Salamis: The Ancient Hub of Cyprus

By Esha Bajaj

Although it rests in ruins today, the Ancient city of Salamis used to be a commercial and cultural hub of the island nation of Cyprus. Due to Cyprus's history as a conquest of numerous great world powers over the centuries, the city is referenced in the great Homeric epics of Greece, in which it is stated that the city was founded by the archer Teucer soon after the Trojan War. 

The Greeks were not the only peoples who brought Salamis into their writings. The Egyptians too wrote of the city's former majesty, and it is believed that the character Tjekker from the Egyptian records was meant to be none other than Teucer, the Greek hero and supposed founder of Salamis. 

It is no wonder different empires fought over the claim of Salamis's creation, for the city was a monument to the mercantile roots of the ancient world. The city boomed due to its harbor, which was the main conduit for trade for Cyprus, linking the nation to Phoenicia, Egypt, and Cilicia. 

Unfortunately, as Salamis was the portal to the riches of Cyprus, it became prey to endure a war torn history. After being snatched from the Persians by an Egyptian naval victory, Salamis was destroyed by a Jewish revolt against the Egyptians in 115 CE. Soon after, it was ravaged by a series of devastating earthquakes. The city was not completely rebuilt until the  reign of the Christian emperor Constantius II (337-361 CE). After finishing the reconstruction, Constantius II renamed the city after himself, and Salamis became Constantia. The city spent three centuries enjoying a golden age of trade and economic prosperity until the city was once again destroyed by the Arabs under the rule of Muʿāwiyah in 648 CE. The city was abandoned soon after, and today what remains of Salamis is in ruins, a ghost of its former glory. However, the city's beauty persists. To experience the history for yourself, join Pilomobile for a Yoga adventure through the island nation next summer! Click here for more information. 

Cyprus: The Crossroads

By Esha Bajaj

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is home to a rich history compromised by the merging of countless cultures over the centuries. Ancient powers such as the Egyptians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Venetians, Genoese, and Turks all fought over the island at various points in history, each power leaving their distinct mark on the island. 

The story begins with the first written sources of Cyprus's history depicting the rule of the Assyrians, an ancient stela narrating the tale of King Sargon II's heroic conquest of the small island kingdom and its seven kings in 709 BCE. The Assyrians ruled over what they called the land of la' for many years, but in 669 BCE, the kingdom wrenched its independence free from the Assyrians. 

Freedom, however, was a short-lived spoil. The island barely had tasted a breath of sovereignty before it was seized by Amasis II, Pharaoh of Egypt, in 570 BCE. This rein too was short lived, for the island fell to new hands not fifty years later. The Persian Empire took control of Cyprus in 545 BCE, erecting the great palace on the north shore of the island, near Soli. The Persians ruled with a heavy hand, quelling two uprisings by the island's inhabitants, but eventually their rule came to an end as well.

The island slipped from empire to empire throughout the centuries, from the Persians to the Ptolemaic dynasty of Greece to the Egyptians once again. Then, in 58 BCE, Cyprus became inducted as a colony of the Holy Roman Empire, thus concluding the ancient side of the island's tale.

Cyprus as we know it today began under the control of the United Kingdom, which took over the island's government in order to protect it from the Ottoman empire in 1878 CE. However, it was annexed from the UK in 1914, right at the start of WWI. The possibility of the island joining Greece bounced back and forth between the two governments for several decades, but in 1960, Cyprus instead chose to solidify its position as an independent state, the Republic of Cyprus.

This is but a taste for the vast, enthralling history of the island nation of Cyprus. Join Philomobile in June 2018 for and incredible 10 day trip to experience the adventure for yourself. More information here.