The Maronites of Cyprus

THE MARONITES OF CYPRUS 10 In 1735 two Maronite monks were sent to Cyprus, Cypriot Petros and Lebanese Macarius. These two pioneering monks built the Prophet Elias Monastery near the village of Ayia Marina Skyllouras. The number of Maronites gradually increased and by 1776 the community numbered 503 persons in 10 villages and in the towns of Nicosia and Larnaka. Thanks to the intervention of the French Consul, the Maronites returned in 1840 under the jurisdiction of their Archbishop, who resided in Lebanon. He was repre- sented in Cyprus by a Chorepiscopus (a church official, below the rank of a Bishop, whose jurisdiction is confined to rural districts). During the Tanzimat period (1839-1876), a period of fundamental reforms within the Ottoman Empire, the Maronite Chorepiscopus participated in the Administrative Council (Mejlis Idare). The 19th century found about 1.500 Maronites inhabiting six villages: Asomatos, Ayia Marina, Kambyli, Karpasha, Kormakitis and Vouno. British Era: The British period, 1878-1960, definitively changed the prevalent political and social conditions in Cyprus. The progressive administration and the promotion of pluralism and religious freedom bolstered the smaller communities of Cyprus. The Maronites, who were a closed society, took advantage of these favourable conditions and the urban development that accompanied them and many moved from their villages to the towns, particularly Nicosia. They retained, how- ever, a special link with their land and villages, only four of which had remained: Asomatos, Ayia Marina, Karpasha and Kormakitis. Those who remained in the villages were mainly engaged in agriculture and farming, while those who moved to the towns practised liberal professions or found employment in the private or public sector. Modest and industrious, the Maronites have always contributed to the progress of Cyprus through their work and volunteer activities. A number of Maronites even volunteered during the World Wars (1914-1918 and 1939-1945). ● The picturesque chapel of Saint George of the Seed in Kormakitis.