Cyprus

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

CYPRUS is one of the greater Ilands of the Mediterranean Sea, which was so called either from Cyprus the Daughter of Cynica, or from the Cyprus tree, which is proper to this Iland. It lyeth in the middle of the Issican Bay betweene Silicia and Syria: on the East it hath the Syrian Sea, and the Issican Bay, which is commonly called Golfo de Lajazzo, on the West the Pamphilian Sea: on the South the Aegyptian Sea: on the North it looketh toward Cylicia, which is now called Turcomannia, according to others Caramania. The compasse of it is 427. miles, the length of it 200. as Bordonius witnesseth. It hath for the most part an unpleasant, and unwholesome ayre, in regard of the exhalations and uprores which arise from the Lakes. Yet the whole Iland is very fruitfull. For it produceth all things necessary both for necessity and delicacies: as Wheate, Barley, and other kindes of Graine: also excellent Wine that may compare with Crete Wine: also Oyle, Sugar, Honey, Salt, Oranges, Citrions, Lemmons, Dates, and other excellent fruit. Also Gold, Cotton, Wooll, Saffron, Coriander seed, Silke, and what not? also Emralds, Chrystall, Iron, and Allome: and especially such great store of Brasse, which it is thought was first found there, so that it was called Brazen Cyprus. There is also a kinde of stuffe made of Goates haire, which is called Chamlot. Diodorus Siculus. Lib. 16. writeth that 9. Kings did governe this Iland, which were all subject to the King of Persia. It had also Greeke Tyrants. We read that heretofore it had 15. famous Citties, which are now for the most part decayd and ruinated. The chiefest of them were Paphos, now called Bapho: also Palae Paphos, where the Inhabitants doe affirme that Venus came first out of the Sea: there is also Sali•i•• which is seated in a pleasant Bay of the East shore, from whence there is a convenient passage to Syria. It was afterward called Const•n•••▪ and Epiphanius was Bishop thereof. There were also the Citties Amathus and Ceraun•a. But now the chiefest are Nicotia and Famag•••. But out of the Mountaine Olympus, there doe runne two great Rive•s Ly•us and L•pethus, the former runneth Southward, the latter Northward. The other streames may be rather called Torrents than Rivers, because they are sometimes dry, and then the Inhabitants doe want water extremely. There are divers Mountaines in this Iland, but the highest of them all is Olympus, which they call Trohodon▪ which is beautified with all kinde of trees, and hath many Monasteries on it, in which the Calojerians dwell. The compasse of it is 54. miles.