Cyprus - Culture, Religion, Cuisine

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The anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC (November 15) is celebrated in the north, as are traditional Muslim holidays. Greek Cypriots speak a dialect of Greek and maintain a somewhat ambivalent attitude about mainland Greeks. 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class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cyprus">Cyprus</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Cyprus">Introduction & Quick Facts</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref33836"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus#ref33836">Land</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref214647"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus#ref214647">Relief</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242744"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus#ref242744">Drainage and soils</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33839"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus#ref33839">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33840"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus#ref33840">Plant and animal life</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref33842"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/People">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33843"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/People#ref33843">Ethnic groups and languages</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33845"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/People#ref33845">Religion</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33841"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/People#ref33841">Settlement patterns</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33846"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/People#ref33846">Demographic trends</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref33847"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Economy">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33848"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Economy#ref33848">The economy after independence</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33849"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Economy#ref33849">Effects of partition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33851"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Economy#ref33851">Agriculture, forestry, and fishing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33850"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Economy#ref33850">Resources and power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33852"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Manufacturing">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33853"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Manufacturing#ref33853">Finance and trade</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242742"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Manufacturing#ref242742">Services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242743"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Manufacturing#ref242743">Labour and taxation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33854"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Manufacturing#ref33854">Transportation and telecommunications</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref33855"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society">Government and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33856"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref33856">Constitutional framework</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33858"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref33858">Justice</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33859"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref33859">Political process</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242740"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref242740">Security</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33861"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref33861">Health</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242741"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref242741">Housing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33860"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Government-and-society#ref33860">Education</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref33862"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life">Cultural life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242735"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life#ref242735">Daily life and social customs</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242736"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life#ref242736">The arts</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242737"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life#ref242737">Cultural institutions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242738"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life#ref242738">Sports and recreation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref242739"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Cultural-life#ref242739">Media and publishing</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref214648"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref214649"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/History#ref214649">Earliest periods</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33819"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/History#ref33819">The Bronze Age</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33820"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/History#ref33820">Greek immigration</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33821"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences">External political influences</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33822"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences#ref33822">Assyrian and Egyptian domination</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33823"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences#ref33823">The Persian empire</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33824" class="has-children"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences#ref33824">Hellenistic and Roman rule</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref33825"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences#ref33825">Cyprus as a Roman province</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h4"><li data-target="#ref33826"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/External-political-influences#ref33826">Early Christianity</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33827"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Byzantine-Empire">Byzantine Empire</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33828"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Byzantine-Empire#ref33828">The Lusignan kingdom and Genoese and Venetian rule</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33829"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Ottoman-rule">Ottoman rule</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33830"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Ottoman-rule#ref33830">British rule</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref33831"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/The-Republic-of-Cyprus">The Republic of Cyprus</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33832"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/The-Republic-of-Cyprus#ref33832">Establishment of an independent Turkish state</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref33833"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Cyprus/Efforts-toward-reunification">Efforts toward reunification</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cyprus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Cyprus</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/cyprus-virtual-jewish-history-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Jewish Virtual Library - Cyprus Virtual Jewish History Tour</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Cyprus/345675" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cyprus - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Cyprus/273890" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cyprus - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Kípros, Kibris</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/David-Wathen-Stather-Hunt/1409" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">David Wathen Stather Hunt</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">High Commissioner for the U.K. in Cyprus, 1965–67; Ambassador to Brazil, 1969–73.