It is said that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love was born of the seafoam that washes the shores of Southern Cyprus. But Cyprus was not just known to the Greek Gods. It is known that man had inhabited Cyprus as long as 8000 years ago because of carvings made by Stone Age man have been found there. The Cypriot copper mines that are still in use provided copper to the eastern Mediterranean area earlier than 2000BC. The Greek name for both the metal and for the island is Kypros.

Due to its location, Cyprus has never had any shortage of visitors and for that matter its conquerors also. The Mycenaean Greeks, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, Persians and Romans, to name but a few; all had footholds in Cyprus at some time or another. In later years it was occupied by King Richard 1st of England (Coeur de Lion) who later gave it to the Knights Templar, a religious military order sworn to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land. Later came the French Lusignan Dynasty from the 12th Century, followed by the Venetians, the Turks and later the British. After a long and concerted campaign by Greek Cypriots for unification with their homeland, in 1960 the island was given the status of an independent republic. Shortly afterwards, Civil war broke out between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. It was quelled by UN peacekeeping forces but in 1974 the situation was still so uneasy that Turkey sent troops to the island and in 1975 declared that the part occupied by its troops, commonly referred to as the northern Cyprus, to be separate and independent from the south.

As things stand today, Turkish Cypriots still occupy the north of the Island and Greek Cypriots the south. There are strict controls concerning passing between the two. With Cyprus joining the EU in 2004 very little changed as it was only the Greek Cypriot part of the island that gained membership but, with Turkey also seeking EU membership then the situation would have to change.

The island has two parallel ranges of mountains that stretch from the western side of the island to the east. These are the very rugged and worn Kyrenia Mountains to the north that are littered with the ruins of ancient monasteries and castles and to the south there are the much higher Trocodos Mountains where on the highest peak, Mount Olympus, there is the possibility of skiing during January or February. A wide and fertile central plain that separates the two ranges. The ideal Mediterranean climate enables Cyprus to produce an amazing variety of crops such as early potatoes, vegetables, cereals, olives, carobs, bananas and even tobacco. The island also produces both table grapes and wine grapes which go to make the rich, strong wines, sherries and brandies for which Cyprus has been well known for many centuries.

However, despite its troubled past, with many beautiful beaches, its unique mix of culture, marvelous food and the superb climate with its short wet winters and long dry summers which can reach over 100°F, Cyprus becomes a very attractive choice for a new home. Once you have found a property that you wish to buy, permission should officially be sought from the Council of Ministers. A holding deposit of around £2000 is normal and a contract will be drawn up by a lawyer. A further 30% has to be paid when the contract is signed and the balance is then paid and the Title Deeds are registered at the Land Registry office to show change of ownership. There is also a Purchase Tax which rises in increments depending on the purchase price but it averages around 5% to 7% of the total.