The History of Cyprus Podcast

In this episode, we explore the complex history and contemporary character of Turkish Cypriot Islam, a tradition often described as highly secular, private, or even residual. My guest, Mete Hatay (Senior Research Consultant from the Peach Research Institute in Oslo), helps me unpack the many explanations Turkish Cypriots themselves have given for this secularism -- from claims of Alevi or crypto-Christian ancestry to broader narratives shaped by modern Turkish nationalism and a long history of religious marginalization.

We trace Islam’s arrival in Cyprus and examine how early patterns of settlement—including the banishment of heterodox or “undesirable” Muslim groups to the island—shaped the religious landscape. The episode examines how the mid-19th century Ottoman reforms began dismantling these traditions long before modern secularism took hold. We explore how efforts to centralize authority, suppress heterodox practices, and control waqf resources alienated Cypriot Muslims from their own religious institutions. British colonial rule, despite preserving formal autonomy through the Evkaf, further weakened Islamic infrastructure.

We also look at how Cyprus became an unexpected refuge for Young Turks and how, in the early 20th century, Kemalist ideals found unusually fertile ground among Turkish Cypriots--shaping attitudes toward religion, education, and public life for decades to come.

William Turner, a British traveller in the early 1800s, left one of the more vivid foreign descriptions of Cyprus under Ottoman rule. He claimed that Turkish Cypriots practiced a more relaxed form of Islam than he had seen in major Ottoman cities -- pointing to things like drinking, eating pork, and looser religious habits, though his comments reflect both his biases and limited encounters. He was also struck by how Turkish Cypriot women moved unveiled in public, which contrasted sharply with the norms he knew from Constantinople. While not a literal portrayal of the whole island, Turner’s observations show how outsiders already viewed Cypriot Islam as shaped by local custom, rural life, and cultural mixing. This sets the stage for next month’s episode on Turkish religion, secularism, and identity in Cyprus with Mete Hatay!

Dr. Louise Steel is an archaeologist whose work focuses on challenging colonial interpretations of Cypriot history by emphasizing the agency of the local population. Through postcolonial theory, she encourages a re-evaluation of Cyprus not as a passive recipient of outside influence, but as an active participant in Bronze Age interconnectivity--especially through trade and cultural exchange. She uses the concept of the "Third Space" to frame Cyprus as a dynamic cultural middle ground, particularly during the Late Bronze Age, when the island thrived through the copper trade and maintained complex, often peaceful, relationships with powers like Egypt. Dr. Steel highlights Enkomi as a prime example of this hybridity: a site marked by elite tombs, Egyptian imports like scarabs and broad collars, and signs of status and identity shaped through interaction rather than domination. Her work invites further inquiry into how material culture reveals the identities and social lives of Cypriots in this pivotal era.

In the early 11th century BCE, the Egyptian official Wen-Amun was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to Byblos to acquire timber for the sacred barque of Amun-Ra. His journey quickly unraveled -- pursued by the Tjekker, one of the Sea Peoples active in the region -- Wen-Amun was blown off course and landed in Alashiya (Cyprus). There, he faced a hostile reception, as the locals approached seemingly intent on violence. Brought before Princess Hatiba, Wen-Amun, desperate and stranded, called out to see if anyone could understand Egyptian. Remarkably, one man stepped forward to translate his plea. At this pivotal moment, the narrative breaks off, leaving Wen-Amun’s fate unknown. Yet his misadventure offers a striking glimpse into Egypt’s waning influence abroad and the diplomatic uncertainty of the time. At the same time, the presence of an Egyptian speaker in Cyprus points to the deep interconnectivity of the Late Bronze Age world -- an idea we’ll explore further in our next episode with Dr. Louise Steel, as we examine the ties between Cyprus and Egypt during this formative period.

In the early 11th century BCE, the Egyptian official Wen-Amun was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to Byblos to acquire timber for the sacred barque of Amun-Ra. His journey quickly unraveled -- pursued by the Tjekker, one of the Sea Peoples active in the region -- Wen-Amun was blown off course and landed in Alashiya (Cyprus). There, he faced a hostile reception, as the locals approached seemingly intent on violence. Brought before Princess Hatiba, Wen-Amun, desperate and stranded, called out to see if anyone could understand Egyptian. Remarkably, one man stepped forward to translate his plea. At this pivotal moment, the narrative breaks off, leaving Wen-Amun’s fate unknown. Yet his misadventure offers a striking glimpse into Egypt’s waning influence abroad and the diplomatic uncertainty of the time. At the same time, the presence of an Egyptian speaker in Cyprus points to the deep interconnectivity of the Late Bronze Age world -- an idea we’ll explore further in our next episode with Dr. Louise Steel, as we examine the ties between Cyprus and Egypt during this formative period.