Cyprus

In the Bible and History

Barnabas was a native of Cyprus (Acts 4:36) and Paul visited the island (Acts 13:4) along with Barnabas.  It is also said that Barnabas and Mark visited Cyprus together (Acts 15:39).  This means that the gospel reached Cyprus very early in the Christian era.  The church of Cyprus became independent in 431 at the Council of Ephesus and remains an autocephalus (self-headed)Orthodox church today.

Cyprus was the first place conquered by the Crusaders (1191) who dominated it until 1571 when the Ottoman occupation brought back the Orthodox Church.  Both the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and later the Latin (Catholic) Patriarch of Jerusalem fled to Cyprus during this period.

Christianity Today
Today the Christians are almost entirely Greek Orthodox and Cyprus is the only country in the Middle East where Christians are the majority.  The island itself is divided with one third called the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus and dominated by Sunni Muslims..  There are strong political tensions and little interaction between the Muslims and Christians.

The worldwide membership of the Church of Cyprus mostly resides in Cyprus and constitutes almost 100% of the Christian population, dominating the social and cultural life.   The church has an international program supporting the growth of Orthodoxy in East Africa by building a seminary and vocational school there for the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

Special Sites to Visit
Cyprus is known for its beautiful icons although many are in locations that cannot be visited.  The Archbishop Makarios III Foundation at the archbishopric in Nicosia houses a collection of icons and paintings.

For More Information
Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus
2211 R St. NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel: 202-462-5772; fax: 202-483-6710
Email: cypembwash@earthlink.net; website: www.PIO.gov.cy
website: http://www.visitCyprus.com

Notes from Personal Visits
The Middle East Council of Churches maintains a retreat center at Aya Napa, a beach resort and a relaxing place to visit.
Because of its location and despite its small size, Cyprus often hosts ecumenical conferences so many church people go there.