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> David Wathen Stather Hunt</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/John-S-Bowman/342" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">John S. Bowman</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Freelance writer and editor. Editor, "Monuments of Civilization" Series. Author of <em>Traveler's Guide to Crete.</em></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> John S. Bowman</span><span class="text-gray-700 mx-5">•</span><a class="see-all border-gray-700 gtm-byline" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cyprus/additional-info#contributors">All</a> </div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-18T00:00:00CST" >Feb 18, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cyprus/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/148573/706aed5a4d395375b06aa8bd28a6faab" rel="nofollow">Agreements on getting Cyprus natural gas to market via Egypt hailed as energy cooperation milestone</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Feb. 17, 2025, 11:45 AM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/148573/0e69d3a7669bdfb4809cb21bdedb965c" rel="nofollow">Ethnically split Cyprus' rival leaders say they're ready for UN-led meeting to restart peace talks</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Feb. 10, 2025, 9:50 AM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/148573/17be8598b481bc7775ec8eb76d2b3506" rel="nofollow">Longtime AP international journalist Earleen Fisher, whose career spanned five decades, dies at 78</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Jan. 29, 2025, 5:31 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/148573/57fa77debdd89dbc466b73657d753ed2" rel="nofollow">Egypt and Eni-Total consortium to sign deal on processing Cypriot natural gas for export</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Jan. 24, 2025, 12:33 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><span class="marker h6"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref33862">  <section data-level="2" id="ref242735"> <h2 class="h2">Daily life and social customs</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> of Cyprus is divided between the northern Turkish and the southern Greek sections of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country</a>. Since 1974 the Turkish <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="community" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community" data-type="MW">community</a> in northern Cyprus has promoted its own Turkish and Islamic culture, supporting its own newspapers and periodicals and changing many place-names to Turkish. The anniversary of the proclamation of the TRNC (November 15) is celebrated in the north, as are traditional Muslim holidays.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Greek Cypriots speak a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/dialect" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dialect</a> of Greek and maintain a somewhat ambivalent attitude about mainland Greeks. However, most Greek Cypriots who go abroad for their postsecondary education travel to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Greece" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Greece</a>, and these young people share in the popular culture of Greece, which is itself increasingly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="cosmopolitan" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmopolitan" data-type="MW">cosmopolitan</a>. Even so, Greek Cypriots take care to preserve their traditional culture and to observe such important holidays as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Easter-holiday" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Easter</a> (and the pre-Easter Carnival) and Anthestiria, a spring flower festival.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Despite years of civil conflict in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, the younger generation of Greek Cypriots has grown up in a relatively peaceful, settled, and prosperous society that <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="encompasses" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encompasses" data-type="MW">encompasses</a> aspects of traditional culture while welcoming world trends in dress and entertainment. These trends were introduced not only by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mass-media" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">mass media</a> but also by a tremendous influx of young travelers, whose presence can be felt in the dance clubs and bars that now abound throughout the island.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="178259" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/163441-050-F63494BF/terra-cotta-pots-vessels-Cyprus.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/148573/178259"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/163441-050-F63494BF/terra-cotta-pots-vessels-Cyprus.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/163441-050-F63494BF/terra-cotta-pots-vessels-Cyprus.jpg?w=300" alt="Cyprus: terra-cotta pots and vessels" data-width="1600" data-height="1063" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/163441-050-F63494BF/terra-cotta-pots-vessels-Cyprus.jpg" data-href="/media/1/148573/178259">Cyprus: terra-cotta pots and vessels</a><span>Traditional terra-cotta pots and vessels, Cyprus.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike enjoy a rich tradition of handicrafts and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-art-visual-arts" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">folk art</a>. Among the best-known expressions of this art internationally are Cypriot lacework—particularly that produced in the town of Lefkara near Nicosia—and silversmithing, which is practiced throughout the island.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Geography has left Cyprus <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="heir" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/heir" data-type="EB">heir</a> to numerous culinary traditions—particularly those of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Levant" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Levant</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Anatolia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Anatolia</a>, and Greece—but some dishes, such as the island’s <em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloumi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">halloumi</a></em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/cheese" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">cheese</a>, <em>pourgouri</em> (a dish of boiled cracked wheat), <em>hiromeri</em> (a pressed, smoked, and aged leg of pork), and <em>sucuk</em> (a confection made of thickened grape juice and almonds), are purely Cypriot. As in much of the Mediterranean world, the appetizer, or <em>meze</em>, in Cyprus plays a central role, often taking the place of the entrée. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a part of every meal, and Cyprus has long been famous for its wine, viticulture having been practiced on the island for thousands of years.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref242736"> <h2 class="h2">The arts</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cyprus has figured in the literature of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Europe" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Europe</a> for thousands of years, from the works of Ionic lyric poets to modern travel memoirs such as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lawrence-Durrell" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Lawrence Durrell’s</a> <em>Bitter Lemons</em> (1957). Literary traditions are strong on the island itself. Drawing on <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/oral-tradition" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">oral tradition</a>, on classical forms—such as the <em>tekerleme</em> (rigmarole) and <em>mani</em> (quatrain)—and on <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="contemporary" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/contemporary" data-type="EB">contemporary</a> styles, Turkish Cypriot singers such as Acar Akalın and Neșe Yașin have developed a body of work that is well known on the Turkish mainland though largely untranslated into other languages. Contemporary Greek Cypriot poets are somewhat better known beyond the island, having been translated into other European languages. Several literary journals are published, and small presses issue hundreds of books in Greek and Turkish each year. Poetry is also an important element in the growing “peace culture” movement, which seeks to forge social and cultural links across the island’s ethnic divide.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="178261" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/163430-050-322503D1/Woman-lace-doilies-Omodhos-Cyprus.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/148573/178261"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/163430-050-322503D1/Woman-lace-doilies-Omodhos-Cyprus.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/163430-050-322503D1/Woman-lace-doilies-Omodhos-Cyprus.jpg?w=300" alt="Cypriot woman crocheting lace doilies" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/30/163430-050-322503D1/Woman-lace-doilies-Omodhos-Cyprus.jpg" data-href="/media/1/148573/178261">Cypriot woman crocheting lace doilies</a><span>Woman crocheting lace doilies in Omodhos, Cyprus.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Numerous painters and sculptors work in Cyprus, and the Cultural Services office keeps the state’s collection of modern Cypriot art on permanent exhibition and sponsors the annual Kypria International Festival of music and theatrical performances. In the village of Lemba, near <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Paphos" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Paphos</a>, the Cyprus College of Art runs courses for postgraduate art students. The government encourages young composers, musicians, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-dance" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">folk dance</a> groups. Both the Turkish and the Greek Cypriot <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="communities" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities" data-type="MW">communities</a> have active film industries, and Cypriot motion pictures have received a number of awards in international competitions. Classical and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/folk-music" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">folk music</a> enjoy a wide following among Cypriots of all ages, and the respective folk music traditions of the Greek and Turkish communities, combined with international styles, have contributed to the development of native Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/popular-music" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">popular music</a> styles.</p><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref242737"> <h2 class="h2">Cultural institutions</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="211292" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/178959-050-4466CE84/Theatre-Kourion-Limassol-Cyprus.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/148573/211292"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/178959-050-4466CE84/Theatre-Kourion-Limassol-Cyprus.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/178959-050-4466CE84/Theatre-Kourion-Limassol-Cyprus.jpg?w=300" alt="Kourion, Cyprus: theatre" data-width="1600" data-height="1200" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/178959-050-4466CE84/Theatre-Kourion-Limassol-Cyprus.jpg" data-href="/media/1/148573/211292">Kourion, Cyprus: theatre</a><span>Theatre at Kourion (Curium), near Limassol, Cyprus.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The ancient cultural traditions of Cyprus are maintained partly by private enterprise and partly by government sponsorship, especially through the Cultural Services office of the Republic of Cyprus’s Ministry of Education and Culture, which publishes books, awards prizes for literature, and promotes Cypriot publications. Cities have public libraries, as do many rural communities. The government-sponsored Cyprus Theatre Organization stages plays by contemporary Cypriot dramatists as well as classical works. The ancient theatres of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Salamis-ancient-city-Cyprus" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Salamis</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Soli-ancient-city-Cyprus" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Soli</a> in the Turkish sector and Kourion (Curium) in the Greek portion have been restored; a variety of plays are staged at Kourion, and a Greek theatre has been built at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Nicosia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Nicosia</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Many noteworthy buildings survive from the Lusignan and Venetian periods, in particular the Gothic cathedrals at Nicosia and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Famagusta" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Famagusta</a> and the Abbey of Bellapais near <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kyrenia" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Kyrenia</a>. There are other Gothic churches throughout the island. Orthodox Christians also built numerous churches in a distinctive style that was often influenced by the Gothic; the interiors of these illustrate the continued development of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Byzantine-art" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Byzantine art</a>. Cyprus has notable examples of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="medieval" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/medieval" data-type="MW">medieval</a> and Renaissance military architecture, such as the castles of Kyrenia, St. Hilarion, Buffavento, and Kantara and the elaborate Venetian fortifications of Nicosia and Famagusta.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Additional sites of cultural significance include the town of Paphos, held to be the legendary birthplace of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aphrodite-Greek-mythology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Aphrodite</a>, which houses a temple constructed in her honour dating from the 12th century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>; the painted churches of the Troodos region, a complex of <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Byzantine" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Byzantine" data-type="MW">Byzantine</a> churches and monasteries renowned for their display of murals in Byzantine and post-Byzantine styles; and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Neolithic" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Neolithic</a> settlements at Choirokotia, inhabited from the 7th to the 4th millennium <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>. These sites were designated <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/UNESCO" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">UNESCO</a> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Heritage sites</a> in 1980, 1985, and 1998, respectively.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref242738"> <h2 class="h2">Sports and recreation</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Sports play a major role in the Greek Cypriot community, as they have since Classical times, when stadiums stood at the heart of the island’s chief cities. Through the Cyprus Sports Organization, an official body formed in 1969, the government has built stadiums, sports halls, and swimming pools and has subsidized associations and clubs for a wide spectrum of sports; there are a professional football (soccer) league and a semiprofessional basketball league.</p><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Cypriot athletes began to compete in the <span id="ref845560"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Olympic Games</a> in 1924 but as members of the Greek national team. In 1978 the Cyprus National Olympic Committee was admitted to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Olympic-Committee" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">International Olympic Committee</a>, and the Republic of Cyprus has been sending its own national team—consisting of athletes from the Greek Cypriot sector only—to the Games since 1980. There have been unsuccessful attempts at athletic cooperation or contests between the Turkish and Greek communities, and international sports-governing bodies have not recognized the sports associations in the Turkish sector of Cyprus.</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref242739"> <h2 class="h2">Media and publishing</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Television and radio are controlled in the Greek sector by the semigovernmental Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and are financed by government subsidies, taxes, and advertising. Throughout the island, broadcasts are in Greek, Turkish, English, and Armenian, and daily and weekly newspapers are published in Greek, Turkish, and English. The Turkish sector receives broadcasts from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Turkey" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Turkey</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/Herman-W-Goult/1127">Herman W. Goult</a></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/David-Wathen-Stather-Hunt/1409">David Wathen Stather Hunt</a></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/contributor/John-S-Bowman/342">John S. Bowman</a></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":6,"pagesTotal":12,"pageId":148573,"pageLength":1184,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"COUNTRY_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":6,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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