About Cyprus - Introduction
Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, is an excellent destination for travellers seeking to explore a sweet land with beautiful nature and rich history. Tucked just south of Asia Minor, Cyprus is found where Asia, Europe and Africa meet. Its strategic position has made it an important trading station, and has been the source of wealth and prosperity, but also of war and destruction. A multitude of empires, civilization, ethnicities and religions have come to the island (Greeks, Persians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines, Francs, Venetians, Genoans, Ottomans, British, Turks, Armenians, Maronites, Pagans, Christians, Muslims, Arabs, Jews) saturating Cyprus with influences from near and far places, and enriching its culture tremendously. These influences can easily be observed in exquisite buildings found all around the island as well as in the local cuisine, the spoken language and customs and traditions. To experience these influences more clearly one needs to withdraw from busy Cyprus urban modern life to the walled cities (in Famagusta and divided Nicosia) and especially to the sleepy countryside, the stage of our walks.
Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea has a rich natural heritage and biodiverse flora and fauna. Its topography is dominated by two main mountain ranges, the narrow limestone Pentadactylos range in the north (max elevation around 1,000 m – 3,250 f) and the massive (with relation to the island size) Troodos mountain range (max elevation of almost 2,000 meters - 6,500 f) which covers more than ¼ of the island’s surface. Between them lies the dry Mesaoria plain extending from citrus growing Morphou in the west to the golden beaches of Famagusta in the east.
The few peninsulas on the island (notably Akamas, Karpasia) are prime areas for exploration on foot or bicycle and on a kayak and offer fantastic vistas in a largely undeveloped coastline. Together with Akrotiri wetlands, Larnaka salt lakes and Cape Greko they are very important as stopovers during avian migration in spring and autumn and are excellent locations for birdwatchers. Almost 400 bird species have been recorded on the island, as well as more than 30 mammal, 25 reptile, and about 2,000 plant species, 150 or so of which are endemic.
Besides Aphrodite (Venus for the Romans), Cyprus is home to other important legends, historic, religious and literary figures. In antiquity (and because of the huge importance of Cyprus as a main source of copper during the bronze age) Kiniras, the king of Paphos was considered as one of the richest people that ever lived in the world and the inventor of the lyre (harp). Adonis, Kiniras' son was believed to be a man of exceptional beauty (and a lover of both Aphrodite and Persephone). Pygmalion was a Cypriot artist who fell in love with his creation (Galateia). Lazarus became the first bishop of Kition (present day Larnaca) and Saul of Tarsus was given his Roman name 'Paulus' in Paphos, after converting to christianity Sergius Paulus, the Roman governor of Cyprus. In medieval times, Richard the Lionheart through his conquest left his mark on Cyprus, with the subsequent introduction of the feudal system on the island while the hugely economically powerful in the 13th century Templar Knights had a failed attempt to establish Cyprus as their base. King Erik I is buried in Paphos, was the only Danish king ever to be buried outside Denmark, while medieval Famagusta is probably the famed city where Shakespeare's Othello lived.
Cyprus is also the homeland of Halloumi cheese and Anari cheese, of Commandaria, known as the first wine in the world with a label, zivania distilled drink, shieftalia skewed minces pork meat, the exquisite Lefkaritika lace, Phiti textiles, and more.
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