By: Augusta Tate

Since we have been living in Cyprus for roughly a month, you will eventually need to do your laundry unless you pack an overwhelming amount of clothes. There are several service options nearby that are easily accessible. I had been told beforehand that there was a laundry service just next door, which was inexpensive and really easy to use. All you have to do is drop off your laundry bag, pay 12 euros, and then come around the next day; your laundry will be done for you. It seemed like a sweet deal to me, but I hadn’t had the chance to go there because I decided to do my laundry the hard way.

Around the two-week mark, my clothes started to run thin, and I was in desperate need of the essentials to be cleaned, such as socks and underwear. I had originally wanted to attend the service next door, but I chose against it because I didn’t want to wait 24 hours for it to be done. So, a couple of other people and I went and found a do-it-yourself laundromat that is about a 5-minute walk from our apartments. Not as close as the service next door, but still nearby. The laundromat is in a nice part of the area, too. However, the first time we went there, we had to walk through some areas where the road was under construction. It seemed to be located just outside the very touristy area. It was more frequently used by people living in Larnaca. Still was easy to get to, though.

During the walk, you can see many wonderful paintings on the sides of buildings done by local artists. It seems that public art like this is very common in Cyprus and the Mediterranean, as I saw numerous murals during my stay in Athens, Greece, as well.

The quality of this particular laundromat was to be expected if you’ve visited any regular penny laundromat in the United States. Some of the washing machines were out of order, it was hot because of the dryers, and the smell of wet clothes was overwhelming. But it still had its own charm.

To pay for a wash, it costs two Euros, but some of the machines don’t accept two-euro coins, so you need plenty of one-euro coins. You will need to bring your own detergent. Luckily, there is a kiosk just down the street and around the corner that sells detergent pods for a good price.

Drying your clothes costs about 3 euros for one cycle, but don’t worry, because the dryers accept two euro coins. However, you will need to do at least two cycles depending on how much clothes you have. The last time I was there, I had too many clothes to wash, and it took me a long while to dry all of them thoroughly, or at least well enough, so I could finish drying them out on my balcony. So, I definitely would advise you to wash your clothes sooner rather than later, and in small increments if you choose to do so.

Even with all of that, it’s a great place to sit down and do some blog post-writing while you wait. They even have free internet! The lastThe last time I was there, we had walked past earlier in the day,, and a kind man who had an art studio across the street had greeted us. Later on in the afternoon, when we went to do our laundry, he recognized us and told us that he was having a barbeque and to come back in 30 minutes. We had kind of forgotten about his offer, but then, about an hour later, the street was filled with the smell of grilled meat and the sound of people laughing. A small group of locals had gathered around some fold-out tables and plastic chairs, sharing a meal. It was definitely a familiar sight if you had ever been to family barbecues during the summer. The warm atmosphere made our nights, even though we unfortunately didn’t partake in the feast. If you choose to do your laundry this way instead of using the service, it’s definitely worth the experience and the cost.

By: Augusta Tate

One of the many field trips we took as a group was to the ancient city of Kourion and the temple sanctuary of Apollo and Hylates. Both sites were very fascinating to explore, the ancient city being the most interesting. The city had large floor tile mosaics that would have been found in elite houses, most of which were fully intact and still in their original context. The city was also fully equipped with classic Roman bath systems, utilizing a series of stacked bricks below the baths to push hot air underneath, thereby heating the water above. There were both hot and cold baths, as well as elegant pools. Remnants of an early Christian basilica can be seen right in the middle of the city, dating back thousands of years to the very start of the religion. It also seemed to be an active site, as parts of it were still under study and excavation. Buckets and tools similar to those used at Pyla Vigla were stored under walkways and in shaded areas.

