Cyprus — books & literature

The story of Cyprus

Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, holds one of the region's oldest continuous human stories: settlement traces reach back roughly 10,000 years, and the Neolithic village of Khirokitia (circa 7000 BCE) is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mycenaean Greeks settled the island around the 13th-12th century BCE, giving Cyprus the Greek language and culture that still define its majority population today. Its ancient copper mines were so renowned that the Latin word for the metal, cuprum, is believed to derive from the island's name. Over the centuries Cyprus passed through Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Ptolemaic, Roman, and Byzantine rule, was seized by Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade in 1191, then governed by the Lusignan dynasty, Venice, and finally the Ottoman Empire from 1571. Britain administered the island from 1878 and annexed it in 1914, before Cyprus won independence in 1960. A 1974 crisis left the island de facto divided between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-Cypriot north. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2008.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 7000 BCE

   Neolithic settlement at Khirokitia, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. circa 1200 BCE

   Mycenaean Greeks settle the island, establishing Greek language and culture.

3. 58 BCE

   Cyprus becomes a province of the Roman Republic.

4. 45 CE

   Saints Paul and Barnabas preach on Cyprus, one of the earliest sites of Christian mission.

5. 1191

   Richard I of England conquers Cyprus during the Third Crusade.

6. 1571

   The Ottoman Empire conquers Cyprus from Venice.

7. 1878

   Administration of Cyprus passes to Britain under the Cyprus Convention.

8. 1960

   Independence from Britain (16 August); Archbishop Makarios III becomes first President.

9. 1974

   A coup and Turkish military intervention leave the island de facto divided.

10. 2004

    Cyprus joins the European Union; adopts the euro in 2008.

Top 10 things to know about Cyprus

1. Cyprus is the third-largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea.
2. The Latin word for copper, cuprum, is widely believed to derive from the island's ancient copper mines.
3. Khirokitia, a Neolithic settlement dating to circa 7000 BCE, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. In Greek mythology, the goddess Aphrodite is said to have emerged from the sea near Paphos, Cyprus.
5. Cyprus has been de facto divided since 1974 between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-Cypriot north.
6. Halloumi, a semi-hard cheese originating in Cyprus, holds EU Protected Designation of Origin status.
7. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 and the eurozone in 2008.
8. The Church of Cyprus is one of the oldest autocephalous Orthodox churches, tracing its founding to the apostolic era.
9. Greek is the official language for the majority population; Turkish is official for the Turkish-Cypriot community.
10. Commandaria, produced in Cyprus, is among the oldest named wines still in production, documented since antiquity.

Famous people from Cyprus

Say it in Cyprus's language

Did you know?

• ★The Latin name for copper, cuprum, is widely believed to come from Cyprus's ancient copper mines.
• ★Khirokitia, a Neolithic village on Cyprus dating to circa 7000 BCE, is one of the best-preserved prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean.
• ★Cyprus has been split by a UN buffer zone since 1974, running through the middle of its capital, Nicosia.

Cyprus culture

• Halloumi cheese, grilled or fried, originated in Cyprus and carries EU Protected Designation of Origin status.
• Meze, a long procession of small shared dishes, is the centrepiece of traditional Cypriot dining.
• The Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Orthodox church, shapes major festivals and daily life across the south.
• Kataklysmos, the Festival of the Flood, is celebrated in coastal towns with games, music, and boat processions.

Why read Cyprus's books

Cypriot literature spans ancient Greek philosophy, Byzantine chronicle, and a modern poetic tradition shaped by division and diaspora , from Zeno's Stoicism to Costas Montis's verse. These shelves gather the island's voices.