The island of Cyprus is located in the most eastern part of the Mediterranean, connecting three continets; Europe, Asia and Africa. Due to its unique geographical location which renders it as a crossroad of the eastern Mediterranean basin, Cyprus has a rich and varied history. The island was an attraction point since ancient time, and was first inhabited around the 11th millennium BC .
Since ancient times, it was a link between the greatest civilizations, including Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs and the ancient monuments that have been excavated, illustrate the impact as well as the history not only of Cyprus but of the whole of the Mediterranean. Each conqueror as well as neighbour civilizations have been a source of influence however, Cypriots managed to illustrate all new imported characteristics in a Cypriot way therefore the term "Cypriot style" was created to characterize the archaeological remains.
Chronological table
Period | Date |
Akrotiri-Aetokremnos | 10th millenium |
Aceramic Neolithic | 9th millenium - 5200B.C |
Ceramic Neolithic | 5000 - 3900 B.C |
Chalcolithic | 3900 - 2500 B.C |
Early Bronze Age | 2500 - 1900 B.C |
Middle Bronze Age | 1900 -1600 B.C |
Late Bronze Age | 1600 -1050 B.C |
Geometric | 1050 -750 B.C |
Archaic | 750 - 450 B.C |
Classical | 480 - 310 B.C |
Hellenistic | 310 B.C - 30 B.C |
Roman | 30 B.C - 330 A.D |
Early Christian | 330 - mid 7th century A.D |
Byzantine- Arab raids | mid 7th century - 965 A.D |
Frankish | 1191 - 1489 A. D |
Venetian | 1489 - 1571 A.D |
Ottoman | 1571 - 1878 A. D |
British | 1878 - 1960 A.D |
