Where did cats come from in Cyprus? The truth is older than the famous legend.

Cyprus is often called island of catsIt's hard to find another place in Europe where these animals are so numerous and present almost everywhere—on beaches, in taverns, near monuments, and in monasteries. Many tourists have heard the legend that cats were brought to the island of St. Helena to combat a plague of venomous snakes. However, it turns out that the history of cats in Cyprus begins much earlier.

The oldest cats domesticated by humans?

For many years, it was believed that cats were domesticated in ancient Egypt. A discovery in Cyprus changed all that.

In 2004, French archaeologists discovered a Neolithic settlement Shillourokambos grave from around 9500 years, where a human was buried next to a cat. This is the oldest known evidence in the world of a close relationship between humans and cats and one of the most important discoveries in the history of research on the domestication of these animals.

Cats came with the first settlers

There were no natural feral cats on Cyprus. The animals were brought by the first farmers and settlers who sailed to the island from the Middle East.

Why did they take them with them?

The reason was simple: along with humans, mice also arrived on the island, destroying grain supplies. Cats quickly proved to be the best way to control the rodent population and, over time, became an integral part of human settlements.

What about the legend of St. Helena?

The most famous story is that in the 4th century, St. Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, brought hundreds of cats from Egypt and Palestine to Cyprus to help fight a plague of poisonous snakes.

According to tradition, the animals were taken to the monastery Agios Nikolaos ton Gaton on the Akrotiri peninsula, where they were said to have hunted reptiles. To this day, this place is known as Cat Monastery and remains one of the most unique attractions in Cyprus.

While the legend is an important part of local lore, modern archaeology shows that cats were present on the island thousands of years earlier.

Why are there so many of them in Cyprus?

For centuries, cats were welcome inhabitants of farms, monasteries, and ports. They protected food from mice and rats, so no one tried to limit their numbers.

Over time, they became a part of everyday life on the island. Today, Cyprus is one of the places in the world most associated with cats. The animals can be spotted almost everywhere—from the Troodos Mountains to the seaside promenades of Limassol and Paphos.

Did you know that…?

A grave of a man and a cat discovered in Cyprus, dating back to around 9500 years is considered the oldest known evidence of a close relationship between humans and cats. The find predates famous depictions of cats from ancient Egypt by several thousand years.

Cats have become a symbol of Cyprus

Today, it's hard to imagine Cyprus without cats. For locals, they're a daily occurrence, and for tourists, they're one of the island's most iconic attractions.

Their story, however, shows that their presence is no coincidence. It's a story that began almost ten thousand years ago—far earlier than the famous legend of St. Helena.