But to me, the most interesting part of that trip was the museums associated with Kourion. The Local Archaeological Museum of Kourion is situated in a small village outside of Limassol, approximately an hour’s drive from Larnaca. The museum is very small, consisting of only two rooms, and is located in what appears to be someone’s summer house. Despite first impressions, it was probably the best museum I’ve visited during my entire time here in Cyprus. After visiting the large archaeological museums in Paphos, Nicosia, and Larnaca, this one had both the best displays and the best location. Part of a museum experience is more than just expanding your knowledge and looking at artifacts through a glass, it’s also about the overall atmosphere. This museum had a unique charm that the others didn’t.

The museum is in a traditional Cyprus-style house, with a small courtyard in front. The building is a brilliant white, with swooping arch doorways that invite you to come in closer. You can tell that the building is old just by seeing the wear on the wooden shutters, doors, and stairs. Tall bushes of flowers surrounded the courtyard, almost enclosing it in this small space.

The admission was also free, making it a very cost-effective option to visit here. The artifacts inside were items found at both the city of Kourion and the Sanctuary of Apollo. The room to the right housed smaller items, such as metalwork and jewelry. Small figurines, stamps, and molds were also shown in this room, along with older clay figurines that dated back to Neolithic times. And one marble bust that was quite worn, but the form was still discernible.

A bigger room to the left is bigger and holds more artifacts. There are a few marble busts and full statues, all of which are a little worn and torn due to time. Some more jewelry and metalworks.

But the main spectacle for me was the collection of bones they were displaying. There were some animal bones on display, including small fragments of bones from smaller animals, such as dogs and birds.

Human and mule bones were also found at the same location. Archaeologists determined that they had died during an earthquake that happened in the late 4th century AD. A girl was leading her mule into the house for safety, but unfortunately, she passed when the roof collapsed onto them both. However, because the roof fell over them, their remains were remarkably well-preserved from outside elements. In the same house was a family of three: a mother, a father, and their young baby. They passed under the same circumstances. Their remains, however, are incredibly well-preserved and infamous because of that.

By: Sarah Healy

Kafe Tis Chrysanthi’s started out as a local coffee shop that offered homemade cakes and has since evolved into a full-service restaurant. When you walk through the door, a small front area is available, offering sweets behind a glass counter. You can also opt for a full-service experience where they will lead you to a table to eat. You can either dine outside on the patio area or upstairs, where a full bar is located in the center of the dining area. ‘To Kafe Tis Chrysanths’ offers a brunch menu that is served until 1:30 or a lunch/dinner menu that is offered from 12 to close. The brunch menu offers a variety of options, including bagels, eggs benedict, and an impressive amount of pancake options to choose from. My personal favorite was the ‘Banoffee pancakes’ that came with several layers of pancakes with butterscotch sauce on each layer and topped with bananas, crushed cookies, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’ve been continuously going back to Chrysanths’s throughout my stay, so I’ve been able to try several of the dishes off the menu, including ‘The Brunch Lovers’ which is a bagel topped with avocado cream cheese, thick pieces of bacon and poached eggs. I’ve also had the opportunity to try their ‘House Club’ sandwich, which features bacon, tomato, chicken breast, and fried eggs, served with French fries and accompanied by a honey mustard dressing. I’m hoping I still have enough time to go back and try their yogurt off the brunch menu and their glazed salmon dish. The food is reasonably priced, costing around fifteen to twenty euros per dish. The drinks, depending on the selection, range from €3 to €10/€15. The area around Chrysanths’s is a little busy, especially around lunch and dinner time. However, between the hours of three and around six pm, the streets are empty. Chrysanths is situated between a tourist shopping area that offers a variety of food, traditional Cypriot desserts, spices (including affordable saffron), hats, bags, and more. Chrysanths is also sandwiched in between an ice cream storefront that just opened. They offer gelato, ice cream, and sorbet. I recommend the Belgian chocolate ice cream if you decide to stop by. There are also a few more restaurants across the street, as well as a shopping kiosk where you can purchase refrigerated goods, snacks, and household items. On my first trip over to Chrysanths’s, I brought Teddy and Kyna. Luckily, we all loved it and have been slowly bringing more and more people from the group to try out Chrysanthi. All of the employees are very welcoming and friendly and have started to recognize us when we come in. One server liked us enough to recommend some spots to try out in town and some beaches a short bus ride away to visit. Located in the heart of the city, if you have the chance, you should definitely add this to your itinerary. 

