Cyprus is the third largest Mediterranean island and one of the most popular tourist destinations, attracting over 2.4 million tourists per year. A former British colony, it became an independent republic in 1960 and a member of the Commonwealth in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus is one of the advanced economies in the region, and has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. It adopted the euro on 1 January 2008. Cyprus is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean east of Greece, west of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, south of Turkey and north of Egypt.

Even if you've been here before, there’s always a new world to discover. Cyprus lies at the crossroads of three continents, where East meets West and a new experience awaits you under the sun every day. Where Championship Golf courses, inviting beaches, and breathtaking mountain trails lie around luxurious hotels. Enjoy the island's beauty once more. Step back in time with a visit to Choirokoitia, one of the best preserved sites of a prehistoric settlement found in the Eastern Mediterranean, with its reconstructed round dwellings giving a vivid representation of what life was like at the dawn of civilisation. 
         Admire the exquisite floor mosaics of the Roman villas depicting scenes from mythology, arguably the best in the eastern Mediterranean and the impressive underground Tombs of the Kings nearby, carved out of solid rock and decorated with Doric pillars. Or enjoy an ancient Greek play performed in a Roman amphitheatre with the most spectacular view on a cliff overlooking the sea.
         Many fine examples of Byzantine art have survived on the island, which you can see for yourself in painted churches with their colourful frescoes, ten of which have been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Marvel at the sumptuous pageantry of Greek Orthodox religious festivals whose origins go back thousands of years. In addition to the wealth of outdoor sites, tour the priceless collection of artifacts displayed in the various Archaeological Museum where you can see objects spanning the island's history, including pottery, coins, jewellery, tombstones and statues.

Culture

Experience at first hand one of the oldest civilisations of the Mediterranean, one that goes back 10,000 years.
Conquered by foreign powers throughout its long history, the island is like a large open air museum where you can see evidence of its chequered past. Ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Venetians, Ottomans and British all left their mark, making the island a mosaic of different cultures and periods. 
         Famous for its copper in antiquity, Cyprus (‘Kypros’ in Greek) may even have given the metal its Latin name, cuprum. The cult of Aphrodite, the ancient Greek mythological goddess of love and beauty, flourished here and people came from miles around to take part in celebrations in her name.
The island was the first country the apostles Paul and Barnabas visited in their mission to spread Christianity and the first to come under Christian administration. 
         When Cyprus became part of the Byzantine Empire, art and architecture flourished here, especially in the 12th century, considered to be the Golden Age of Byzantine painting in Cyprus. As a distant outpost of Byzantium, Cyprus escaped the iconoclastic decrees of the 8th century and much of its Byzantine art has survived here.