Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Traditional Weaving in Cyprus

Traditional Weaving in Cyprus

Basket weaving dates from ancient times in Cyprus when baskets served a range of specific practical purposes from carrying agricultural produce to storing food. The practice of weaving was highly developed during Byzantine times and has been passed down through generations to the present day. The Materials and Methods of Making Baskets Basket makers traditionally harvest materials from Cyprus's bountiful countryside. Water reeds, grasses, rushes, bamboo, terebinth branches, and stems from aquatic plants all serve as raw materials. The village of Akrotiri became particularly famous for its soft baskets woven from marsh reeds. Men and women in villages across the island would balance techniques and artistry to create beautiful baskets both for their own use and to earn a living. The weaver can make very interesting and complex designs and patterns, which takes a lot of practice and patience to learn. Weavers color the straw with different vegetable colorings to make the various colored strands to weave from. Each weaver has their own way of working, creating intricate designs differently from other people. The baskets are made from a special kind of straw, which can also be used to make bread baskets and caskets with lids. A typical basket can take up to three hours to complete. The process begins with harvesting the appropriate materials when they reach optimal flexibility…

Read more
The Mediterranean Monk Seal Of Cyprus

The Mediterranean Monk Seal Of Cyprus

Imagine standing on a rocky ledge along the wild Akamas coast, gazing out at the turquoise water below, when a large, dark shape quietly surfaces – blinking at you with wide, soulful eyes before silently slipping back beneath the waves. That is the Mediterranean Monk Seal, and if you are lucky enough to witness this, you are looking at one of the rarest mammals on Earth. What makes this moment even more extraordinary in Cyprus is that, not so long ago, most scientists believed this animal was completely gone from the island's waters forever. What Exactly Is a Monk Seal? Seals belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds – a Latin word meaning "fin-footed" – a family that includes seals, sea lions, and walruses. These are air-breathing animals that evolved from land-dwelling ancestors and gradually returned to the sea, becoming masterful swimmers while still needing land or rocky shores to rest and give birth. The Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) is the only seal species native to the Mediterranean Sea and is the sole surviving member of its genus, Monachus. Its closest relatives, the Caribbean monk seal and the Hawaiian monk seal, belong to a closely related genus. The Caribbean monk seal, tragically, went extinct in the mid-20th century, making the Mediterranean species a living thread of an…

Read more
Othello Castle, Famagusta Medieval Fortress

Othello Castle, Famagusta Medieval Fortress

Othello Castle, also known as Othello's Tower, is a medieval fortress in Famagusta in in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus. The castle sits at the northeastern corner of the city's fortified walls, directly controlling access to the historic harbor. This location made it both the primary defensive stronghold and the main entrance to the walled city during the medieval period. The site had fortifications even before the current castle. A tower and defensive works were built here by the Prince of Tyre around 1310. The Lusignan rulers of Cyprus recognized the strategic importance of this harbor entrance and constructed a more substantial fortress in the 14th century. Originally called the Harbour Citadel, it served dual purposes as a military stronghold and possibly a residence for members of the royal family and their entourage. The castle's position allowed defenders to monitor all ship traffic entering or leaving Famagusta. In medieval times, a massive iron chain could be stretched across the harbor mouth to block enemy vessels. Modern ships continue to use the same harbor entrance that was active during Famagusta's golden age from 1300 to 1400. Historical Background When Cyprus was sold to the Republic of Venice in 1489, Famagusta became essentially a military base. The Venetians immediately recognized the need to upgrade the city's defenses against the threat of Ottoman…

Read more