Cyprus is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea. Located east of Greece and south of Turkey it is only smaller than Sicily and Sardinia, making it the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus contains central plains as well as southern coastal plains. It also has mountains to the north and south. Cypriots suffer from hot, dry summers and it has cool, mild winters. The island itself is about 9,251 square km, this makes it about 0.6 of the State of Connecticut. Cyprus has a population of 1,120,489 with 97.6% of those people being literate. The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia which has a population of around 240,000 people. It is made up of 77% Greek, 18% Turkish, and 5% other ("CIA - The World Factbook").
The country of Cyprus started out as a British colony in 1878 but gained its independence August 16, 1960 and they celebrate Independence Day on October 1st. The new independent country is known locally as Kypriaki Dimokratia or Kibris Cumhuriyeti meaning The Republic of Cyprus. Shortly after becoming its own country true Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots began to fight over country tensions and separation of the two ethnic groups. This quarrel was continuous and Turkey invaded in 1974. While the Turkish invaded, most of them Muslims, they persecuted Christians and killed many people. Later the Turkish retreated knowing that if they continued to invade other European nations would come to the aid of Cyprus and defeat Turkey as a whole ("CIA - The World Factbook").
Cyprus is under a Republic government and the Greek Cypriots head the only government that is internationally recognized. The flag for The Republic of Cyprus has a copper image of the island with two green olive branches crossing under ...
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Works Cited
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Indicators. United Nations, 7 July 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. This data sheet shows the
“The Passions of Christ: A Journey Through Byzantine Art.” Kypros-Net: “The World of Cyprus”. 18 Oct. 2004 <http://kypros.org/Byzantine/>.
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Romanesque art was influenced by Byzantine icons, and featured designs unheard of before. The designs were somewhat curvilinear and depressing. Figures during this era were m...
Karl Marx once said “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce” (8). His words ring true with regards to the two periods of Iconoclasm that happened during the Byzantine era. The exact target of all of these destructive acts may be different (icons, Buddhas, and a Christian Monastery), however, what these events do have in common is one similar outcome: the loss of beautiful historical religious artistry that can never really be replaced.
Having been to this exhibit, I feel that I had experienced both an enlightenment and appreciation for not only artwork, but for the treasured icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Buddhist icons. This appreciation has come from the observation of the details which the artists had incorporated. I had learned to understand that it is because the deities are treasured among their followers.
“World Factbook: Government Type.” Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 2 April 2014.
Dabovich, Sebastian. The Holy Orthodox Church : or, The ritual, services and sacraments of the Eastern apostolic (Greek-Russian) church. Wilkesbarre, PA., 1898. P. 77 Print.
The adoption of Eastern Orthodoxy by the Slavs marked a new era for the culture of Russia. In the Primary Chronicle we come across many tales that illustrate the transformation from staunch paganism to strict Orthodox Christianity that was adopted by the state. The tale “Vladimir Christianizes Russia” is one such story that glorifies Vladimir’s great triumph in choosing Eastern Orthodoxy and delivering the Slavs to salvation. Through justifying the adoption of Christianity, emphasizing the importance of aestheticism in ceremony, and illustrating the overwhelming Slavic transition from paganism to Christianity we are able to glean the importance of Vladimir’s success in transitioning the Slavs to Eastern Orthodoxy.
Cyzicus, on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara, and to Larisa and Meliboea in
Behind the elaborate fresco paintings and splendid architecture, Eastern Orthodox Church has played a significant role in the preservation of Christian tradition throughout history. Since the transfer of the imperial capitol of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople, the Eastern Orthodox Christianity has evolved into a distinct branch of Christianity (Steeves). As Timothy Ware, the author of The Orthodox Church, suggests, major intellectual, cultural, and social developments that were taking place in a different region of the Roman Empire were not entirely consistent with the evolution of Western Christianity (Ware 8). These traditions and practices of the church of Constantinople were adopted by many and still provide the basic patterns and ethos of contemporary Orthodoxy. The Eastern Orthodox Church has adopted unique organizational features, beliefs, and traditions constituting itself as a unique branch of Christianity.
Luke, Theotokos of Vladimir, 1130, tempera on panel, 104 cm. x 69 cm., Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Gecser, Otto, Jozef Lazlovsky, Balázs Nagy, Marcell Sebők, and Katalin Szende. Promoting the Saints: Cults and Their Contexts from Late Antiquity until the Early Modern Period. New York: Central European University Press, 2011.
The Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the homeland of two distinct peoples: the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. Their relationship is not one of a majority and minority, but one of equal partnership. The Turkish Cypriots speak Turkish, are Muslims and share the culture of their motherland, Turkey. The Greek Cypriots, on the other hand, speak Greek, are Orthodox Christians and profess the culture of their motherland Greece. After more than 300 years of Turkish rule, the island came under British influence in 1878, but sovereignty was formally transferred by Turkey to Britain in 1923. British colonial administration continued until 1960 when as a joint bi-communal state, the DRepublic of Cyprus was founded under international treaties, signed by Great Britain, Greece and Turkey, and by the leaders of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in their separate capacities. The 1960 arrangements created a political partnership between the two national communities which would enable them to share power and cooperate in a bi-communal state, with the necessary checks and balances and guarantees. Unfortunately, this political partnership and the internationally sanctioned regime lasted only three years.