Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Ancient and Modern Cyprus Winemaking

Ancient and Modern Cyprus Winemaking

Cyprus holds a remarkable place in wine history that few other regions can match. This Mediterranean island has been producing wine for nearly 6,000 years, with archaeological evidence placing its first vintages around 3500 BC. Today, Cyprus stands at an exciting crossroads where ancient traditions meet modern innovation, creating wines that honor the past while embracing the future. Historical Context In 2005, archaeologists made a discovery that changed our understanding of wine history. They analyzed pottery fragments found in the village of Erimi during the 1930s and confirmed these Chalcolithic wine jars dated back 5,500 years. The containers showed traces of tartaric acid, a key component of wine, proving that Cyprus produced the Mediterranean's first wines, predating Greek and Italian vintages by centuries. The ancient Greeks celebrated Cyprus wine at festivals honoring Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. This sweet dessert wine, known as "Cypriot Nama," was documented as early as 800 BC by the Greek poet Hesiod. During the Byzantine period, this same wine became part of Christian holy communion rituals, showing how deeply wine was woven into the island's cultural and spiritual life. Commandaria: The King of Wines No discussion of Cyprus wine is complete without Commandaria, recognized as the world's oldest named wine still in production. The wine earned its current name during the Crusades in…

Read more
Machairas Monastery

Machairas Monastery

Machairas Monastery, officially known as the Monastery of Panagia Machaira, is a historic monastery located about 40 kilometers from Nicosia in the mountainous interior of Cyprus. Built near Mount Kionia at an elevation of approximately 870 meters, the monastery is surrounded by dense pine forests and overlooks the Pediaios River, the island’s longest waterway. Its fortress-like position on a steep hillside makes it one of the most recognizable monastic sites in Cyprus. Machairas Monastery is considered one of the island’s three most historically significant monasteries alongside Kykkos Monastery and Agios Neophytos Monastery. The monastery historically held stavropegic status, which granted it administrative independence from the Archbishopric of Cyprus. The Discovery of a Sacred Icon According to local tradition, the monastery’s famous icon was associated with the Byzantine period and linked to the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople. During the eighth-century period of iconoclasm, when many religious images were removed or destroyed across the Byzantine Empire, the icon was reportedly transported to Cyprus and hidden in a cave for preservation. Around 1145, two hermits named Ignatios and Neophytos are said to have discovered the cave concealed behind thick vegetation. Tradition states that they used a knife to clear access to the site. The Greek word for knife, machairi, later influenced both the icon’s name, Machairiotissa, and the monastery’s name. Machairas Monastery…

Read more
Sakura in Cyprus

Sakura in Cyprus

Cherry blossoms, known in Japanese as sakura, are among the most recognized natural spectacles in the world. Every spring, these trees produce large pink and white flowers that last only a few weeks before falling. In Japan, the bloom season draws millions of visitors each year and holds deep cultural significance. Cyprus may seem like an unlikely place to find sakura, but a small mountain village in the Nicosia district has changed that. Today, Cyprus has its own dedicated Sakura Park, where both Japanese and local cherry trees bloom side by side each spring, offering visitors a genuinely rare experience on the island. How Sakura Came to Cyprus The village of Kambos, already well known for its cherry orchards, was selected as the most suitable location for the park. It sits in the northwestern part of the Marathasa valley in the Nicosia district, at an altitude of around 900 meters above sea level. The cooler temperatures at that elevation create conditions close enough to what Japanese cherry trees need to thrive. The Sakura Park in Kambos was inaugurated in 2022 as part of the celebrations marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Japan. The park was established on the initiative of then Japanese Ambassador Iseki Izumi. It was a joint effort between the Japanese Embassy and Cyprus's Forestry…

Read more