By: Sarah Healy

Our trip to Lefkara was a part of the optional field trip. After we visited the Basketry Museum, the bus took us through the mountains. We passed several mountain villages which were very scenic. The villages all had coral red roof tiles that stood out brightly against the surrounding green. One moment, you would be looking at the side of a mountain, and the next, a small village with the buildings all smushed together would pop up. The drive from the Basketry Museum to Lefkosa took around fifteen to twenty minutes. The bus dropped us off in a parking lot, and we were allotted one hour and forty-five minutes to explore. The first thing we saw when we walked up the street away from the bus was several jewelry shops. It was a slow day in town, with almost no one else on the street shopping around.

All of the shop vendors were outside and greeted us very warmly. The town was beautiful, with shops smushed together in the streets and colorful plants and trees decorating the spaces in between. Kyna, Caroline, and I decided to try a place called the ‘Silver Store.’ There were two very sweet ladies running the shop. They had a huge selection of silver jewelry, earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets. They were very accommodating and pulled out any pieces that you wanted to see more closely. The ladies explained several of the pieces were crafted by people in either Cyprus or Greece. One of my favorite pieces was a necklace with a piece of coral hanging from the chain. They also had several pieces featuring turquoise in various styles. The prices were also very affordable. I ended up buying two new rings, each priced at twenty fives euros a piece. One of the rings I received was designed to wrap around the finger; it began as an olive branch, and by the time it wrapped back around, a small diamond had been added to complete the piece. The other ring I bought had two bands that were joined together by a butterfly pendant. While each piece in the jewelry store was unique, they were all very delicate and beautifully crafted. The lady who assisted me with my purchase provided me with her business card and offered to ship the jewelry to the U.S. for me.

The next place we visited was a small bakery and cafe called ‘Lefkara Lace Biscuit .’The shop is known for decorating cookies with lace patterns in frosting. Each cookie had beautiful, very detailed work. I grabbed a small sugar cookie with a purple lace decoration and also grabbed a lemonade. While I sat and drank my lemonade, I saw the woman who ran the shop go sit outside and continue to decorate sugar cookies. After I grabbed my drink and cookie, I only had forty minutes left to shop and look around. I ran across the street and looked at a shop that sold lace. I ended up grabbing a black lace shawl for around forty euros. The pricing of everything in the shop was overall affordable. The last place I went was another small jewelry shop. I ended up getting a beautiful silver bracelet with diamond flowers. The shop also sold chess boards. Each piece was either silver or gold, and all the pieces were different themes. One board, for example,  was mythology-themed, and the pieces represented different mythological symbols or deities. I was surprised by how much money I could go through in just under two hours.I look forward to visiting Lefkara again, with perhaps a bit more cash next time. 

