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Ottoman Rule  The
Ottoman period of rule began with some changes that most of
the local population welcomed. The Catholic Church, long hated
by Orthodox believers was thrown out and many of the churches
were converted in to mosques. In particular, St Sophia in
Nicosia, and St Nicholas in Famagusta. Now Selimiye Mosque
and Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque respectively.
The Catholic church of Bellapais Abbey was handed over to
the Orthodox faith, the remainder of the monastic buildings
were unusedand gradually fell into a state of dereliction.
The French feudal system was radically changed, allowing
former vassals to be released from theirvows of frealty and
to own and inherit land.
The population of the island increased with settlement of
Turks from the mainland, many of whom had been made gifts
of land by the Sultan.
These favourable points were unbalanced by the system of
government, which was conducted from Nicosia with two lesser
offices in Paphos and Famagusta. The collection of taxes was
administrated by Agas who had purchased their positions from
Sublime Porte, which was the court of the Ottoman Empire.
Naturally they were assiduous in their efforts to raise as
much revenue as possible to cover their own expenses and still
a handsome profit which in turn was paid to Contstantinople.
The Cypriots found themselves still under the yoke of oppression,
ans as was to be expected, poverty and famine soon engulfed
them. In the mid-seventeenth century a great plague further
reduced the population to approximately 25,000.
 Taxes
were reduced and the Porte agreed to recognise the Orthodox
Archbishops as the representative of the non-Muslim Cypriot
people. This however didi not improve the overall lot of Cypriots
very much, and it was not until 1754 than the Sultan agreed
officially to accept the Orhodox Archbishop as the leader
of the Cypriot community, granting him and his bishops certain
privilages and generally in a small way improving the lot
of the people.
Unrest, and Massacre  The
rising of taxes was now in the hands of the clergy. For a
short time system worked until once again the mercenery desire
for money made the church Greedy and both Greek and Turkish
peasants revolted, albeit in vain. At the beginning of 19th
century it was discovered at work in secrets with the connivance
of the Orthodox Archbisop of Cyprus to drive all Turks aut
of Greece.
The action taken by the Turkish General of Cyprus
was bloody and merciless. The Archbisop was massacred along
with several Bishops and there was a purge of Christians across
the island. The Ottoman Empire was now experiencing trouble
within as one of its governor’s established and independent
dynasty in Egypt and war with Russia continued. For almost
hundert years Russia had been chipping away at the borders
of the Ottoman Empire and after first gaining access through
the Bosporus they were then given parts of Anatolia.
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