Cyprus History Timeline – Computer Cyprus

Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean, has a long and complex history shaped by its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Over the centuries, Cyprus has been ruled by various civilizations, including the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans, among others. Its rich cultural and historical heritage reflects these diverse influences. Cyprus’s modern history has been marked by its struggle for independence from British colonial rule, the deep divisions between its Greek and Turkish communities, and the ongoing efforts to reunify the island after the Turkish invasion in 1974. This timeline provides an in-depth look at the key events that have shaped Cyprus’s history, from ancient times to the present.

Ancient Cyprus (Prehistoric Era – 4th Century BCE)

Early Settlements and Bronze Age Civilization (9000 BCE – 1050 BCE)

9000 BCE: Evidence of early human habitation on Cyprus dates back to the Neolithic period, with settlements at sites such as Khirokitia. These early communities lived in simple structures and practiced agriculture, cultivating crops and domesticating animals.
3000 BCE – 1050 BCE: The Bronze Age marked a period of significant development on the island. Cyprus became an important center for copper mining and trade, and its name is believed to be derived from the Greek word for copper, Kypros.
2000 BCE: Cyprus established extensive trade links with neighboring regions, including the Aegean, Anatolia, and the Levant. The island’s strategic position made it a key player in the ancient Mediterranean economy.
1200 BCE: The collapse of major Bronze Age civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Mycenaeans and Hittites, allowed the Sea Peoples to invade Cyprus. However, the island quickly recovered, and by the end of the 12th century BCE, Greek settlers began to arrive, introducing Greek culture and language to Cyprus.

The Kingdoms of Ancient Cyprus (1050 BCE – 333 BCE)

1050 BCE – 750 BCE: The Iron Age saw the emergence of several city-kingdoms on Cyprus, including Kition, Salamis, Paphos, and Amathus. These kingdoms were heavily influenced by both Phoenician and Greek culture and maintained strong trade connections across the Mediterranean.
800 BCE – 333 BCE: Cyprus was subject to various external powers, including the Assyrian, Egyptian, and Persian empires. While the city-kingdoms maintained a degree of autonomy, they were often forced to pay tribute to these empires. The Persians, in particular, ruled Cyprus for over two centuries (545 BCE – 333 BCE), until the arrival of Alexander the Great.

Hellenistic and Roman Cyprus (333 BCE – 395 CE)

Hellenistic Period (333 BCE – 58 BCE)

333 BCE: Cyprus came under the control of Alexander the Great after his conquest of the Persian Empire. Following Alexander’s death, Cyprus became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, ruled by the descendants of one of Alexander’s generals, Ptolemy I.
3rd Century BCE – 58 BCE: During the Ptolemaic period, Cyprus continued to flourish as a center of Hellenistic culture. Greek language, art, and religion became deeply entrenched in Cypriot society, and cities such as Salamis and Paphos remained important hubs of commerce and culture.

Roman Rule (58 BCE – 395 CE)

58 BCE: Cyprus was annexed by the Roman Republic and became a province of the Roman Empire. The Romans improved infrastructure on the island, building roads, aqueducts, and public buildings. Paphos became the capital of Roman Cyprus.
1st Century CE: Cyprus played a role in the early spread of Christianity. According to tradition, St. Paul and St. Barnabas (who was born in Cyprus) visited the island around 45 CE during their missionary journeys, and Barnabas is considered the founder of the Church of Cyprus.
324 CE: After the division of the Roman Empire, Cyprus came under the control of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. The island remained a prosperous part of the empire, benefiting from its position as a key trading hub in the Mediterranean.

Byzantine Cyprus and Arab Raids (395 – 1191)

Byzantine Rule and Christianization (395 – 7th Century)

395: With the formal split of the Roman Empire into East and West, Cyprus became part of the Byzantine Empire. The island saw a flourishing of Christian culture, and many churches and monasteries were built during this period.
431: The Council of Ephesus recognized the autocephalous status of the Church of Cyprus, meaning that the church had the right to govern itself independently of the Patriarch of Constantinople. This independence remains a key feature of the Church of Cyprus to this day.

Arab Raids and Byzantine Reconquest (7th Century – 12th Century)

649 – 965: From the mid-7th century, Cyprus became a target of frequent Arab raids, as the Byzantine Empire struggled to maintain control over its territories in the face of the expanding Umayyad Caliphate. The island was briefly co-ruled by the Byzantines and Arabs under a unique condominium arrangement, but the Byzantines eventually regained full control of Cyprus in 965 under Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas.
10th – 12th Century: After the Byzantine reconquest, Cyprus enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity. The island became a center of Orthodox Christian culture, and its strategic location made it a valuable asset for the Byzantines.

Crusader and Lusignan Rule (1191 – 1489)

The Third Crusade and Richard the Lionheart (1191 – 1192)

1191: During the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart of England seized control of Cyprus from the Byzantine governor Isaac Komnenos, who had declared himself independent of the Byzantine Empire. Richard used Cyprus as a base for his crusading efforts in the Holy Land.
1192: Richard sold Cyprus to the Knights Templar, but their harsh rule led to a rebellion by the local population. The Templars, unable to maintain control, returned the island to Richard, who then sold it to Guy de Lusignan, the former King of Jerusalem.

The Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192 – 1489)

1192 – 1489: The Lusignan Dynasty, of French origin, established the Kingdom of Cyprus, which lasted for nearly three centuries. The Lusignan rulers transformed Cyprus into a feudal kingdom, with strong ties to Western Europe and the Latin Church. Nicosia became the capital, and Gothic cathedrals and castles were constructed during this period.
14th Century: Under the Lusignans, Cyprus became a major center for Mediterranean trade. The island’s economy flourished, attracting merchants from Genoa and Venice, who established trading colonies on the island.
1453: The fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453 heightened the strategic importance of Cyprus for Christian Europe, as it became a key outpost in the struggle against Ottoman expansion.

Venetian Rule and Ottoman Conquest (1489 – 1878)

Venetian Rule (1489 – 1571)

1489: Queen Catherine Cornaro, the last Lusignan ruler of Cyprus, abdicated the throne in favor of the Republic of Venice, and Cyprus became a Venetian colony. The Venetians fortified the island, particularly the cities of Nicosia and Famagusta, to defend against Ottoman invasions.
16th Century: Venetian rule brought economic stability and further integration into Mediterranean trade networks, but the local population, largely Orthodox Christian, resented the imposition of Latin Catholicism by the Venetian authorities.

Ottoman Conquest (1571 – 1878)

1570 – 1571: After a prolonged siege, the Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus from the Venetians. The Ottomans introduced Islamic governance and law to the island, and many Turkish settlers arrived. Cyprus was divided into administrative districts, and the Orthodox Church was restored to a position of influence, as the Ottomans saw the church as a way to control the local Christian population.
18th Century: Ottoman Cyprus saw periods of relative calm, but the island remained underdeveloped, with a largely agrarian economy. The local Greek population was subject to heavy taxation, and the janissary corps, an elite Ottoman military unit, played a dominant role in governance.

British Colonial Rule and the Independence Movement (1878 – 1960)

British Administration of Cyprus (1878 – 1960)

1878: Following the Congress of Berlin, Cyprus was placed under British administration, although the island technically remained part of the Ottoman Empire. Britain sought to use Cyprus as a strategic military base to protect its interests in the eastern Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.
1914: At the outbreak of World War I, Britain formally annexed Cyprus after the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. Cyprus became a British Crown Colony in 1925.

The Rise of Nationalism and Enosis Movement (1920s – 1950s)

1920s – 1950s: During the early 20th century, Greek Cypriots increasingly demanded Enosis (union with Greece), inspired by similar nationalist movements in Greece. The Greek Orthodox Church and political leaders in Cyprus played a leading role in the Enosis movement.
1955 – 1959: The EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters) launched an armed struggle against British colonial rule, led by General George Grivas. The goal of EOKA was to achieve Enosis, but the movement faced opposition from the island’s Turkish Cypriot minority, who favored either continued British rule or partition.

The Zurich-London Agreements and Independence (1960)

1959: The Zurich and London Agreements, negotiated between Britain, Greece, and Turkey, established the framework for an independent Cyprus. The agreements guaranteed the rights of both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and created a power-sharing constitution.
August 16, 1960: Cyprus formally gained independence from Britain, with Archbishop Makarios III elected as the first president. However, the Zurich-London Agreements also gave Britain the right to retain military bases on the island, while Greece and Turkey were designated as guarantor powers of the new republic.

The Cyprus Conflict and Division (1960 – Present)

Intercommunal Violence and the Breakdown of Power-Sharing (1960s – 1974)

1963: Tensions between Greek and Turkish Cypriots escalated as President Makarios proposed constitutional amendments that were seen by the Turkish Cypriots as an attempt to undermine their political rights. This led to outbreaks of intercommunal violence, and Turkish Cypriots withdrew from the government.
1964: The United Nations deployed a peacekeeping force, UNFICYP, to Cyprus in an attempt to prevent further violence. However, sporadic clashes between the two communities continued throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.

Turkish Invasion and the Division of Cyprus (1974)

July 15, 1974: A coup d’état orchestrated by the Greek military junta and the Cypriot National Guard overthrew President Makarios in an attempt to achieve Enosis with Greece. In response, Turkey launched a military intervention, citing its role as a guarantor power under the 1960 agreements.
July – August 1974: The Turkish military invaded northern Cyprus, and after two phases of the invasion, took control of approximately 37% of the island. Hundreds of thousands of Greek and Turkish Cypriots were displaced, and the island was effectively divided along the Green Line, with the UN maintaining a buffer zone between the two sides.

The Declaration of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (1983)

1983: The Turkish Cypriot leadership, under Rauf Denktaş, declared the formation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey, and the international community continues to view northern Cyprus as part of the Republic of Cyprus.

Efforts for Reunification and Cyprus’s European Union Membership (2000s – Present)

The Annan Plan and EU Membership (2000s)

2004: The Annan Plan, a UN-sponsored initiative to reunify the island, was put to a referendum. While Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of the plan, Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected it, citing concerns about security and governance arrangements.
May 1, 2004: Cyprus joined the European Union as a divided island. Only the southern part, controlled by the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, enjoys the benefits of EU membership, although the entire island is technically part of the EU.

Recent Developments and Ongoing Negotiations

2010s – Present: Negotiations for reunification have continued sporadically under the auspices of the United Nations. While there have been some confidence-building measures, such as the opening of more crossing points along the Green Line, a comprehensive solution has remained elusive.
2020: The election of Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, a hardliner who advocates for a two-state solution, has further complicated reunification talks, as the Greek Cypriot government continues to push for a federal solution.