Cyprus-Forum.com

[Leon]

In my experience, [Greek] Cypriots seem to possess quite a strong racist attitude towards people of Black origin, and I have seen very, very few Black people in Cyprus. When I visited the homeland at Christmas, it was strange for me to be in fairly multicultural Nicosia, probably because it was so different to the other parts of Cyprus I had seen. I was quite surprised to see a tall Black man holding hands with a small Cypriot woman (both in their early twenties at the most) and my [English] aunt who has lived in Cyprus for 19 years says that was the first time she had ever seen such a union face-to-face (the only other time being a wedding photo displayed in the window of the shop where she has her photographs developed, which shocked her, too).

OK, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sound ignorant because I know there are always exceptions to the norm, but Black people in Cyprus have always been looked down on (I have no idea about how they are regarded by the Turkish Cypriots, but I can't imagine it being that different from the Greek Cypriots), so it does surprise me when I hear of these relationships (I mean, come on, English-based Cypriot families cause a stir when one of their members decides to marry an English person!). Usually, in a Cypriot-non-Cypriot relationship, it's female who is foreign, but somehow I still can't picture a Cypriot man making a go of things with a Black woman. Recently on RIK Sat (on my favourite programme, Biz/Emis), there was a Cypriot woman who must've been either in her late 50s or early 60s who discussed mixed marriages (her husband is Pakistani) and spoke of how her father used to debate things with her when she was a teenager which are hot in Europe today, and explained that her father strongly supported that people's religion, ethnic background, and skin colour didn't matter, as long as they were decent people (he stood by her own marriage when her community looked down upon it). I was quite surprised that a Greek Cypriot man of that era especially had such a forward mentality.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is what are your experiences with Blacks in Cyprus? What have your parents said (if anything) and commented? Do you know of any Black-Cypriot relationships/marriages and/or children? Do you have any acquaintances in this kind of situation and how was the relationship perceived? Do you know (of) any mixed race Black Cypriots? Any general comments welcome and appreciated. I would be particularly interested to see what Turkish Cypriots have to say on the matter.

You can include Sri Lankans, Filipinos, and Indians (although I have never come across an Indian living in Cyprus) and how they intermingle in Cypriot society, but I am more interested in sexual relationships between them and Cypriots and any possible resulting children.

Leon.

[karma]

In my experience, [Greek] Cypriots seem to possess quite a strong racist attitude towards people of Black origin, and I have seen very, very few Black people in Cyprus. When I visited the homeland at Christmas, it was strange for me to be in fairly multicultural Nicosia, probably because it was so different to the other parts of Cyprus I had seen. I was quite surprised to see a tall Black man holding hands with a small Cypriot woman (both in their early twenties at the most) and my [English] aunt who has lived in Cyprus for 19 years says that was the first time she had ever seen such a union face-to-face (the only other time being a wedding photo displayed in the window of the shop where she has her photographs developed, which shocked her, too).

OK, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to sound ignorant because I know there are always exceptions to the norm, but Black people in Cyprus have always been looked down on (I have no idea about how they are regarded by the Turkish Cypriots, but I can't imagine it being that different from the Greek Cypriots), so it does surprise me when I hear of these relationships (I mean, come on, English-based Cypriot families cause a stir when one of their members decides to marry an English person!). Usually, in a Cypriot-non-Cypriot relationship, it's female who is foreign, but somehow I still can't picture a Cypriot man making a go of things with a Black woman. Recently on RIK Sat (on my favourite programme, Biz/Emis), there was a Cypriot woman who must've been either in her late 50s or early 60s who discussed mixed marriages (her husband is Pakistani) and spoke of how her father used to debate things with her when she was a teenager which are hot in Europe today, and explained that her father strongly supported that people's religion, ethnic background, and skin colour didn't matter, as long as they were decent people (he stood by her own marriage when her community looked down upon it). I was quite surprised that a Greek Cypriot man of that era especially had such a forward mentality.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is what are your experiences with Blacks in Cyprus? What have your parents said (if anything) and commented? Do you know of any Black-Cypriot relationships/marriages and/or children? Do you have any acquaintances in this kind of situation and how was the relationship perceived? Do you know (of) any mixed race Black Cypriots? Any general comments welcome and appreciated. I would be particularly interested to see what Turkish Cypriots have to say on the matter.

