History of Armenians in Cyprus Cyprus, in possession of stores and shops in the ports of Famagusta, Limassol and Paphos, as well as in the capital Nicosia, thus controlling a large segment of commerce. Additionally, Armenian was one of the eleven official languages of the Kingdom of Cyprus and one of the five official languages of the Venetian colonial administration of Cyprus. According to chroniclers Leontios Makhairas (1369–1458), George Boustronios (1430–1501) and Florio Bustron (1500–1570), the Armenians of Nicosia had their own Prelature and used to live in their own quarter, called "Armenia" or "Armenoyitonia". They originally had three churches: "Sourp Kevork" ("Saint George"), "Sourp
Church of Cyprus Church of Cyprus The The Church of Cyprus () is one of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Churches that together with other Eastern Orthodox Churches form the communion of the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodox autocephalous churches, achieving independence from the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in 431. The bishop of the ancient capital, Salamis (renamed "Constantia" by Emperor Constantius II) was constituted metropolitan by Emperor Zeno, with the title "archbishop". Paul the Apostle, accompanied by Barnabas and Mark the Evangelist (Barnabas' kinsman), came to Cyprus in AD 45 to spread Christianity. Arriving