CYPRUS Maxicard - The mosaic of Jacob

The mosaics from the Virgin Mary of Kanakaria church.  The mosaics of Jacob maxicard.

CYPRUS Maxicard - the last Queen of Cyprus, Aikaterinis Kornaro

Thanks to PaperM for the maxicard.

CYPRUS Maxicard

Thanks to PaperM for the maxicard.

CUPRUS - Choirokoitia

 One of the most important prehistoric sites in the Mediterranean.  A card sent from Germany. Thanks Sven.

CYPRUS

Cyprus is a small country with a long history and a rich culture.  The earliest known human activity dates back to the 10th millinium BC.  There are many UNESCO WH sites all around the island.

Read  here for more on Cyprus.

CYPRUS - Fortress of Paphos

The entire town of Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Paphos was the capital of Cyprus for a long period of time in antiquity.  It is out of the seas of Paphos that Aphrodite, Greek Olympian goddess of Love and Beauty is said to have risen and it was in Paphos that the worship of the goddess flourishes.

This fortress of Paphos was according to an inscription above the main entrance, "built by Ahmed Fasha in 1592AD."

CYPRUS - Mountain village street scene

The city of Larnaca is built on the site where ancient city - Kingdom Kition once stood.  Kition was the birth place of Zeno, the Greek philosopher, who founded the stioc school of thought and the 2nd home of Vesus's friend Lazaros, Lazaros was ordained as Bishop of Kition by the Apostles Balnabas and Paul.

CYPRUS - Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque

Hala Sultan Tekka mosque was built in 648 AD on the spot where Umm Haram died when she fell of her mule. According to tradition Umm Haram was related to the Prophet Mohammad. It is now one of the most important holy places of worship for Muslims, ranked immediately after Mecca, Medina in Saudi Arabia and Al Aqsa in Jerusalem. The mosque was first renovated in 1816 and more recently in 2002.

CYPRUS - Nicosia

Lefkosa (Nicosia) has been the capital of Cyprus since the late Byzantine period (11th century).  It antiquity it was known by name Ledra. The city centre, the old 'Chora', surrounded by 16th century walls. with museums, old churches and medieval buildings.

CYPRUS - Pantocrator. Wall-painting in the dome of the church of Panayia tou Arakos, Lagoudera (1192 A.D.)

The 12th century church of Panayia tou Arakos is one of the 10 Byzantine period painted churches in Moodos mountain.  This church contains some of the finest frescoes of the late comnenian style (1192).  This church along with the churches of Asinou and of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, are considered to be the most important Byzantine period churches in Cyprus.

CYPRUS - Outdoor Oven

This kind of outdoor oven is quite common here. Lemesos is the 2nd largest city between two ancient city - Kingdoms, Amathus and Karios.  Lemesos castle was built on the site of an earlier castle where, according to tradition, Richard the Lion heart, King of England married Benengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England in 1191.

CYPRUS - Tombs of the Kings

The Tombs of the Kings are one of the major archaeological attractions of Paphos. these monumental underground tombs carved out of solid rock dated back to the 3rd century BC and some are decorated with Doric pillars.  High ranking officials rather than kings were buried here but the magnificence of the tombs gave the locality its grand name.  Thanks Moon for the great explanation on the card!

CYPRUS - Paphos

"Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite's legendary birthplace was on this island, where her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century B.C. The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world." sources here

CYPRUS MAXICARD - Chrismas 2014

Icon of the Birth of Christ originally from a church in the occupied part of Cyprus and repatriated in 2013 from Munich.

CYPRUS MAXICARD - Chrismas 2014

Icon of the Birth of Christ originally from a church in the occupied part of Cyprus and repatriated in 2013 from Munich.

CYPRUS MAXICARD - Chrismas 2014

Icon of the Virgin Mary, Glycofilousa, Agia Zoni church.

Ammochostos, repatriated in 2013 from Munich.

CYPRUS - Cyprus Lemons

Today's card comes from Cyprus. Cyprus offers high quality citrus fruits and lemons were produced 4 times a year.  Thank you Sandra for the nice Cyprus card!

CYPRUS - Summer time

"Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, and a member state of the European Union. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel, north of Egypt and east of Greece."