You can include Sri Lankans, Filipinos, and Indians (although I have never come across an Indian living in Cyprus) and how they intermingle in Cypriot society, but I am more interested in sexual relationships between them and Cypriots and any possible resulting children.

Leon.

well, the only black person who involved with Cyprus was Kofi Annan..
Turkish Cypriots voted YES for him, Greek Cypriots voted NO

now both side drink Coffee Annan while they talk about old memories

[iceman]

Black people in Cyprus have always been looked down on (I have no idea about how they are regarded by the Turkish Cypriots, but I can't imagine it being that different from the Greek Cypriots).

You are quite wrong there....There are plenty of "black Turks" in the North...The ancestors of these people come from Sudan back in the time of Ottoman rule of Cyprus..These people first arrived here as servants for rich Ottoman families and after Ottoman rule,being moslim they chose to interact with Turkish Cypriots rather than Greek Cypriots and in time picked up the language and Turkish way of life..
The Turkish village of Episkopi was the main village they lived until 1974...After 1974 they all moved to the North and today live as Turkish Cypriots in various parts of North Cyprus....There is no racial discrimination agains black people in North Cyprus..

[karma]

You are quite wrong there....There are plenty of "black Turks" in the North...The ancestors of these people come from Sudan back in the time of Ottoman rule of Cyprus..These people first arrived here as servants for rich Ottoman families and after Ottoman rule,being moslim they chose to interact with Turkish Cypriots rather than Greek Cypriots and in time picked up the language and Turkish way of life..
The Turkish village of Episkopi was the main village they lived until 1974...After 1974 they all moved to the North and today live as Turkish Cypriots in various parts of North Cyprus....There is no racial discrimination agains black people in North Cyprus..

and they listen to ciftetelli instead of reggae

[T_C]

There are loads of black TCs in the North and they're a part of the TC family. I know quite a few of them. I really doubt that theres any kind of racial discrimination in North Cyprus. Maybe I'm wrong but I've never come accross anything like that...ever.

[Sotos]

We were not buying slaves in the slave market (like some others ) so thats why there are very very few black Greeks or GCs. Thats why you don't see many here. Those that you see are mostly tourists or basketball players

[iceman]

We were not buying slaves in the slave market (like some others ) so thats why there are very very few black Greeks or GCs.

Thats because you couldn't afford them like your masters.

[Svetlana]

Hi Leon

I have many Sri Lankan friends; if you want to know about sexual relations, they are regularly propositioned by their 'Sirs', taxi drivers. bus drivers etc who feel that they must be of a lesser class and also desparate for money. I am told the same happens with Filipinos.

Ironically, Sri Lancans have one of the highest moral codes I know; even when dressed in their Sunday Best, their clothes are much more modest than Cypriot/European girls.

Lana

[BigDutch]

i was at a 2nd div football match this weekend ..... one team had two black "African" players .... the opposition supporters made more of an effort to put these guys off than anyone else on the pitch "re malage mavros" .. "elle re mavro" as well as some more distasteful shouts. I was quite shocked until another older guy there with his daughter hollered back up at the group shouting the abuse and, whilst my greek is not great, he said i think that they were acting like kids and to shut up ... no more "mavro" related comments anymore.

[Get Real!]

The ancestors of these people come from Sudan back in the time of Ottoman rule of Cyprus..These people first arrived here as servants for rich Ottoman families

This is confirmed by photos taken by John Thomson and subsequent book "Through Cyprus with the camera in the autumn of 1878".

In one of the photos there are two little back kids playing along the St Sofia walls. The caption among other things says... "Two boys figure on the right, the sons of negro parents, who not many years ago were slaves in a Turkish household".

ISBN: 0 9508026 8 9