H - 1 : Ethnic Cleansing Cyprus Style

Last day, before sailing starts tomorrow. We used the day to visit Enkomi, an early bronze-age town, then Salamis, the island’s Roman Capital, and finally Famagusta, which’s epic siege in 1570 was the background to Shakespeare’s Othello.

Famagusta's impenetrable West Wall which the Ottomans were unable to breach in 1571

The Messaoria plain between the Kyrenia and Troodos Mountains is today a very hot place where wheat is grown in spring and fall. During summer though, the valley is dry and yellow. Temperatures reached 40 Celsius by lunchtime. During the time of the Lusignian Kings, it was different though. When they ruled (until 1489), the plain was covered by a large forest where they hunted deers, boars and bears.

Enkomi was almost 80 kilometers away from the nearest Copper Mines (purple fields)

Now the location of Enkomi where copper ore was once smeltered and cast makes sense. Located on a limestone cliff a good 8 meter above the surrounding land, it was the perfect site. The elevation made it easy to defend, it was close to the forest where charcoal could be cooked, ore was shipped downriver on the Yialias from the Tennedos hills and boats could reach it from the sea. The river is now silted though.

The remarkable limestone cliff on which the Enkomi was built

Sadly, the Enkomi museum was closed when we arrived. We could not enter the fenced perimeter where the excavated ruins are located. It is estimated that up to 10’000 people lived once here.

Enkomi was destroyed in 1'200 BC by a powerful earthquake and never rebuilt

Enkomi was rich based on the few arefacts found. None of them are still in Cyprus. They were taken to the British Museum in London and the Louvre in France. After the town was destroyed and abandoned, people moved to Salamis not far down river and closer to the sea. I guess silting was already a big problem and Enkomi had to be given up.

The "Horned God" and a Bronze-Age Warrior found in Enkomi during excavations in 1930

Within sight of Enkomi is the Barnabas Monastery where the Saint, a fellow traveller and missionary to Saint Paul, is burried. His relicts were found in the 5th century under suspicious circumstances together with a bible. Seems nobody noticed that bibles were only compliled during Constantine's reing, 250 years after Barnabas death. But a good story is a good story.

The Monastery was financed by Emperor Zeno and completed

by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD - the current site was

restored and rebuilt by the Ottoman in the late 17th Century

St Barnaba's book did not make it ito our bible since it predicts that there will be another "anointed one" after Jesus . Muslim interpret this as a prediction of the appearance of Mohammed - which means the "anointed one" in Arab. The bible was compiled around 350 AD, three centuries before Mohammed receieved his divine instructions from Allah . Saint Barnabas book must have been excluded for different reasons. But Barnabas' influence kept the Church of Cyprus outside the control of the Orthodox Church. The Bishops of Cyprus never reported to the Patriarchs of Constantinople.

Inside the "independent" Saint Barnabas Church

After a short detour through Salamis which had 200’000 inhabitants in Roman times - Cyprus had 500'000 on the day of Independence in 1960 - we travelled to Famagusta, a town on the frontline between Muslim and Christian world for centuries.

The Roman Theatre in Salamis could sit about 15'000 people = 7 - 10 % of the town's people

Famagusta was founded in 280 BC by the Egyptian Ptolemy after an earthquake damaged Salamis. Famagusta had a slow start though. In Roman time it was described as a fishing village. Its natural harbor though was superior and deeper than the one in Salamis. Also, established on a slab of limestone, it was easy to fortify. When Arabs raided Salamis in 647 AD they left Famagusta alone. Could not find out whether Famagusta was too poor to be bother with or whether it was too well fortified.

Ottoman Bombardments during the Siege of 1571 severely damaged the St George Church

Famagusta's Zenith came with the crusades when it was the terminal for the re-supply of soldiers and weapons to the Holy Land. From the 11th to the 13th century, there was a constant stream of adventure and fame seeking young nobles from Europe. The Venetian and Genovese ships which brought them over to Palestine did not return empty. On their way back, they were loaded with spices, silks, perfumes and jewellery. Trading with Asia, so well known in antiquity, resumed. The town was probably the wealthiest city in Europe - even richer than Constantinople. It was rumoured to have 365 churches - all financed from the fat trading profits! Its taxes financed the Lusignan Kings in Nicosia.

After the conquest of Famagusta in 1571 the Ottomans converted

the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas to the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque

The Holy Land did not stay for long under Crusader control. In 1187 Saladin conquered Jerusalem back. In 1291 the Memluks took Akko, the last Christian stronghold in Palestine. The surviving Christian population fled to Famagusta which grew to 10'000 people - Cyprus' second largest city. Despite papal bulls, trading with the Muslim "enemies" did not stop. The Mamluks were as eager to sell their products as the merchants from Fagagusta, mostly Greeks, Venetians and Genovese, to buy.

The Front of the Old Venetian Palace with the Roman Granite

Columns still stands opposite Saint Nicholas Cathedral

The change from Lusignan to Venetian rule in 1489 change little albeit Venice recognized the strategic value of Famagusta and strengthened the medieval fortifcations. The walls were thickened to 10 meters and lowered to protect them from direct gun fire. Venice knew the Ottoman's prowess in siege warfare. In 1570, when they eventually invaded, the town withstood an eight months long siege. The Venetian defences were never broken. General Bradigan had to surrender nevertheless. His forces had shrunk from 8'000 to 2'000 and they run out of food. The promised relieve fleet never arrived albeit it sunk the Ottoman Fleet at Lepanto in late summer 1571. Despite generous surrender terms, the Venetian commander was flaied alive. The Ottomans did not forgive him that they lost 50'000 of their best troops.

Famagusta's Land Gate with its three-lines-of-defence was

particularly hard fought over - on the photo the second Trench

After the conquest, the Ottomans expulsed the surviving Christian population and tried to resettle the town with Turks from mainland Anatolia. Whilst partially sucdessful, they could not convert farmers into traders. Famagusta's business collapsed. The town decayed and was mostly abandoned. It fell into a beauty sleep for over 300 years.

Famagusta's Venetian Walls still shape its structure and appearance

With the arrival of the British, the fortune of the town changed again. Famagusta became the Royal Navy's main harbor, a railway was built from here to Nicosia, many Greek Cypriots settled back in town again. The Turkish share of the population dropped to 16%. Brits, Turks, Greeks and Arabs mingled in this town and made it again a thriving commercial city.

The mighty Walls protected Turkish Cypriots fighting here in 1974

from modern Artillery fire - the Walls are so strong

Not surprisingly, Famagusta was fought over in the war of 1974 again when the Turkish Army invaded Cyprus to prevent its annexation by Greece. Fighting in the old town of Famagusta was vicious. The few Turkish forces held the Venetian fortifications for a week until the Turkish Army arrived. Again, the Greek population had to pack and flee. Today, Famagusta is entirely Turkish.

The Venetian Lion still decorates the Othello Castle in Famagusta

It would be farfetched to say that ethnic cleansing was invented in Cyprus. This title goes - sadly - to other places. But i cannot resist the impression that Famagusta was a thriving place as long as it was an open trading city with people from many nations and faith - and a dead town when ethnically pure. Sometimes I wonder whether mankind ever learns.