The international conference "Egypt and Cyprus in Antiquity" held in Nicosia in April 2003 filled an important gap in historical knowledge about Cyprus' relations with its neighbours. While the island's links with the Aegean and the Levant have been well documented and continue to be the subject of much archaeological attention, the exchanges between Cyprus and the Nile Valley are not as well known and have not before been comprehensively reviewed. They range in date from the mid third millennium B.C. to Late Antiquity and encompass every kind of interconnection, including political union. Their novelty lies in the marked differences between the ancient civilisations of Cyprus and Egypt, the distance between them geographically, which could be bridged only by ship, and the unusual ways they influenced each other's material and spiritual cultures. The papers delivered at the conference covered every aspect of the relationship, with special emphasis on the tangible evidence for the movement of goods, people and ideas between the two countries over a 3000 year period.

The international conference 'Egypt and Cyprus in Antiquity' held in Nicosia in April 2003 filled an important gap in historical knowledge about Cyprus' relations with its neighbours. While the island's links with the Aegean and the Levant have been well documented and continue to be the subject of much archaeological attention, the exchanges between Cyprus and the Nile Valley are not as well known and have not before been comprehensively reviewed. They range in date from the mid third millennium B.C. to Late Antiquity and encompass every kind of interconnection, including political union. Their novelty lies in the marked differences between the ancient civilisations of Cyprus and Egypt, the distance between them geographically, which could be bridged only by ship, and the unusual ways they influenced each other's material and spiritual cultures. The papers delivered at the conference covered every aspect of the relationship, with special emphasis on the tangible evidence for the movement of goods, people and ideas between the two countries over a 3000 year period.

The geographical position of Cyprus at the eastern end of the Mediterranean has always played a vital role in its history. As an island poised between the major civilizations of the ancient world - Mesopotamia, Assyria and Persia to the east, Anatolia to the north, Egypt to the south and Greece and Rome to the west - Cyprus developed a unique and distinctive culture.

Cyprus has a long and eventful history. The island lies in the eastern Mediterranean, where the cultures of Anatolia, Assyria, the Levant, Egypt, and Greece flourished in antiquity. Each of these great civilisations has left its mark on the history of Cyprus, through commercial ties, migration, conflicts, and technological innovations. The mining of copper in the Troodos Mountains led to lively trade, greatly boosting the prosperity of the island's various kingdoms. These independent states maintained relations with all the neighbouring states, leading to a cultural melting pot of languages, customs, and religions. Yet certain elements can be seen as truly Cypriot down the ages: the widespread veneration of the goddess Aphrodite, who was born from the foam of the waves off the island's west coast, the unique character of the arts in the Bronze and Iron Ages, and a marked capacity to absorb foreign influences without sacrificing the island's own distinctive character.0This book introduces readers to the main landmarks in the history of Cyprus. Various topics in the island's archaeological past are discussed, each one written by a leading expert. You will meet the first inhabitants of the island, who crossed the sea from the mainland in tiny boats and rafts, bringing their livestock with them. And you will read about the ships, which started their journey across the Mediterranean laden with cargoes of copper ingots. Discussions of the history of archaeological investigations of the island range from random acts of plunder in the nineteenth century to ongoing scientific investigations. Several chapters focus on the highlights of Cypriot art in the collections of the museums of Cyprus, Stockholm, and Leiden.00Exhibition: Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, the Netherlands (11.10.2019-15.3.2020).