Richmond Palmer
*1931:
First serious riots of
Greek
Cypriots
demanding
Enosis,
the union with
Greece.
The government -
house in
Nicosia
is burned down and martial law is declared
afterwards and the legislative council is
abolished. The display of the
Greek
flag
and the
Greek
National Anthem
were banned.
*1939:
Greek Cypriots fight with the British in
World War II,
but remain set on Enosis after the war is
over.
The
Turkish Cypriots, however want the
British
rule to continue.
*1946-1949:
Thousands of displaced Jews are sent to
camps on Cyprus by the British Government.
*1950:
Archbishop Makarios
III is elected as political and spiritual
leader. Makarios becomes the head of
the
autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church
and heads the campaign for
Enosis
with the support of
Greece.
*1955:
A series of bomb attacks starts a violent
campaign for Enosis by
EOKA
(National Organisation of
Cypriot
Fighters) led by George
Grivas,
an ex-colonel in Greek army, born in
Cyprus. Grivas takes name
of Dighenis, and
conducts guerrilla warfare from a secret
hideout in the
Troodos Mountains.
He is
estimated to have 300 men at
maximum, yet successfully plagues 20,000
British troops and 4,500
police.
*1956:
Britain deports Makarios to the
Seychelles
in attempt to quell the revolt. Turkish
Cypriots are used
as auxiliaries of
British Security Forces, and become one of
the major targets of the EOKA.
*1957:
Field
Marshal
Sir John Harding is replaced by the
civilian governor Sir
Hugh
Foot
in a conciliatory
move.
*1958:
Turkish Cypriots are alarmed by British
conciliation and begin demands for
partition. There are
inter-communal
clashes and attacks on British.
*1960:
British, Greek and Turkish governments
sign a
Treaty
of Guarantee
to provide for an independent
Cypriot
state within the Commonwealth of Nations
and allowing for the retention of two
Sovereign Base
Areas
of Dhekelia and
Akrotiri.
Under the treaty, each power has the right
to take military action in the
face of any
threat to the constitution. Cyprus becomes
independent of foreign rule.
Archbishop Makarios,
(Greek Cypriot) becomes the first
President, Dr Kutchuk (Turkish Cypriot)
Vice-President. Both have the
right of
veto.
Turkish Cypriots, who form 18% of the
population, are guaranteed
vice-presidency, three out
of ten ministerial posts and 30% of jobs in the
public service, 40% in the army and
separate municipal
services in the five
major towns. Overall, a very complex
constitution is drafted, including a lot
of
decisions to b taken by majority of
votes overall as well as within each
community.
*1963-1973:
Greek Cypriots view the constitution as
unworkable and propose changes abolishing
all veto
rights and many ethnic clauses;
these proposals are rejected by Turkish
Cypriots and the Turkish
government.
Inter-communal fighting erupts. A
UN Peace Keeping Force
is sent in, but is powerless to
prevent
incidents. Thousands of Turkish Cypriots
retreat into enclaves and are embargoed by
the Greeks
Cypriots. The UN attempts to
supply them with food and medicine. The
Turks are to remain in the
enclaves for
the next 11 years until the partition of
the island in 1974.
*1974:
On
15
July
the military government (junta) in Greece
with the support of the
CIA
and American
national security advisor Henry
Kissinger
orders a coup by the Greek National guard
to overthrow
Makarios who they see as
being too pro-Russian. Makarios is forced
to flee to the British base. A puppet
regime is imposed under
Nikos
Sampson,
a former
EOKA
fighter and paid
CIA
operative.
**Five days after the coup on
20
July
Turkish
Turkey
invades Cyprus
and captures 3% of the islands
territory
around the town of
Kyrenia,
driving out the Greek Cypriot population.
**Three days later the coup is put down
and democracy is restored.
**On
14
August
after UN talks break down it lands 40,000
troops on the north coast. 200,000 Greek
Cypriots Flee to the South, while Turkish
Cypriots are forced to leave their homes
in the South. Turkish
forces are left in
control of 37% of the island. Facing
threats from Turkey the United Nations and
the
Cyprus government agree to allow the
Turkish Cypriots living in the free areas
to be transferred by the UN
and British SBA authorities to the occupied north
against their will.
*1975:
Turks announce a Federate State in the
north, with Rauf Dentkta
as leader. UN Forces stay as
buffer
between the
two zones.
*1977:
Makarios dies, having been restored as
President of Greek Cyprus after
1974.
He is succeeded by
Spyros Kyprianou.
*1983:
The Turkish Federated State declares
itself independent as the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), with Denkta
as President. The new state is not
recognised by any country except Turkey
and
officially boycotted.
*1992-1995:
UN sponsored talks between the two sides
run into the sand, but with a commitment
to
resume.
*2001:
The
European Court of Human Rights
finds Turkey guilty of continuing human
rights violations
against the Greek
Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots also.
*2003:
Cyprus is set to
join
the European Union
in
May
2004.
Renewed negotiations about the status of
the island take place.
** On
23
April
2003,
the line which divides the two parts of
Cyprus was partly opened. Thousands of
Turkish and Greek Cypriots cross the
border to the "other side" after 30 years.
*
24
April
2004
The
Annan
Plan
for unification is rejected by the
majority of Greek Cypriots in a bipartisan
referendum.
** Cyprus as a whole joins the
EU
on
1 May
but the EU
acquis
is suspended in the occupied north.
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Notes of Interest
on Cyprus
Presidents of Cyprus:
Tassos Papadopoulos (2003-08)
Demetris Christofias
(2008- )
Land area:
3,568 sq miles (9,241 sq km)
Population 2006 est:
784,301 (growth rate: 0.5%); birth rate:
12.6/1000; infant mortality rate: 7.0/1000;
life expectancy: 77.8; density per sq mi:
220:
Capital of Cyprus and
its largest
City 2003est: Lefkosia (Nicosia) (in
government-controlled area), 197,600
Communications:
Telephones: main lines in use: Greek
Cypriot area: 427,400 (2002); Turkish
Cypriot area: 86,228 (2002); mobile
cellular: Greek Cypriot area: 417,900
(2002); Turkish Cypriot area: 143,178
(2002).
Radio broadcast stations: Greek Cypriot
area: AM 7, FM 60, shortwave 1 (1998);
Turkish Cypriot area: AM 3, FM 11,
shortwave 1 (1998).
Television broadcast stations:
Greek Cypriot area: 4 (plus 225 low-power
repeaters); Turkish Cypriot area: 4 (plus 5
repeaters) (Sept. 1995).
Internet hosts: 5,901 (2004). Internet
users: 210,000 (2002
Monetary unit:
as from January 2008 ( Euro )
Languages Spoken:
Greek, Turkish (both official); English
Ethnicity / Race:
Greek 77%, Turkish 18% (each
concentrated almost exclusively in
separate areas); other 5% (2001)
Religions:
Greek Orthodox 78%, Islam 18%,
Maronite, Armenian Apostolic, and others
4% |
