Anti-Turkish Uprising of 1821 in Cyprus
Description:
Cyprus is an independent country and its people are very proud of it. However, what country, which has experienced so many raids and political intrigues, will not be proud of its independence.
The island is inhabited by Greeks. Therefore, in order to emphasize that citizens of an independent country live in Cyprus, the addition is adopted: Greeks are Cypriots.
Cyprus has always felt the political influence of Greece. Honestly, I still feel that way. But the Cypriots have always recognized that they are part of Greek culture, part of the Cradle of Civilizations.
It's worth a little digression here. After the rule of the island by the Franks and Venetians, Cyprus fell into decline. Only the heads of the new Latin churches and monasteries began to appear over the cities of Cyprus: the cathedrals of St. Sophia in Nicosia (now the Selimiye Mosque), St. Nicholas in Famagusta (now the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque), Bellapais Abbey (now a museum and concert hall), etc. The Venetians decorated the island, but did not worry about its development.
The occupation of Cyprus in 1571 by the Ottoman Turks led to some changes. During this period, Latin temples and monasteries were converted into mosques. The Orthodox Church, humiliated by the Crusaders and the Franks, received the former status of dominant. The Archdiocese was re-established. The head of the Church of Cyprus was obliged to report to the Turkish administration for his flock and for everything that happens in the territories entrusted to the bishops. But it was not long enough for the Turks, concerned only with their own enrichment, to completely launch the island. Even the Turks themselves were not satisfied with this, who raised several uprisings that were suppressed by the leadership.
Since the seventeenth century, the head of the Church of Cyprus has become not only the spiritual leader of Cyprus, but also the national leader, whom the Greek population began to listen to as the head of state. He was still responsible to the Sultan and was in charge of order on the island and the lives of his fellow citizens. The archbishop, the three diocesan priests and the metropolitans who founded the Synod began to increase their influence on the Turks to mitigate taxes and protect Christians from exploitation. The Synod decided to delegate one of its representatives to Constantinople to discuss what was happening on the island.
One of them was Archbishop Cyprian. An uneducated man of strict rules of life, a model of wisdom, he seriously influenced the spread of education and became famous as a reformer. The Greek School, founded by him, became the basis of all secondary schools in Cyprus.
It was with his rule that the struggle for independence from Turkish rule was connected. Having once learned of the secret revolutionary Greek organization “Filica Hetiria” from a special Greek envoy sent to Cyprus to seek material assistance from the organization, Cyprian realized that the uprising planned by it would lead to a bloody massacre. Cyprian appealed to the people to preserve their wisdom and not lose their humanity, but it was already difficult to restrain themselves and the Cypriots began to resist. At the same time, the Greek-organized “Filice Hetiria” revolution from Greece spread to the Peloponnese and the Greek islands.
The members of the "Filike Hetirija" appeared in Cyprus, which was perceived by the Turks as the readiness of the Cypriots to fight for one with the Greeks, and the "ideologist" and "inspirer" of this was unfairly recognized by Cyprian. The blood of hundreds of ordinary priests, abbots, laity spilled over the Cypriot land. Among them was Archbishop Cyprian of Cyprus, who was brutally murdered along with his archdeacon Meletius. Cyprian, who was later listed as a saint, is popularly called the "Martyr of all Cyprus."
This holiday is equally important for both Greek and Greek Cypriots. Greek Cypriots organize solemn processions with dances and songs on this day, go to demonstrations. The houses are covered with festive delicious tables with various treats.