Cyprus flag

The current Cyprus flag was adopted on August 16, 1960 and modified on April 24, 2006. It shows an entire map of the island in copper (the metal that made the island famous). island throughout its history and from which it derives its name), with two olive branches at the bottom, on a white background (both the color and the olive branches are symbols of peace).

The flag of Cyprus was chosen by the President of the Republic, Makarios III, in 1960, following a proposal by a Turkish Cypriot schoolteacher, İsmet Vehit Güney.

Flags of Cyprus and the European Union.

Blue and red (the colors of the flag of Greece and the flag of the Ottoman Empire, respectively) were purposely avoided in order to make the flag neutral. However, today the flag is seen as a symbol of the Greek Cypriots.

Gallery of historical flags

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  Royal Standard of the Kings of Cyprus, showing the weapons of the Kingdoms of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Armenia.

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  Flag of Cyprus (1881-1922)

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  Flag of Cyprus (1922-1960)

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  Flag of Cyprus (1960)

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  Flag of Cyprus (1960-2006)

Gallery of flags

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  Naval Pavilion of the Republic of Cyprus.

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  Proposed flag for the Unified Republic of Cyprus.

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  Flag of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus.