1650–1050 BCE: Cyprus Becomes a Late Bronze Age Trade Hub
Cyprus emerged as a crucial center for trade and culture in the eastern Mediterranean, significantly influenced by Mycenaean Greeks.
Who were the Mycenaean Greeks? The Mycenaeans were the first advanced civilization on mainland Greece. The Mycenaeans are sometimes associated with the mythic hero Agamemnon, because of the discovery of a gold funerary mask at a Mycenaean site in 1876.
708 BCE: Cyprus is Conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire
The Neo-Assyrian Empire, which emerged from an ancient city-state in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), was history’s first global empire.
560 BCE: Cyprus is Briefly Conquered by Egypt under the Pharaoh Amasis II
Most of what we know comes from the work of the Greek historian Herodotus, as few monuments related to him or his reign survive.
545 BCE: The Persian Empire Conquers Cyprus
Cyprus fell to the Persian armies of Cyrus the Great and would remain a semi-autonomous region of the Persian Empire for nearly 200 years.
333 BCE: Alexander the Great Conquers Cyprus in His March Eastward
Alexander the Great conquers Cyprus, initiating the first period in Cypriot history in which the island was under the control of a culturally Greek state.
30 BCE: Rome Annexes Cyprus
Cyprus became a province of the Roman Empire, integrating into Roman governance and benefiting from its extensive trade network and infrastructure.
286 CE: The Roman Empire is Divided Between East and West
Cyprus was included in the Eastern half of the Empire. Today, we refer to the Eastern Roman Empire (usually after the late 300s) as the Byzantine Empire.
The Eastern half of the Roman Empire was always more culturally and linguistically Greek, and over time would become exclusively so.
380 CE: Emperor Theodosius I Makes Christianity the Official Religion of the Roman Empire
While Constantine the Great had become Rome’s first Christian emperor fifty years earlier, Theodosius I made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica.
649 CE: The Umayyad Caliphate Begins Consistent Raids Against Cyprus
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second Muslim empire established after the death of the Prophet Muhammed.
688 CE: The Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian II and Caliph Abd al-Malik Agree to Jointly Rule Cyprus
This period of joint rule is known as the “condominium” and lasted for nearly 300 years despite nearly constant conflict between the two empires.
965 CE: General Niketas Chalkoutzes Reconquers Cyprus for the Eastern Roman Empire
1191 CE: Richard the Lionheart Conquers Cyprus During the Third Crusade
Richard the Lionheart conquers Cyprus and then sells it to the Lusignan family, who rules the island for nearly 300 years.
1489 CE: Venice Gains Control of Cyprus
Venice takes control of Cyprus following the death of the last Lusignan king.
1571 CE: The Ottoman Empire Conquers Cyprus
The Ottoman Empire conquered Cyprus, leading to more than 300 years of Ottoman rule.
1878 CE: The Russo-Turkish War Ends Ottoman Control of Cyprus. Cyprus Comes Under British Administration
Cyprus was placed under British administration, eventually becoming a British colony in 1925.
1960 CE: Cyprus Gains Its Independence from Britain
Cyprus gained its independence from Britain and established a bi-communal republic, where power is shared between the Greek and Turkish communities.
1974 CE: Türkiye Invades Cyprus
Following a Greek Cypriot coup aimed at uniting with Greece, Türkiye invades Cyprus, leading to the occupation of the northern part of the island.
1975 CE: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is Established
This de facto state remains recognized only by Türkiye to this day.
2004 CE: The Republic of Cyprus Joins the European Union
The entry of the Republic of Cyprus (the southern half of the island) into the European Union marks a new phase in Cypriot history and highlights the reality of the still divided island.
