The island of Cyprus, situated at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, and disputed by both continents, was settled by Mycenaean Greeks in the second millenium BC. Over the following 2,500 years, it was occupied by Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, the Roman Empire, Arabic caliphates, the Lusignans and Venetians, and latterly the Ottomans until 1914. Cyprus was granted independence in 1960, however its rule continues to be disputed between the Turkish and the Greek governments. During its time under monarchical rule, particularly with the establishment of the independent kingdom of Cyprus between 1192 and 1489 under the Lusignans, Cyprus was a site of trading and cultural exchange.
You can find out more about the last queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro, below!
Bibliography
Edbury, Peter. The Kingdom of Cyprus and the Crusades, 1191-1374. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991
Hurlburt, Holly. Daughter of Venice: Caterina Corner, Queen of Cyprus and Woman of the Renaissance. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015
Nicolau-Konnari, Angel, and Chris Schabel, eds. Cyprus: Society and Culture, 1191-1374. Leiden: Brill, 2005.
Team Queens 