Cyprus art and architecture - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
[Article]
Ruggles, D. Fairchild
Leiden
Brill
(1,563 words)
The complex history of the art and architecture of Cyprus rests largely on its position in the eastern Mediterranean, where the island was a launching point for the waves of Crusaders seeking to conquer the Islamic cities of the Levant and Egypt in the sixth/twelfth and seventh/thirteenth centuries. Cyprus itself had an eclectic array of architectural styles, while serving also as an intermediary for the exchange of architectural elements amongst Muslim, Catholic, and Byzantine patrons. Cyprus's major city was the southeastern port of Famagusta, with grand Gothic