Christianity in Cyprus: The Republic of Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Although it is geographically located in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical make-up are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is located Southeast of Greece, South of Turkey, West of Syria and Lebanon, Northwest of Israel, and North of Egypt. The capital city is Nicosia, while the official languages are Greek and Turkish. The human population is 923,272, and the major ethnic groups are Greek, Turkish, Armenian and Maronite. Christianity is the dominant faith embraced by 72.3% of the people, followed by Islam at 25%. Those without any religion constitute 1.9% of the population, while other faiths are at 0.8%.

Brief History

Cyprus was annexed by Britain in 1914, after more than 300 years of Ottoman rule. In 1955, Greek Cypriots began guerrilla war against British rule, leading to the independence of the country in 1960. In 1963, the side dominated by Turks withdrew from the power-sharing agreement brokered by Britain, after President Archbishop Makarios III proposed constitutional changes they considered offensive. In 1974, a military junta in Greece sponsored a coup against Makarios, prompting Turkey to invade the island. The Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation of Cyprus destabilised its polity and led to mass flights by many of its people. In 1983, a Turkish Cypriot, Rauf Denktas declared a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised by only Turkey.

The United Nations intervened in the conflict by deploying 2,400 peacemakers to Cyprus in 2001, to patrol the buffer zone between areas controlled by Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004 as a divided island. Currently, the international community only recognises the Republic of Cyprus, which occupies 60% of the island, with Nikos Christodoulides as its President. Only Turkey recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

God’s Canvass in Cyprus

Despite its small size, Cyprus has a variety of natural vegetation. The Mediterranean climate, which is warm and dry, with rainfall mainly between November and March favours agriculture. The country’s fauna and flora are represented in the pictures below.      

Fauna

Cyprus is home to a variety of animals. These include mouflon, wheatear, water frogs, chameleon, owl, sea turtle, hedgehog and cypriaca. Some of them are shown below.

Flora

Cyprus has a rich and diverse flora due to its location, climate, and geological structure. The plants native to the country include cistus creticus, allium curtum, golden oak, strawberry tree, myrtle and rock roses. Some of them are presented below.

Beaches

Culture

The country’s culture is diverse and includes influences from Greek and Turkish traditions. Since 1974, the Turkish community in the North has promoted its own Turkish and Islamic culture. It also supports its own newspapers and periodicals, while many locations in the region with Cyprus names have been changed to Turkish. On their part, Greek Cypriots share in the popular culture of Greece, including observance of important holidays such as Easter, Christmas, and Anthestiria, a spring flower festival. Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike enjoy a rich tradition of handicrafts and folk art.

Traditional Attire

Cyprus costumes are very conservative, usually covering most of the body. They are also diverse, with each a complex work of art. Traditional attires worn in the country reflect historical trade-economic and cultural ties with other nations far and near. The costumes equally mirror local traits and symbolism. Some of them are shown below.

Cuisine

Cypriot cuisine is influenced by Greek and Turkish cooking, and features a variety of fresh ingredients, pulses, herbs and spices. Some of the popular dishes are shown below.

Status of Christianity in Cyprus

The invasion of Cyprus in 1974 by Turkey led to the destruction of ancient Christian culture in areas now under Turkish control. However, Christianity flourishes in the Greek Cyprus region. According to the Joshua Project, an organisation promoting evangelism in the unreached areas of the world, there are about 247,000 Cypriots, representing 20% of the population that are yet to identify with Christianity.

The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to make disciples of all nations. None is excluded from the benefits of His atonement. In the light of the foregoing, we need to intercede for all unsaved souls in the country. The following prayer points are just for guidance purposes. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads you.

Prayer Points

1. Thank the Father for the privilege He has given to us to be co-workers with Him in His vineyard.
2. Ask Him to judge all demonic principalities and powers holding all Cypriots in captivity.
3. Pray that God would remove the blindfold placed on the minds and hearts of all Cypriots by satan and his demons, and unstop their ears that they might receive and understand the Gospel.
4. Pray that the Father would send sufficient labourers to His harvest in Cyprus.
5. Ask Him to purge all believers in Christ of pollutions resulting from their fraternising with people of other faiths.
6. Pray that He would destroy all faulty foundations laid in the lives of believers through demonic doctrines and errors.
7. Pray that God would sanctify all believers with His word and empower them with His Spirit to be living epistles that can be read by their unbelieving friends, neighbours and acquaintances.
8. Ask the Father to reveal Himself to those who doubt His existence, as well as people of other religions who have rejected the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life.
9. Pray that God would use President Nikos Christodoulides as a point of contact to reach all Cypriots.
10.  Ask God to protect missionaries operating in Muslim dominated areas of the country.

Intercession Checklist

Use the map provided in the text to select a town, city or region of the country for focused prayer. Present the chosen geographical space to the Father and tell Him that you are claiming its people for Christ as His ambassador. The anchor Scriptures are 2 Corinthians 5:20 and Psalm 2:8.

******Some materials sourced from Cyprus, Religion, Cuisine, https://www.britannica.com; Cyprus Passion, https://cypruspassion.net; Cyprus, https://en.wikipedia.org.