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Alampra Early Bronze Age Town

Alampra Early Bronze Age Town

Alampra Mouttes stands as one of Cyprus’s most significant Middle Bronze Age settlements. Located in central Cyprus near the modern village of Alampra, this archaeological site provides rare evidence of prehistoric urban life and early copper metallurgy between 1900 and 1650 BC. The excavated remains reveal a substantial community that occupied a strategic position close to copper ore deposits at the foothills of the Troodos Mountains. The archaeological site occupies the northeast facing flank of a ridge between two hills called Mouttes and Spileos. The settlement consists of multi room rectangular houses built from local limestone and flint, with walls still standing in several areas. During its period of occupation, Alampra functioned as a largely self sufficient agricultural and metallurgical community. The site lies about 8 kilometers east of Marki Alonia, another major Bronze Age settlement, and sits at the point where the volcanic pillow lava foothills of the Troodos Massif meet the calcareous limestone of the central Mesaoria plain. Historical Background Archaeological interest in Alampra began in the 19th century, but the first systematic investigation took place in 1924 when Swedish archaeologist Einar Gjerstad excavated a prehistoric house he named Mavroyi, meaning red earth. For decades, this remained the only precisely documented building in Cyprus from the long period between the Chalcolithic and the end of the Middle Bronze…

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Mesaoria Plain, Cyprus

Mesaoria Plain, Cyprus

The Mesaoria Plain stretches 96 kilometres across central Cyprus between two mountain ranges. Mesaoria, meaning "between the mountains" in Greek, is a broad central plain that extends from Morphou Bay in the west to Famagusta Bay in the east. The Troodos Mountains rise to the south, while the Kyrenia Range forms a wall to the north. The plain covers approximately 1,000 square kilometres with elevations ranging from 100 metres on average up to 325 metres at its highest points. Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, sits roughly in the centre of the plain along the Pedieos River. This positioning reflects centuries of strategic thinking, as the location provided access to both coasts. The plain contains dozens of villages and several major towns, making it the most densely populated region on the island despite its harsh summer climate and winter-dependent water supply. Historical Background Twenty million years ago, Cyprus existed as two separate islands corresponding to what would become the Kyrenia and Troodos mountain ranges. Approximately one million years ago, tectonic forces pushed up the land between these islands, creating the Mesaoria Plain and joining them into the single landmass known today as Cyprus. The Mediterranean Sea covered and exposed the plain multiple times as sea levels changed, but it has remained in its current form since the end of the Pleistocene…

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Traditional Folk Dance of Cyprus

Traditional Folk Dance of Cyprus

Cypriot folk dance and song are not museum traditions but a living social system that still organises how people gather, celebrate, and remember. Shaped by weddings, saint-day festivals, and village life, performance in Cyprus blends improvisation, audience participation, and distinctive instruments to create belonging in real time. This article explains the main dance forms, vocal traditions like tsiattista, the instruments and costumes that carry regional identity, and why shared rhythms persist across communities despite modern change. Culture You Join, Not Watch Traditional Cypriot dance developed as a social language rather than a formal spectacle. It emerged from weddings, religious festivals, seasonal fairs, and informal gatherings, where music and movement flowed naturally from shared experience. Unlike many European folk traditions that later became rigidly choreographed, Cypriot dance retained space for improvisation and personal expression. Dancers are not expected to disappear into uniformity. Individual temperament matters. Subtle variations in timing, posture, and intensity are encouraged, especially from experienced performers. The dance becomes a conversation between the lead dancer, the musicians, and the watching crowd. Steps Learned in Real Life Many Cypriot dances are built around face-to-face interaction. The antikristos, often linked with the karsilamas tradition, is performed by pairs who mirror and respond to each other's movements. The emphasis is not on competition, but on mutual recognition and balance. Other dances expand…

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