By: Sarah Healy

For the last field trip, we visited a basketry workshop and museum in Choirokoitia. The field trip was optional, so not everyone decided to join; however, I am very glad I chose to participate. The bus drive over was shorter than any of the other field trips, lasting only about 45 minutes. Once we got there, we walked through small, narrow streets. The town is situated on a mountain, so reaching the location involved walking up a few hills. Our first stop on the field trip was ‘Petros Nikolaou Basketry Workshop and Museum.’ When you first enter the museum, a long hallway is decorated with woven baskets. The owner explained that some of the baskets in the hall were woven by his parents, who used to add color to the baskets by dyeing the cloth instead of using it. After you walk through the hall, you’ll cross a small bridge that lies over a small pond. The pond had several large koi fishes swimming around. The small bridge leads into a small dining area with several small tables that accommodate around four people. In the center of the dining area was a small tree with hanging ornaments. The entire place felt very relaxing as soon as you walked in. The owner was very welcoming and clearly very passionate about his work. He started with a demonstration of how he makes halloumi cheese. Halloumi cheese originated in Cyprus and is typically made from a mixture of goat and sheep’s milk. The owner stated that at 5:00 a.m., he gets up to milk the goats. He then mixes the milk with rennet that he obtains from Spain. The owner also clarified that the rennet is vegetable-based rather than the traditional method of obtaining rennet from animal organs. This ensures that vegetarians and people of certain faiths can still enjoy the cheese. After he mixes the milk and rennet, he would let the mixture sit covered for about 40 minutes. After he lets the mixture rest, he extracts the whey and begins to form the cheese. In this step, the mixture is cheese but not halloumi. It’s another type of cheese similar to Italian ricotta. He then takes the cheese and starts to form it in his handmade baskets. He then lets it rest a little longer since it would be too soft and melty if they didn’t, and then you have halloumi cheese. The owner then showed us how he makes baskets. There are several different materials he used. However, the most interesting was the sweet grass he used. This material is only available in Cyprus once a year, around May. He also mentioned the dyeing process of the materials he used, saying that all the dyes were from Thailand. I also learned that before you can weave baskets, you have to let the material soak in water for a few hours; if you don’t, the material will be too brittle and break.

After the demonstration, they provided us with a meal. They provided sourdough bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, along with cut tomatoes, cucumber, and olives in a garlic and oil mixture. There were also cut meats, including mortadella and some of the best ham I’ve ever had. They also provided us with fresh halloumi cheese to accompany our meal. They coated the halloumi in dried mint and oil, with fresh mint leaves stuffed inside. For dessert, they served the ricotta-like cheese with cinnamon and honey, which was surprisingly very light and sweet. They also gave us coffee, which was very strong, or you could opt for some homemade lemonade. After you eat your lunch, you’re free to explore the small gift shop they have. They sell baskets, coasters, and small charms. All the baskets and coasters they sell are handmade using the same material used in the demonstration. The baskets come in various shapes and sizes, each with its own unique design. I picked myself up an oval, shallow basket with a green rim. All the baskets were priced at around fifteen euros, making them very affordable for such a unique souvenir. The entire experience at Petros Nikolaou Basketry Workshop and Museum was delightful, and I highly recommend it to everyone who has the chance.   

By: Sarah Healy

Every morning, before we reach the dig site, all the vans stop by a bakery in town called Zorba’s, where students and staff can grab something to eat and drink for the day. All the students usually gather around the vans around 5 am, except for the ones assigned to work at Terra Ombra, and leave for the dig site. About two minutes away is the bakery called Zorba’s. They are open twenty-four hours a day and serve a variety of items. Upon entering, you’ll find a fridge stocked with sandwiches, wraps, salads, and cut-up fruit. They also have a bakery area where you can grab ham and cheese croissants, as well as other stuffed breads and baked goods. They have a wall dedicated to drinks.

Most people would grab a large bottle of water to keep in a cooler along with other drinks such as canned coffees or juices. The confectionery section was my favorite. Zorba’s cookies are the best food they offer. You can choose from a traditional chocolate chip cookie to cookies stuffed with Nutella.  My favorite was either the pistachio or the white chocolate and cranberry cookie. My roommate and I would grab a few cookies and let them warm up in the sun a little before eating them on the breaks on the dig site. They also offer whole cakes and pies. I tried their Dubai chocolate cake, which is stuffed with kataifi and pistachio cream, and topped with a chocolate ganache. The cake was around twenty euros, and it was well worth the money. They also offered hot foods near the back. I never tried anything from that section, but people in the group said the food offered back there was delicious. If I were to go back, I would love to try the warm food that was offered there.  The employees all knew about the program we were a part of, and would frequently give us free food. Most of the time, they would provide us with little bread twists topped with sesame seeds. Most of what I tried from Zorba’s was delicious; the only thing I didn’t care for were the sandwiches. They weren’t bad, but very bland. However, I especially liked the Caesar salad they offered. During the dig, we were allotted two breaks. One fifteen-minute break and one thirty-minute break.

