Kourion Theater, west of Limassol on Episkopi Bay, dates from the second century B.C. and was later enlarged by the Romans.
Courtesy Embassy of Cyprus, Washington

From Constantine's establishment of the Byzantine Empire until the crusaders arrived more than 800 years later, the history of Cyprus is part of the history of that empire. Under Byzantine rule, the Greek orientation that had been prominent since antiquity developed the strong Hellenistic-Christian character that continues to be a hallmark of the Greek Cypriot community.

Data as of January 1991