Cyprus Issue
...Eastern Mediterranean, at the cross-roads of three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa - has one of the oldest histories of the world, dating back 9000 years. Its strategic position, its wealth in forests and mineral deposits, as well as its skilled craftsmen, made it the prized possession of the powers of the day. Cultural influences came from all directions - all major regional civilizations left their mark on the island, contributing to the development of a very rich and diverse cultural heritage.
II. History of the Island
2.1. Middle Ages
2.1.1. The Byzantine Period
The Christian civilization was consolidated in the island during the Byzantine Period (330-1191 AD) at which time the island was an important spiritual focus. Wonderful churches and magnificent monasteries containing fine wall paintings and mosaics survive to our times and are testimony to the importance of Cyprus in the East Roman Empire. With the emergence of Islam in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, Cyprus became an object dispute between Christendom and Islam (Arnold, 1956, 23). The Arabs, who with their repeated incursions, spread death and destruction in coastal settlements, were finally pushed away in 965 AD by Emperor Nicephorus Phocas and restored Cyprus as a province of the Byzantine Empire. The western Crusaders influenced a great deal the development of the history of Cyprus. It was Richard the Lionheart, King of England, who during the Third Crusade captured the island defeating its ruler, Isaac Comnenos in 1191. Richard tried to sell Cyprus to the Knights Templars, who nevertheless, were not able to resist the revolt of the people of Cyprus. Thus the island went back to the English King, who sold it again this time to the Frankish King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan (Arnold, 1956, 48).
2.1.2. The Frankish Period
The rule of the Franks in Cyprus lasted until 1489 and during...
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