A country divided...
The mosaics from a Greek and Roman period site at Kourion depict a number of different things, but somehow the Gladiators are the most iconic.
3581: Part of the EU, with a relatively stable economy and all the comforts of a Western democracy, sometimes it's easy to forget that Cyprus is, in fact, split in two. Invaded by the Turks in 1974 to prevent Cyprus from uniting with Greece, 36% of the island is still in Turkish hands. The old Venetian city walls of Lefkosia (the country's capital) serve to make the green zone, a UN monitored space, between the Democratic Republic of Cyprus, and the Turkish occupied area (note the Turkish flag flying on the left-hand bastion, while the Greek and Cypriot flags flight across the Green zone on the right).
A former British colony, Cyprus received independence in 1960 following years of resistance to British rule. Tensions between the Greek Cypriot majority and Turkish Cypriot minority came to a head in December 1963, when violence broke out in the capi... ... read more 
