The Cyprus FlagThere's more to the Cyprus flag than you may think... What does the Cyprus flag look like?The Cyprus flag has a silhouette of the whole island at its centre. The silhouette is a coppery colour, signifying the metal that the island is famous for. There are also two green olive branches below the silhouette, which were chosen to represent peace and unity between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The background of the flag of Cyprus is white, again to symbolise peace.The History of the Flag of CyprusThe design, by Turkish Cypriot Ismet Guney, won a competition to become the national flag of Cyprus in 1960. It deliberately has no blue or red in the design so as not represent either Greece or Turkey, only Cyprus as a separate entity of its own.The Turkish Cypriot flagUntil the invasion of 1974, the flag was used by all Cypriots, but now you will only see it flown in the South. Turkish Cypriots have since created their own flag to represent the TRNC, which is similar in design to the Turkish flag with a half moon and star, but with the colours reversed and borders of red stripes at both the top and bottom. The half moon represents Islam, the main religion of Turkish Cypriots.The future of the Cyprus flagThe dream of a united Cyprus is still alive for many people and if a solution is ever found to the problem it is likely that a new flag of Cyprus will have to be introduced. The Annan Plan under the UN has suggested creating an all new flag which incorporates both the red of Turkey and the blue of Greece. Many Cypriots have however since expressed the wish to keep the flag of Cyprus independent of the two nations.Where can I see the flag in Cyprus?Cypriots are very patriotic people and flags fly all over the island; outside shops, at beaches, on cars - so you won’t have any trouble noticing them!In the North, the Turkish flag usually flies side by side with the Turkish Cypriot flag, while the South often flies the Greek flag as an accompaniment to its own. The flags of the TRNC and Turkey have been painted on mountain ranges in North Cyprus, which are clearly visible from several parts of the South, causing much outrage amongst Greek Cypriots. It is also common to find jewellery in Cyprus which incorporates the two flag designs – i.e. the silhouette of the island with the olive leaves engraved, or the half-moon and star of the Turkish flags. Look out for the design in pendants, bracelet charms and earrings in jewellery shops around the island. They are usually in silver, 14 or 18 carat yellow/white gold. Many keyrings in Cyprus are also produced with designs of the flags.
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