Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Internet & Telecommunications in Cyprus

Internet & Telecommunications in Cyprus

Cyprus has built a surprisingly strong telecom market for its size, with fiber optic networks expanding rapidly across the island. The Fiber network enables the transmission of data at very fast speeds, with innovative technology providing Internet access at speeds of up to 1 Gbps. In the last five years, operators expanded LTE-Advanced and rolled out 5G to 100 percent of the population, while the island invested in trans-Mediterranean submarine cable projects to strengthen its international connections. This digital infrastructure supports both residents and the growing number of remote workers choosing Cyprus as their base. Major Internet Service Providers ​​Cyta, the state-owned telecommunications company, manages most telecommunications and internet connections on the island and is the country's oldest and largest network operator. It has been providing services for over 70 years and expanded to include fixed PSTN, ISDN, DSL, and FTTH, as well as Cytanet Broadband and mobile communications under the Cytamobile-Vodafone brand. Cyta has the widest 4G and 5G coverage, reaching even remote areas and some points at the open sea. Image Credit: financialmirror.com Following recent liberalization of the telecommunications sector, a few private telecommunications companies have emerged. Cablenet is a local telecommunications company that offers a range of internet services, including fiber optic and cable connections, with a well-developed network in Cyprus and competitive pricing. To contact Cablenet,…

Read more
Sanctuary of the Great Mother (Avdimou)

Sanctuary of the Great Mother (Avdimou)

The Sanctuary of the Great Mother in Avdimou represents a timeless spiritual hub in Cyprus, where ancient veneration of a fertility female entity evolved into a more recent devotion to a maternal figure. Located in the rural village of Prastio Avdimou near the south coast, this site embodies the island's layered spiritual history, blending prehistoric fertility traditions with medieval and later cultural practices. It highlights Cyprus's role as a crossroads of civilizations, where early rites centered on life, birth, and renewal transitioned into the local respect for a central mother figure, fostering an enduring tradition of pilgrimage and regional devotion that persists today. A Cult Site of Continuity The Sanctuary of the Great Mother, embodied in the historical stone structure in Prastio Avdimou, stands as a testament to Cyprus's spiritual evolution, nestled in a serene valley amid olive groves and rolling hills. This site, spanning less than a hectare but rich in symbolic depth, draws from prehistoric roots where fertility figures were honored for their power over life and nature. In ancient times, Cypriots revered a "Great Goddess" depicted in cruciform statues symbolizing childbirth, with hundreds of artifacts dating to 3000-2500 BCE found across the island. The Avdimou area, with its fertile soils and proximity to the sea, likely hosted early rituals focused on agriculture, reproduction, and seasonal renewal. As…

Read more
Traditional Caique and Dghajsa Boats

Traditional Caique and Dghajsa Boats

Along the Cypriot coast, the sea was never a distant backdrop. It was a working space, a source of food, and a route that connected villages to the wider Mediterranean. For generations, this relationship depended on small wooden boats shaped by experience rather than theory. Among them, the caïque and the varka (or local skiff) represent traditions of craftsmanship and seamanship. This article explores how these boats were built, how they were used, and why they still matter, not as romantic symbols, but as practical responses to life by the sea. Boats Designed by Water, Not by Paper Traditional Mediterranean boats were not designed on drafting tables. They were shaped directly by water conditions, weather patterns, and daily use. Boatbuilders worked from memory, observation, and repetition, adjusting proportions until a vessel behaved correctly at sea. The caïque and the dghajsa belong to this tradition. Both are wooden craft, built by hand, and adapted to short journeys, frequent use, and close interaction with coastlines. Their forms reflect accumulated knowledge rather than innovation for its own sake. Understanding these boats means understanding the environments they served. The Caïque: A Working Boat for Cypriot Waters The caïque is the vessel most closely associated with Cyprus and nearby regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. It was primarily a working boat, built for fishing and small-scale…

Read more