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North Cyprus History
A Brief History of Cyprus
The name ‘Cyprus’ of the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sardinia and Sicily comes, arguably, from the word ‘copper’ of which there was and possibly still is an abundance on the island.
An alternative theory is that its name comes from the word Kypros (the Greek for henna) of which there was also abundance.
The
island of Cyprus has had a tumultuous history, its strategic location
on the crossroads of East and West has always caused invasions,
conquest and strife for her inhabitants. Before its annexation to Rome
in 58 BC, Phoenicians, Achaeans, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians and the
British colonized Cyprus. However, the first inhabitants of the island
date back much further; they are proved to have settled on the island
around 7000 BC.
A major part of population of Cyprus accepted Christianity around 43 AD, and some 300 years later, Cyprus came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, following the division of the Roman Empire. The Byzantine rule over Cyprus lasted until 1192, when Richard the Lionheart took possession of the island
as a revenge for the misbehaviour by the rulers of Cyprus towards his
fleet which was on its way to the Third Crusade. After marrying
Berengaria of Navarre in Cyprus, where she was crowned the Queen of
England, Richard sold the island to the Knight Templars
who soon after sold it to Guy de Lusignan, the deposed King of
Jerusalem. That marked the beginning of the feudal system, and the
population was under severe suppression. The Lusignan Era ended when
Queen Cornaro ceded Cyprus to Venice, in 1489.
Venetians viewed the island as the last bastion against the Ottoman
Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean, so they left their mark in Cyprus
by destroying many palaces and buildings in order to surround the major
cities with fortified walls, which at the time were considered works of
art of military architecture. Although the Ottoman army captured almost all Cyprus in 1570,
with help of these walls, the Venetians managed to hold their posts in
Famagusta where the Ottoman siege of the city lasted for more than a
year, until late 1571.
The Ottoman period in Cyprus lasted for more than 300 years,
during which the Ottoman population of Cyprus originally gained its own
Cypriot identity, bringing to existence two communities in Cyprus
instead of one; Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot.
In 1878,
under the Cyprus Convention, the Ottoman Empire let Britain assume the
administration of Cyprus in return for military support against Russia.
In 1914, Britain annexed the island as the Ottomans joined the First World War on Germany’s side. In 1925, Cyprus was declared Crown Colony, under the British Rule, following the Treaty of Lausanne.
In 1960,
the Treaty of Zurich was signed to give independence to Cyprus whilst
protecting the rights of the Turkish Cypriot population. The guarantors
of this treaty were Britain, Greece and Turkey. In 1963 relations
between the Greek and Turkish communities separated by language,
culture and religion, had deteriorated.
In 1974 Greece attempted a military coup with the intention of union with Greece.
On July 20, 1974
after consultation with Britain, Turkey intervened military with peace
keeping action to protect the Turkish Cypriot community. Since this
time the island has remained divided with the Turkish and Greek
Cypriots looking to find a fair solution to reunite the island
negotiations are ongoing but slow process. On November 15,
1983 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was founded as a territory
fully independent of the Republic of Cyprus in the south.
Period and Events
8500 – 8000 BC
| Hunter Gatherers
| 7000 – 5300 BC
| The first settlers: The Khirokitians
| 4000 – 2500 BC
| Chalcolitic (Copper) Age: stone crucifix pendants are carved
| 2700 – 1600 BC
| Cypriots Bronze Ages, Early and Middle: cattle, horses, and bronze making
are introduced as well as highly individual pottery style
| 1600 – 1050 BC
| The Late Bronze Age: period of sophisticated literate city states such as
Enkomi – Alasia and Kition
| 1500 – 1450 BC
| Hittite rule in Cyprus
| 1450 – 1000 BC
| Beginning of the Egyptian domination of the island
| 1200 – 1000 BC
| Establishment of the city states of Salamis ( capital at the time ), Soli, Marion,
Paphos, Kurium and Kyrenia; arrival of Greek colonies
| 1000 – 850 BC
| Iron Age – Cypro – Geometric Period : The coming of Iron, the Dorians and
A Dark Age also known as Cypro – Geometric I and II
| 850 – 750 BC
| Iron Age – Cypro – Geometric Period: The Phoenician-led Renaissance and
Assyrian rule on the island
| 750 – 475 BC
| Iron Age – Cypro – Archaic Period: Time of the city – kingdoms despite the
Island being ruled by a succession of foreign countries for much of the period
( Assyrians, from 709BC; Egyptians, from c.570BC; and Persians, from 545BC
| 568 – 525 BC
| Egyptian domination
| 525 – 333 BC
| Iron Age – Cypro – Classical Period sees the Persian occupation and the rule
of the island and the duel between the city kingdoms of Kition and Salamis
| 333 – 58 BC
| Hellenistic Rule: the heirs of the Alexander the Great rule the island
| 58 BC – 395 AD
| Roman Empire ruling Cyprus: 350 years of quiet provincial prosperity
| 395 – 649 AD
| Island becomes a part of the Byzantine Empire when Cyprus is gradually
converted from paganism to Orthodox Christianity ( Early Byzantine Period)
| 649 – 965 AD
| A Second Dark Age: the island is caught on the frontier between two warring
empires of Byzantium and Islam
| 965 – 1191
| Return of the island to Byzantine (Late Byzantine Period)
| 1191 – 1192
| Rule of the island by Richard I ( the Lionheart ), of England and later by and
later by the Knights Templars
| 1192 – 1489
| Rule of the island by the Ottoman Empire
| 1489 – 1570
| Venetian domination of Cyprus
| 1571 – 1878
| Conquest of the island by the Ottoman Empire
| 1878 – 1925
| In accordance with a defence – alliance between Britain and the Ottoman Empire; the administration of Cyprus passes to Britain
| 1925 – 1960
| Cyprus is annexed by Britain, when Ottoman Empire enters into the World War
I on the side of Germany; subsequently the island becomes a Crown Colony and
under the British Rule
| 1960
| Foundation of the Republic of Cyprus ( by the Turkish and Greek-Cypriot
Communities)
| 1963
| Inter – Communal strife in Cyprus and the subsequent collapse of the
constitutional rule
| 1974
| Coup d’etat by the Greek army officers stationed on the island to overthrow the
President ( Makarios) with the aim of uniting the island with Greece; subsequent Turkish Military intervention ( under the provisions of the Treaty of Guarantee of The Republic of Cyprus)
| 1974
| Division of the island into Turkish-Cypriot North and Greek Cypriot South
| 1975
| Declaration of the Turkish Federated State of Cyprus, to pave way for a federal
settlement on the island
| 1983
| Foundation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
| 1990
| The Republic of Cyprus (effectively the Greek-Cypriot South Cyprus) applied for
full membership to the EU on the 4th July 1990. This application was made without the consent of the Turkish – Cypriot Community as was required by the Constitution of the ‘Republic of Cyprus’
| 2002 – 2003
| Dialogue and negotiations between Denktash and Klerides to unify the North &
South before EU entry
| 2003
| After 30 years borders open between North & South Cyprus on the 23rd April
2003, following the ‘Turkish-Cypriot Authorities’ ease the border restrictions
| 2004
| Twin – Referendums on the uniting the island under the UN Annan’s Plan
accepted by Turkish Cypriots, but REJECTED by Greek Cypriots. Island
( effectively Greek – Cypriot Southern Cyprus) becomes of the EU
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North Cyprus Region: Central Kyrenia
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North Cyprus Region: East Kyrenia
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North Cyprus Region: Famagusta
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North Cyprus Region: Guzelyurt
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North Cyprus Region: others
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North Cyprus Region: West Kyrenia
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