"On a recent trip to Cyprus, I had dinner at Rous, in Nicosia, where I noticed a subtle print spanning an entire wall of the foyer. It was a timeline of the Mediterranean island's history. On one end was the settlement of Cyprus by Paleolithic hunter-gatherers. On the other was Independence Day, August 16, 1960. The dotted line between them was divided between a succession of rulers from elsewhere-Phoenicians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, and Brits."
"These overlapping and long-lasting influences, and its well-connected position in the crook of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, make Cyprus an island unlike any other. At Rous, head chef Triantafyllos Souliotis translates his country's singular context deftly in his tasting menu, with reinterpreted ingredients and dishes: tarama compound butter, dolma-like orbs of chard filled with minced octopus and mussels. But this history is also plain to see in the dripping steam of Nicosia's Ottoman-era hamams,"
Cyprus occupies a strategic eastern Mediterranean position shaped by successive Phoenician, Assyrian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Frankish, Venetian, Ottoman, and British rulers. Culinary scene and cultural practices reflect layered influences, from modern tasting menus that reinterpret local ingredients to Ottoman-era hamams and British-era cocktails like the brandy sour. Rural traditions persist in the Troodos Mountains, where women make Levantine-style spoon sweets and vintners produce Commandaria sweet wine. Ancient ruins in places like Paphos preserve Roman and early Christian heritage. The island also bears a history of protracted social conflict that affects its modern identity and visitation patterns.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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