Explore Cyprus with Our Interactive Map

Featured Articles

Explore our top stories and discover ideas worth your time.

View all articles
Cyprus Public Holidays Traditions

Cyprus Public Holidays Traditions

Cyprus observes 14 official public holidays each year that reflect the island's Orthodox Christian heritage and national independence struggles. These holidays close government offices, banks, and most businesses, transforming the island into spaces for religious devotion, family gatherings, and patriotic commemoration. The Greek Orthodox Church dominates the religious calendar, with major feasts marking key events in Christian tradition. National holidays commemorate Cyprus's fight for independence from British rule and solidarity with Greece's resistance during World War II. Unlike many Western countries, Cyprus follows the Orthodox calendar for Easter and related holidays, meaning they often fall on different dates than Catholic or Protestant celebrations. Understanding this calendar helps visitors plan trips and appreciate the deep connection between religious practice and Cypriot identity. The year begins with blessings and baptism New Year's Day on January 1 marks the start of celebrations with family gatherings, fireworks, and traditions welcoming a fresh beginning. Cypriots exchange gifts and spend the day with loved ones. Epiphany on January 6 commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and holds special significance for Cyprus. Church services are accompanied by the Blessing of the Waters ceremony where priests throw a cross into the sea and young men dive to retrieve it. The person who recovers the cross receives blessings for the entire year. The ritual often…

Read more
Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery

Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery

Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery is a historic monastic complex located in the Paphos district of Cyprus, near the village of Pano Panagia. It sits at an altitude of approximately 820 meters on the southern slopes of the Troodos foothills, overlooking forested valleys that lead toward the Paphos region. The site is named Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa, a title that translates as “Our Lady of the Golden Pomegranate.” The name reflects symbolic themes found in Byzantine and post-Byzantine religious art and cultural traditions, where the pomegranate often appears as a motif associated with prosperity and abundance. Historical Background The origins of the monastery are traditionally placed in the 12th century, around 1152. According to later narratives, an icon associated with Byzantine artistic tradition was discovered in the region of Moullia. Such stories reflect broader medieval Cypriot traditions in which natural phenomena and symbolic interpretations were often incorporated into the founding histories of monastic settlements. The 8th and 9th centuries in the Byzantine world were marked by a period in which religious imagery was contested and many icons were removed or destroyed in parts of the empire. Cyprus, like other peripheral regions, preserved its own monastic and artistic traditions during this broader historical context, which influenced later interpretations of its religious sites. The Present Monastery Structure and Treasures The current visible structures of the monastery largely…

Read more
Pyrgos Mavroraki Sacred Site

Pyrgos Mavroraki Sacred Site

Pyrgos-Mavroraki is an Early to Middle Bronze Age settlement on the southern coast of Cyprus near modern Limassol. Excavations began in the early 2000s by the Italian Archaeological Mission of ITABC-CNR. Radiocarbon dating shows copper smelting started here as early as 4229–3960 BC during the Chalcolithic period. Even older copper slag from 8631–8291 BC was found, possibly from accidental metal use while making lime. This makes Pyrgos one of the earliest places for metal work in the Mediterranean. The settlement was on the slope of a small hill in a valley crossed by a stream. It sat on rocks with copper and had easy access to nearby mines at Mavrovouni and other sites. People lived there continuously from the 9th millennium BC until an earthquake destroyed it around 1850 BC. Historical Background The area around Pyrgos was rich in copper deposits and had plenty of water, making it ideal for metalworking. Nearby mines created a line of activity along the coast through villages such as Aghios Tychonas, Parekklisha, Pyrgos, Moni, Monagroulli, Asgata, and Kalavassos. Excavations at Pyrgos-Mavroraki revealed the full process of copper production. Archaeologists found workshops with basalt anvils, thousands of copper nuggets, broken crucibles, clay molds, stone tools, and pit furnaces dating to the early Bronze Age. These finds show how copper was extracted, processed, and shaped at…

Read more