Cyprus

Cyprus (Greek: Κύπρος; Turkish: Kıbrıs), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is a country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and the Gaza Strip, and north of Egypt. It is located on the southern portion of the island of the same name, which is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and a member state of the European Union.

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Quotes

So Joseph, who was surnamed Bar′na·bas by the apostles, which means, when translated, Son of Comfort, a Levite, a native of Cy′prus, possessing a piece of land, sold it and brought the money and deposited it at the feet of the apostles.
- Luke, Acts 4:36-37

Consequently those who had been scattered by the tribulation that arose over Stephen went through as far as Phoe·ni′cia and Cy′prus and Antioch, but speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. However, out of them there were some men of Cy′prus and Cy·re′ne that came to Antioch and began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus. Furthermore, the hand of Jehovah was with them, and a great number that became believers turned to the Lord.
- Acts 11:19-21

As to the territorial limits of Europe, they may seem relatively clear on its seaward flanks, but many island groups far to the north and west—Svalbard, the Faroes, Iceland, and the Madeira and Canary islands—are considered European, while Greenland (though tied politically to Denmark) is conventionally allocated to North America. Furthermore, the Mediterranean coastlands of North Africa and southwestern Asia also exhibit some European physical and cultural affinities. Turkey and Cyprus in particular, while geologically Asian, possess elements of European culture and may be regarded as parts of Europe.
- Encyclopædia Britannica, Europe

The Pope, anxiously revolving the sad vicissitudes of the Christians in the east, turned to Venice and Genoa, praying them for the love of Christ to combine and save the fair island of Cyprus, still unpolluted by the presence of the infidels. But the lion of St Mark was a fierce yoke-fellow. The more restricted the field of influence became between Venice and Genoa the more bitter grew their jealousy. Two fleets were, however, fitted out in response to the Papal appeal. Their prows had scarcely touched Cyprian waters when a fight took place between some of the allied ships, and to the edification of the Saracen the two greatest maritime powers of Christendom were soon engaged in mutual destruction.
- Thomas Okey, Venice and its Story (1910), pp. 96–97
- See also: War of Curzola (1295–1299)

Lying at the meeting-place of the sea routes leading to Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece, Cyprus seemed the inevitable first stage of a missionary venture.
- The book St. Paul’s Journeys in the Greek Orient, WOL, “They Sailed Away to Cyprus”

The current fascination among Muslims with the history of the Crusades, the vast literature on the subject, both academic and popular, and the repeated inferences drawn from the final extinction of the Crusading principalities throw some light on attitudes in this matter. Islam from its inception is a religion of power, and in the Muslim world view it is right and proper that power should be wielded by Muslims and Muslims alone. Others may receive the tolerance, even the benevolence, of the Muslim state, provided that they clearly recognize Muslim supremacy. That Muslims should rule over non-Muslims is right and normal. That non-Muslims should rule over Muslims is an offense against the laws of God and nature, and this is true whether in Kashmir, Palestine, Lebanon, or Cyprus. Here again, it must be recalled that Islam is not conceived as a religion in the limited Western sense but as a community, a loyalty, and a way of life—and that the Islamic community is still recovering from the traumatic era when Muslim governments and empires were overthrown and Muslim peoples forcibly subjected to alien, infidel rule.
- Bernard Lewis, "The Return of Islam". Commentary. January 1, 1976.