CYPRUS, CHURCH OF

also called Orthodox Church Of Cyprus, one of the oldest autocephalous, or ecclesiastically independent, churches of the Eastern Orthodox communion. Its independence, first recognized by the third ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431), was reaffirmed by the Council in Trullo (692) and was never lost, not even during the occupation of the island by the crusaders. Under the feudal French dynasty of the Lusignans (11911489) and the Venetians (14891571), the efforts of the Latin bishops to submit the Orthodox Church of Cyprus to the pope's authority were unsuccessful. Until the Turkish conquest of the island in 1571, the Greek bishops were often submitted to the authority of the Latin archbishop and forced to serve as auxiliaries of their Latin colleagues. The highest ecclesiastical authority lay with the synod, composed of the archbishop of Nicosia and the three other bishops of the islandPaphos, Citium, and Kyreniawho were, and still are, elected by both clergy and laity, each of the four bishoprics being divided into several parishes. The bishops became the natural leaders of national resistance: during the Greek War of Independence (182132), all the bishops on the island, as well as several abbots, were hanged by the Turks, while in the years of British control (18781958), the bishops took an active lead in the Greek Cypriot movement for union with Greece (nosis). In 1956 the Archbishop Makarios and the Bishop of Kyrenia were exiled by the British. When the new Cypriot republic became independent in 1960, the church was assured of its position as an autocephalous and independent Greek Orthodox Church on the basis of its old titles, and Archbishop Makarios was elected the first president of the new republic. Monastic life has developed greatly since the beginning of the republic. There are several monasteries, the most important being the monastery of Kykkou. Parish clergy are educated in an undergraduate seminary; higher theological education is obtained at the University of Athens. The church keeps several educational and philanthropic institutions and publishes Apostolos Barnabas, a monthly ecclesiasticaltheological review. Cultural life The ancient cultural traditions of Cyprus are maintained partly by private enterprise and partly by government activity, especially through the Cultural Services office of the Republic of Cyprus's Ministry of Education and Culture. The office publishes books, awards prizes for literature, and promotes Cypriot publications. Cities have public libraries, as do many rural communities. The government-sponsored Cyprus Theatre Organization stages plays by contemporary Cypriot dramatists as well as classical works. The ancient theatres of Salamis and Soli in the Turkish sector and Curium in the Greek portion have been restored; the one at Curium is used for the staging of a variety of plays, and a Greek theatre has been built at Nicosia. Many noteworthy buildings survive from the Lusignan and Venetian periods, in particular the Gothic cathedrals at Nicosia and Famagusta and the Abbey of Bellapais near Kyrenia. There are other Gothic churches throughout the island. Orthodox Christians also built numerous churches in a distinctive style that was often influenced by the Gothic; interiors of these illustrate the continued development of Byzantine art. Cyprus has notable examples of such medieval and Renaissance military architecture as the castles of Kyrenia, St. Hilarion, Buffavento, and Kantara and the elaborate Venetian fortifications of Nicosia and Famagusta. Numerous painters and sculptors work in Cyprus, and the Cultural Services office keeps the state's collection of modern Cypriot art on permanent exhibition. In the village of Lemba near Paphos the Cyprus College of Art runs courses for postgraduate art students. The government encourages young composers, musicians, and folk dance groups. The younger generation of Greek Cypriots, having grown up in a relatively peaceful, settled, and prosperous society, continues to maintain aspects of traditional culture but also enjoys more modern international clothing, popular music, and movies. Sports have come to play a major role in the Greek Cypriot community. The government has built stadiums, sports halls, and swimming pools and has subsidized associations and clubs for a wide spectrum of sports; there are a professional league for association football (soccer) and a semiprofessional league for basketball. Cypriots compete in the Olympic Games, and young Cypriots engage in a variety of athletic activities, including archery, bowling, fencing, gymnastics, skiing, tennis, volleyball, and weight lifting. Motorcycle riding, horse racing, and water sports have also become increasingly popular. Television and radio are controlled in the republic by the semigovernmental Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation and are financed by government subsidies, taxes, and advertising. Broadcasts are in Greek, Turkish, English, and Armenian, and daily and weekly newspapers are published in Greek, Turkish, and English. The Turkish sector receives broadcasts from Turkey. Herman W. Goult Sir David Wathen Stather Hunt John S. Bowman