Growing up with my Greek background I learned to speak the language when I was very young. When I went to Cyprus I was interested to see if I would we able to see the similarities in not only the dialect but the overall culture. As we visited many places, I noticed that the Cypriots, identified as Greeks however there used to be Cypriots who identified as Turkish. The culture was different from the one I grew up with and had visited in Greece. There seem to be this emptiness that blanketed over the culture. There was a war between the Turkish government and the Cypriots . The order was to move the Tukrish Cypriots away from the Greek Cypriots. Once living in harmony, suddenly displaced and forced to lives elsewhere. After the war in 1973, the Turkish people occupy the 1/3 northern side of the country. We had learned about it all trip, however seeing the affects that this war had was a moment I will never forget. We went to go see the city of Famagusta, which was once a lively city filled with movie stars, tourists, culture, and beautiful beaches. When we crossed over to the Turkish side, where this city resided, it was like walking into a ghost town. The city had remained frozen in time, falling apart, and decaying before our own eyes. Once a lively bustling city turned into vacated community. All the signs were in Turkish and all the churches were converted into mosques. Any sign that there was once Greek presence and culture was stripped from the area. I feel like I learned that you need to deeply understand where someone comes from and what has gotten them to their beliefs. I can not imagine living through this time that was not too long ago. The affects are still seen throughout the whole island, with empty houses, abandoned shops, and a lack of unity. I will always now make it a priority to deeply understand where someone has come from, because you never know what they have been through.
