Cyprus makes considerably more sense once you know roughly what happened here. Ten thousand years of settlement, seven sets of rulers and a division that still runs through the capital. This is the short version, written for people looking at the ruins rather than studying them.
The Beginning
Human settlement goes back around ten thousand years. Choirokoitia, near Larnaca, is a Neolithic village dating to roughly 7000 BC and is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Mediterranean. Reconstructed round houses show how people lived here before the pyramids.
Copper is what made the island matter. Cyprus was a major source of it in the Bronze Age, and the metal takes its name from the island rather than the other way round.
The Greeks Arrive
Mycenaean Greeks settled from around 1200 BC, bringing language, religion and culture that embedded permanently. City kingdoms developed at Salamis, Kourion and Paphos.
This is also when the Aphrodite connection begins. The island became a significant centre of her worship, and Petra tou Romiou on the south coast is named in the myth as her birthplace.
Romans and Byzantines
Rome took the island in 58 BC, and the best surviving remains date from this period. The mosaics at Paphos and the theatre at Kourion are both Roman.
Christianity arrived extremely early, and Cyprus claims one of the first Christian communities anywhere. Under Byzantine rule Orthodox Christianity took firm hold, and the monasteries and painted churches of the Troodos date from this era, covered in our guide to the monasteries of Cyprus.
Crusaders and Venetians
Richard the Lionheart took Cyprus in 1191 on his way to the Third Crusade, married Berengaria of Navarre at Limassol, and sold the island shortly afterwards. The Lusignan dynasty ruled for the next three centuries.
Venice took over in 1489 and built the fortifications, including the circular walls that still define Nicosia’s old city.
The Ottomans
Ottoman rule began in 1571 and lasted three centuries. This is the period that most shaped the everyday culture: the food picked up bulgur, tahini and cinnamon in savoury cooking, the language absorbed substantial Turkish vocabulary, and the hammam arrived.
It also established the Turkish Cypriot community, which matters for everything that follows.
The British
Britain took administrative control in 1878 and annexed the island in 1914. The legacy is unusually visible: they drive on the left, the legal system draws on British common law, English is widely spoken and the plug sockets are British.
Independence came in 1960.
1974 and the Division
Intercommunal conflict through the 1960s was followed in 1974 by a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military government in Greece, and a Turkish military intervention. The island has been divided since, with a United Nations buffer zone running across it and through Nicosia.
The Republic of Cyprus governs the south and joined the EU in 2004. The north is administered separately and recognised only by Turkey. Crossings opened in 2003 and are now routine, including on foot at Ledra Street.
This remains a live political question with strongly held views on all sides, and visitors are generally better served listening than offering opinions. Our Nicosia guide covers visiting the divided capital.
Why This Explains the Island
Every layer left something. The Greek foundation gave the language and the religion. The Ottomans gave a large part of the food and the dialect vocabulary. The British gave the driving, the law and the English.
That is why Cypriot food is not Greek food, covered in our guide to the differences between the two, and why the dialect confuses Athenians, covered in what language is spoken in Cyprus.
What to Visit
Choirokoitia for the Neolithic, Kourion and Paphos for the Roman, the Troodos painted churches for the Byzantine, Nicosia’s walls for the Venetian, Buyuk Han for the Ottoman.
Our guide to Cyprus ancient sites covers the archaeology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Cyprus?
Settlement goes back around ten thousand years, with Choirokoitia dating to roughly 7000 BC.
Why is Cyprus divided?
Following intercommunal conflict in the 1960s, a 1974 coup and a Turkish military intervention. A UN buffer zone has separated the two sides since.
Is Cyprus Greek or Turkish?
Neither. It is an independent republic and EU member, with both Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and both languages official.
Can you visit the north?
Yes. Crossings operate, including on foot in Nicosia. Take a passport and check current requirements.
Final Thoughts
Cyprus has spent most of recorded history being governed by somebody else, and absorbed something from each of them. That is why it feels European and Middle Eastern at once, and why the food, the language and the architecture never quite match what you expect.