I always bought a small bakery item to eat during the short break and either a sandwich or salad for lunch. There were also coolers available on site to store your food, so nothing would go bad. Zorba’s became part of the everyday routine for everyone, so much so that even when we didn’t go to the dig site, we’d still find a way to go get something from Zorba’s. There are a few Zorba’s bakeries around Larnaca. Someone from the group stopped by Zorba’s before going to Terra Ombra one day, which was about a twelve-minute walk away. They brought back sandwiches and cookies for my roommate and me to snack on while we washed pottery. Out of everything I’ll miss the most about Cyprus, I think this bakery will be top of the list. 

By: Sarah Healy

For the past few days, we have been working to close down the site, and I thought it was an interesting enough process to discuss. To begin, the process started on Tuesday, four days ago. Everyone else at the dig site left around noon; however, my group (about four students), accompanied by Olson and Tom, stayed back to wait for the ‘fence guy’. After about ten minutes of waiting, Tom got a phone call. The ‘fence guy’ had taken a wrong turn and somehow managed to get the truck stuck in a field just below the hill where the dig site is located. All of us piled into the van and went down the hill to dig out the truck. Olson and Tom took some shovels with them and worked on digging out the tires of the truck. The field the truck had gotten stuck in was full of thick, soft dirt that had buried about half of the tire. After Olson and Tom had dug deep enough, Olson hopped into the truck and had everyone else push the truck from the back. It didn’t take much pushing, and the truck was free. Olson drove the truck up to the dig site, and the very kind ‘fence guy’ got a ride with us in the van.

Once there, we helped the ‘fence guy’ unload all the materials for the fence from the back of the truck, and we were on our way. A few days later, all the trenches were finished being dug. My trench was nearly complete by Thursday morning. The first thing we did was clean the trench immediately, as the lighting was ideal for doing photogrammetry. We spent about fifteen to twenty minutes sweeping up dirt, then Olson laid out little orange circles, whose significance I’m still unsure of, and took several photos of the trench from various angles and spots around the trench. After the photos were taken, the group started to clean up around the northern trenches, which hadn’t been touched all season. We worked on cleaning up any loose dirt inside the trenches, removing free-standing rocks, and removing any plants and weeds that had begun to grow around the trenches. We then used any free-standing rocks we removed from the trenches to redo the rock lining around the trenches.

We did all of this so that the supervisors could take drone shots of the entire dig site. Once the trench I was working on was clean enough for pictures, I started filling dirt bags with Teddy. Teddy and I filled up about fifty bags on our own, and then did fifty more with others’ help. Then, on Friday, we arrived at the dig site around 6. We all took group photos and then started to close up the dig site for the season. We all got split up into different groups. Some people were instructed to lay a green tarp on the walls of the dig site to protect them until next season. Once the green tarp was laid out, we placed the dirt bags around it to ensure it wouldn’t blow away and to help stabilize the walls. The others started to build the fence. Two people would grab a piece of the fence, while others would grab black support blocks that the fence pieces would be inserted into. We then secured the fence with little bolts and weighed down the black support blocks with more sandbags. The entire process took a little bit more than an hour to do. Once that was done, we all said our farewells to the dig site and went back down the hill. 

By: Teddy Espinosa

We arrived at our gate at the Athens airport and began to wait for what we thought would be a 20-30 minute wait to start boarding. 45-50 minutes go by, and we haven’t started boarding yet. We freaked out, but I had looked at an email that said our gate was actually located down the stairs. We rushed down the escalator and found our gate, where we were hurried onto a small bus. The bus then took us to the airport. A small, green Cyprus airline plane that was relatively empty. 

