Cyprus has always been one of the most important trading locations between the empires of Europe, Africa and the Middle East .

Blessed and cursed at the same time by its ideal location, throughout history it has been influenced and governed by many different cultures, like the Mycenaeanst, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians.

The culture that was greatly welcomed and adopted was the Greek, which is still today dominating the island.

Peace was kept on the island by the Romans until the 7th century but for the next 300 years the Islamic and Byzantine empires fought for control.

After the reigns of Richard the Lionheart, The Templars and Guy de Lusigan, the Venetians eventually came to power in the 15th century, before handing it to Great Britain .

In 1925 Cyprus became a Crown colony of the UK . Cypriots' love and desire for unification with mother Greece , created many problems for the British and eventually Cyprus earned its independence in 1960.