Show Notes
Luigi Palma Di Cesnola is a controversial figure in Cypriot history. Born in Turin in 1832, he served in the First Italian War of Independence and later in the Crimean War. In 1858, he left Italy for the United States where his service in U.S. Civil War earned him distinction. He was later appointed as a consul in Larnaca where he engaged in wide-spread excavations (which many have considered tantamount to looting). Most of his finds were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he served as its first director. His finds can still be seen there to this day. This excerpt was taken from his book, "Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs and Temples" where he describes one of the many tombs across Cyprus. This, of course, being the perfect introduction to next month's guest, Dr. Sherry Fox, where we discuss changing burial customs in Cyprus from the very ancient to the present. Next month: Bones, Burials and Bioarchaeology!Here is the text in full:"West of these tombs, I discovered nine oven-shaped caverns, containing such a quantity of bones that I was extremely curious to examine one thoroughly. Accordingly, the earth was removed and I counted no less than sixty-four human skulls. These nine caverns would have been infinitely too small to contain the amount of bodies indicated and I believe therefore that they were ossuaries for bones, removed from the rock-cut tombs to make way for other bodies. There was a platform made of sun-dried bricks and upon the platform the dead were laid, with the head always towards the entrance. These tombs were made to contain in most cases three bodies, yet in many of them the remains of two, one on the right and the other on the left of the doorway. In some few instances a reversed earthenware plate was found placed under the head, serving as a pillow to the dead."Luigi Palma Di Cesnola - Cyprus Its Ancient Cities, Tombs and Temples, 1877"
More from The History of Cyprus Podcast
Sir Henry Light, a British officer stationed in Malta in 1814, received permission to travel through Egypt, the Holy Land, and Cyprus. Motivated by curiosity and leisure, he documented what he saw with detailed notes and sketches, capturing both the landscape and the people he encountered. In this excerpt, he describes the strong Frankish presence in Larnaca, noting the European consulates, Catholic churches, and the widespread use of Italian among the locals. A perfect segue into my next interview with Dr. Nicos Coureas as we discuss the Latin Community in Cyprus.
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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Anna Charalambidou and Dr. Petros Karatsareas—two linguists whose work explores how language, identity, and culture evolve in Cypriot and diasporic communities. Together, they founded The Grenglish Project, which documents and celebrates the distinctive mix of Cypriot Greek and English spoken by London’s first-generation Cypriots. We discuss the history of Cypriot migration to the UK, how communities formed, and how their language adapted over time. From code-switching and new hybrid words to shifting attitudes about “correct” Greek, Anna and Petros reveal how Grenglish reflects both heritage and change. Ultimately, the project offers a window into how language keeps diasporic identity alive across generations.
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In this episode, we explore the complex history and contemporary character of Turkish Cypriot Islam, a tradition often described as highly secular, private, or even residual. My guest, Mete Hatay (Senior Research Consultant from the Peach Research Institute in Oslo), helps me unpack the many explanations Turkish Cypriots themselves have given for this secularism -- from claims of Alevi or crypto-Christian ancestry to broader narratives shaped by modern Turkish nationalism and a long history of religious marginalization.We trace Islam’s arrival in Cyprus and examine how early patterns of settlement—including the banishment of heterodox or “undesirable” Muslim groups to the island—shaped the religious landscape. The episode examines how the mid-19th century Ottoman reforms began dismantling these traditions long before modern secularism took hold. We explore how efforts to centralize authority, suppress heterodox practices, and control waqf resources alienated Cypriot Muslims from their own religious institutions. British colonial rule, despite preserving formal autonomy through the Evkaf, further weakened Islamic infrastructure.We also look at how Cyprus became an unexpected refuge for Young Turks and how, in the early 20th century, Kemalist ideals found unusually fertile ground among Turkish Cypriots--shaping attitudes toward religion, education, and public life for decades to come.