On this flight, people are not quiet at all. And they want to get up and move constantly. Many people move around the plane while we are still gaining altitude and even when we are going down in altitude. They serve snacks and drinks on this plane. It is quite strange, but nearly everybody, except for our group, bought something or ordered something from the snack cart. The snack cart, because of this, moved quite slowly for a relatively short flight (90 minutes). They had cans of Coca-Cola, Lay’s chips, peanut M&M’s, gummy bears, coffee, and more. They even had other options, such as sandwiches and a Caesar salad in a box. I don’t believe we can order those on flights in the US. At least not on normal commercial flights. As the flight began to descend and lose altitude to reach our new destination in Cyprus, the stewardesses made their way through to ensure everyone was finally seated. They would even pick up small children who had moved away from their parents on this half-full flight and put them back with their parents. These people really do not see personal space as Americans do. Which is honestly what I had suspected before in Athens. People would get extremely close to us, and we were a little uncomfortable with it due to our upbringing telling us to stay away from strangers and to always watch our backs. It doesn’t seem to be the case here in Greece.

The plane has landed, a fairly rough landing at that. But when the plane landed, the people clapped. It was quite strange. Normally, you don’t get an ovation like that from the pilots in the US.

Landing & First Thoughts of Cyprus-

Looking out of the window of my plane, Cyprus already seems to me to be quite like Athens. Arid and dry with a dusty complexion. I had thought originally that Cyprus might look more like a tropical oasis in the middle of the Mediterranean, but alas, Athens had changed my mind about that idea. Cyprus seems to be more akin to a desert or savannah than anything remotely tropical.

First Impressions-

When I thought of Cyprus, I thought it was going to be a foreign country. Completely deprived of anything American in antiquity. However, it honestly feels more like I am in Miami or Myrtle Beach than a foreign country. They certainly adhere to tourist monetization and are not really “Greek” here in Larnaca. The only thing similar here to Athens is the Greek language in some places and the crazy drivers. The driving around here is awful. They have street signs, but for many, I do not know what they mean, but in any case, it doesn’t seem like anybody follows them anyways. How is a tiny street both a one-way and a 2 way? I literally saw someone tonight pull up in front of someone driving right in front of them and basically kept moving forward until the other person finally started to back up to allow the other car to turn. What???? The boardwalk is colorful. The beach is stunning. But let’s get back to the boardwalk. Walking down it, we saw a McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, TGIFridays, and probably some other American-based food chains. We stopped and got food at a restaurant, and they served Sushi, Chinese food, Indian food, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, breakfast, booze, ice cream, pizzas, salads, steaks, and beans on toast. Welcome to Cyprus! Here I thought I wasn’t gonna get my hands on a nice greasy burger for a month! Although the food wasn’t very good, it certainly stumped us as to where exactly we were. Are we in Florida??? I had thought it was insane. We even saw some Native American wooden sculptures being sold in a few of the shops. Like really??? I thought the craziest thing that I would lay my hat down and call it a night would be if we had come across a country and western bar in Cyprus. And then we came across a country and western bar…..in Cyprus….. 

View of the traffic jam from my balcony. 

By: Teddy Espinosa

This past Friday, my friends Kyna and Sarah went out to get some BBQ food from a place called the Potbelly on Ermou Street. It is not far from the apartments (about a 4-minute walk) and is quite small but full of personality. It has a very American Californian style to it, making us feel a little bit at home far, far away from home. They served mainly just pulled BBQ chicken or pork sandwiches with a lot of unique ingredients to separate them from a more traditional American food chain. For example, the sandwich that I had got, called the “Drop It Like Is Hot,” had pulled pork, bacon, a fried egg, halloumi cheese, and jalapeno sauce.

 I won’t say that it was the best BBQ food I have ever had, but as a kid from Colorado who hasn’t eaten anything relatively quite this American in almost 3 weeks, it was heaven! It was pleasantly surprising and had enough spice to it to scratch my spicy needs. I have never heard or thought about putting eggs onto anything BBQ-related, but it wasn’t half bad. Egg just tends to pull the flavor out of many dishes, whether it is a burger or sandwich, but with the loads of flavor of BBQ, it doesn’t affect it that badly. The onion rings were also top-notch and tasty.   

