Cyprus, tucked away in the top right hand corner of the Mediterranean and at the South-Eastern corner of Europe is located between Europe, Asia and Africa and rightly claims to be a stepping stone to three continents. Cyprus is the third largest island Levitra pill in the Mediterranean and has been an independent country since 1960 and Levitra pill a member of the European Union since 1st May 2004. The history of the island goes back to the Neolithic Age, the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. Churches and monasteries Levitra pill still stand from Byzantine times, castles and palaces from the days of the Levitra pill Crusaders and levitra sales uk best doses for propecia buy generic levitra online levitra sales uk Frankish Lusignans, and walls from the Venetian days.

It is an island chosen by the mythical gods and goddesses of Levitra pill Ancient Greece, who indulged themselves here in sport, pleasure and tragedy. Levitra pill Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, emerged from the Paphos foam to become a famous cult figure-centre of attraction for the first visitors who flocked to the island to worship her. In Cyprus there are times that one can enjoy Levitra pill all seasons in the same day!

Through thousands of years different civilizations met Levitra pill on the island. Traces of this are still evident today. Even though Cyprus is one of the newest members of the European Union, it provides a door from which many professionals Levitra pill in Cultural Heritage may pass through to come in contact with European as well as international colleagues. Our main objective and goal by Levitra pill organizing this event in Cyprus is not only to bring the know-how and technology Levitra pill to the island, but also to

bring it to the region of the Levitra pill Middle East where some of the ancient civilizations of the Levitra pill world were born.

GEOGRAPHY

Location, Area and Population

Cyprus is situated in the north-eastern Levitra pill part of the Mediterranean Sea, 33Β° east of Greenwich and 35Β° north of the Equator and has an Levitra pill area of 9.251 square kilometres, of which 1.733 are forested. The population Levitra pill of Cyprus at the end of 2001 in the government controlled area was 705.500. The total population of Cyprus at the end of 2001 (including estimates for Turkish Cypriots) was 793.100. The capital of the island is Nicosia (Lefkosia) with Levitra pill a population of 206.200 in the sector controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. It is situated roughly in the centre of the island and is the seat of government as well Levitra pill as the main business centre. The 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of nearly 37% of the island's territory literally cut the capital in Levitra pill half.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CYPRUS

Cyprus has played a leading role in Levitra pill the history of the Eastern Mediterranean. Her history is one of Levitra pill the most ancient in the world. The oldest remains of civilisation go back more than 13000 years. Cypriot prehistory dates from the beginning of the 6th millennium BC.

The discovery of copper Levitra pill on the island in the third millennium BC brought wealth and trade Levitra pill to Cyprus. The settlement of Myceneans and later Achaeans in the 15th century BC resulted in the development of the island into an important centre of Greek civilisation. The Achaeans founded Greek kingdoms in Cyprus on the Mycenean model, and introduced the Greek language and religion as well as the Levitra pill Greek way of life. The institutions of these kingdoms were maintained until the Roman period. Cyprus was very well known to the ancients for her copper mines and her thick forests. Her natural wealth and her strategic position made her the bone of Levitra pill contention between the powers of the Eastern Mediterranean in antiquity. She was conquered Levitra pill in turn by the Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians. Nonetheless, Cyprus managed to preserve Levitra pill her language and cultural heritage intact.

In the 5th century BC Levitra pill Athens played an important role in the affairs of Cyprus, collaborating closely with the Cypriot kingdoms. During this period, the King of Salamis in Cyprus was Evagoras, who acquired international fame. After the division of the Empire of Alexander the Great, who had freed Cyprus from the Persians, Levitra pill the island became one of the most important centres of the Levitra pill empire of the Ptolemies of Egypt. Later, in 58BC, Cyprus came under Levitra pill Roman rule. Both in the Ptolemaic and the Roman period, the sanctuary of Aphrodite in Paphos was the centre of the national, religious and cultural life of the island. Christianity was brought to the island by the Levitra pill Apostles Paul and Barnabas. The latter came from Salamis and was Levitra pill the founder of the Church of Cyprus. In 330 AD, on the division of the Roman Empire, Cyprus became a province of the Byzantine Empire and from then on followed fully Levitra pill the fortunes of the Greek Orthodox world. The Byzantine period left a rich artistic and architectural heritage in Cyprus.

During the Crusades, Cyprus was conquered by the King of England, Richard the Lionheart, on his way to the Holy Land. Richard transferred Cyprus to the Order Levitra pill of Knights. The Knights then sold the island to the Levitra pill French Lusignans, who established a feudal kingdom on the pattern of those in Levitra pill the West. The Lusignan period lasted from 1192-1489 AD, when the last Levitra pill Lusignan Queen, Catherine Cornaro, was compelled to transfer her rights to the Republic of Venice, which ruled Cyprus until its conquest by the Turks in 1571.

The Ottoman conquest resulted in the creation of a Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus. This population Levitra pill came from the members of the Ottoman army who settled on the island and from Christians Levitra pill who of necessity became Moslem. According to the last official census in 1960, the Turkish Cypriot community made up 18.3% of the whole population of Levitra pill Cyprus.

During the Ottoman period there are records of many Levitra pill instances when the Greeks and Turks of Cyprus joined together to Levitra pill struggle against the oppressive yoke of the Ottomans. Ottoman rule Levitra pill lasted until 1878, when the fear of the Sublime Porte of a Russian attack, led to an agreement between Britain and Turkey which provided for the cession of Cyprus to Britain in return for assistance from Britain to Turkey in the event of a Russian attack Levitra pill on the borders of Turkish provinces. British rule lasted till August 1960 and Cyprus was declared an independent Republic (http://www.cyprus.gov.cy ).

MORE INFO. ABOUT CYPRUS:
There is a large number of websites that you can visit and learn almost all you want to know about Cyprus and its Levitra pill people. The websites given below are among the most important and contain even more useful links that you can visit.

     Aspects of Cyprus - (http://www.aspectsofcyprus.com )
     Cyprus Government - (http://www.pio.gov.cy & http://www.cyprus.gov.cy )
     Cyprus Tourism Organisation - (http://www.visitcyprus.org.cy )