51 Interesting Facts About Cyprus

Last updated on October 6th, 2022

39. A hairdresser, beautician, nail artist or MegaBet gambling office is easily accessible in the country.

40. Cyprus is known for its sunshine! It receives sunshine for more than 300 days during a year, which is nearly double the amount received in Britain.

41. Paphos is home to various rare species including the Careta Careta turtle that swims in the sea. Seasonally, it crosses the Mediterranean and comes offshore around August to lay eggs. These turtles are well-guarded in nesting areas and can lay about 80 eggs.

42. The Zenobi (The Zenobia Shipwreck), a ro-ro ferry that sunk in 1980, is one of the top dive attractions in the world today. On the decks, vending machines and carpets dominate. It is also home to tuna and barracuda.

43. The remains of the oldest known pet cat were found in Cyprus, buried with its master. Archeologists found the remains to be dating back about 9,500 years.

44. The blissful Church of Agios Kyprianos is believed to be a place where bad spirits are removed. Nestled at the center of Meniko, it has an impressive bell tower featuring ogive arches. But a number of renovations have been done to improve the original layout.

45. Any history buff should know the road to the Tombs of the Kings. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located outside the city of Paphos. Even though no king has ever been buried here, there is so much to learn about high officials who reigned during the 4th Century or the Bronze Age.

46. One of the fantastic specialties Protaras offers is the halloumi or the wonder cheese which is widely regarded as a traditional Cypriot dish. Halloumi is a real deal with a mixture of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors. It is usually served fried, grilled, or cold. It hardly melts and a vegetarian option is available as well.

47. Lefkara village is reputed for its lace. In 1481, Leonardo Da Vinci, a veteran painter from Italy, visited the place to buy lace and since then the place entered the List of Intangible Culture Heritage by UNESCO.

48. Once covered by thick forest, Ayia Napa means wooded valley in ancient Greek. Today, it is a tourist spot that attracts many with white pristine beaches and buzzing nightlife.

49. During the spring season, fans of wildflowers head to northern Cyprus. At the Akamas Peninsula National Park, around the wooded and hillside areas, the rare species of orchids abound.

50. The Limassol Carnival is the liveliest event that happens from around mid-February through the first week of March in Limassol. It entails a series of festivities to celebrate food, wine, cultural dances, and drama. It is hailed as a cure for the cold climate for many visitors arriving from all corners of the world. Visitors claim that the event has a way of making them forget troubles and laugh with their hearts.

51. Fig Tree Bay, which is located in Paralimni town, Ammochostos, is one of the best Blue Flag beaches in Europe. Its glistering waters and fine golden sands have been declared the cleanest in entire Europe.

About the Flag of Cyprus

1. Design and Symbolism

Cyprus is an island republic in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It lies south of Turkey and east of Greece. Most of its inhabitants have ethnic ties to these neighbors. Conflicting interests and different ideologies continue to cause tension. The flag of Cyprus is a symbolic attempt to promote peace and harmony in the island nation.

The design is deliberately neutral. It features the island in a brown-orange color – a reference to the large copper ore deposits that may have given the country its name. Below the map are two green olive branches as traditional symbols of peace. These elements rest on a plain white field to emphasize non-alignment and impartiality.

2. Adoption

Cyprus adopted the original flag design on August 16, 1960. The last update was on April 24, 2006, which changed the shape of the branches and the shades of colors.

3. Technical Details

The flag has a proportion of 2:3. The colors are Pantone 574 for the olive branches and Pantone 1385 for the map. In 1960, these were Pantone 336-C and 144-C, respectively.

4. History

Cyprus is at the center of various competing powers from Europe and Asia. Across the centuries, it became part of Ptolemaic Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Arab caliphates, the Venetians, and the Ottoman Empire. The island was under British rule until the 1950s. The crown colony used a flag with a blue field and a miniature Union Jack at the upper left. Two red lions stand on the right side.

An armed struggle for freedom led to violence around the country. Fortunately, the parties involved found a peaceful solution that led to a sovereign state. The 1959 London and Zurich Agreements initiated the process. Cyprus officially gained independence on August 16, 1960, and proudly waived its new flag.

The constitution states that the flag must have a neutral design and color. In this case, they avoided using blue and red – colors associated with Greece and Turkey. They also refrained from portraying a cross or crescent.

The original proposal of the British colonial administration is a rust-brown K on a white background. However, the president and vice president preferred the design of Turkish Cypriot artist Ismet Guney with the map and olive branches. Guney was a cartoonist, painter, and teacher. He also designed the Cyprus lira and coat of arms.

5. Flag Facts

The Guney design made Cyprus the first country in the world to include the map on its flag. Kosovo followed its lead in 2008.

Ismet Guney submitted his flag design in a public contest. The president, Makarios III, promised to pay him £20 each year for his efforts, yet he never received any payment. He hired a law firm to force the government to pay his prize.

In 1974, a coup d’etat and invasion divided the island. Northern Cyprus established a separate state with a banner based on the design of the Turkish flag. It features a red star and crescent between two horizontal red bands with a white background.

Cyprus – country at a glance