            Another great thing about this restaurant was the heavy rap influence that it had. The restaurant was playing rap music, and all of the sandwiches were named after great rap songs of the 90s and early 2000s’. The names were as follows; Gangsta’s Paradise(Coolio),

Juicy(Notorious B.I.G.), Drop It Like Is Hot(Snoop Dogg), Hypnotize(Notorious B.I.G.), Losing

Control(No Idea), Ready or Not(Fugees), Mrs. Jackson(OutKast), I Got 5 On It(Luniz),

Fu-gee-la(Fugees), Lose Yourself(Eminem), Money Trees(Kendrick Lamar), California

Love(Tupac), All Eyez on Me (Tupac), Still D.R.E.(Dr. Dre), The Next Episode(Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg), and a build-your-own option. It is very California-like, even though they have the Notorious B.I.G., who mainly represents the East Coast of rap music. It is interesting to me to see something quite like this in Larnaca and Cyprus as a whole. There seems to be a fair amount of rap culture thriving in Larnaca. When I am walking down the boardwalk, I can hear Tupac, Eminem, Dr. Dre, and many other influential rappers being played at different restaurants and speakers along the beach. Being a big fan of ’90s’ and 2000s hip hop, it really puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it. If you are worried about coming to Cyprus and being in a complete culture shock, do not fret and go with the flow as all of Larnaca seemingly does!

By: Teddy Espinosa

On June 27th, 2025, Sarah, Kyna, and I went to an Armenian Dance Festival on the boardwalk. It was hosted on a staging area built along the beach and began at 7:30 p.m. It was around a 5-minute walk from the apartments we were staying in. And what can I say…it was beautiful. Certainly better than any club or rave I’ve ever seen. All of their songs were seemingly traditional, with traditional instruments played over loudspeakers. We probably would have been able to hear it from the apartments. The fun thing with Armenian music is that a lot of it is played with instruments historical to the Armenian culture that were not very well known back in the United States. Instruments like the Duduk and Zurna as woodwind instruments, the Qamancha and Saz for string instruments, and the Dhol as a percussion instrument. The dancers were all youth, most likely 18 and younger, and wore various regalia for each song they did. They transitioned from upbeat songs and dances that were fun to watch, sprinkling in some slower songs and dances that made us all feel tired and sleepy.  

I know what you may be thinking, “why is there an Armenian dance festival in the middle of Cyprus?” I was thinking the same thing, too. Armenia is not far away, around 700 miles, but I wouldn’t think that Armenian culture would be highly acknowledged in Larnaca. It wasn’t until I was playing some Pokemon Go and started to pay attention to some of the Poke Stops around the apartments. Within the range in

In Pokemon Go, there are 3 Poke Stops. 2 of them are the St. Stephen Armenian.

Orthodox Church’s Memorial, and the St. Stephanos Armenian Apostolic Church. 

This got me thinking about how the Armenian culture found itself in Cyprus, even to the point where they have Churches dedicated to the Armenian faith. Through research, it is easy to determine that Christianity is the predominant faith in Armenia. Primarily Apostolic Christians, meaning they are more closely tied to the teachings of the original 12 apostles of Christ. The primary faith in Cyprus is Greek Orthodox Christianity, which shares similarities with Apostolic belief in that it upholds the teachings and beliefs of Christianity. They both share the same faith and cultural background.

Furthermore, additional research indicates that Armenia and Cyprus have a particularly close relationship with each other. This includes economic trust, military cooperation, political support, and a long-standing diplomatic relationship. Cyprus has long supported the Armenians in helping the world acknowledge the Armenian genocide. In turn, Armenia has offered solutions and support in dealing with the “Cyprus Problem,” which has divided the island of Cyprus in half. It just goes to show just how unique the island of Cyprus is. They house people from many different faiths, religions, beliefs, and cultures and do their best to support them all as much as they can, especially with the recent happenings of the war between Iran and Israel, where Cyprus has become a safe haven for Israeli refugees and providing them with shelter and kosher meals. Hopefully, in due time, Cyprus may be seen as a beaming example of diversity and inclusion.