The Ottomanisation of Cyprus: Towards a Spatial Imagination beyond the Centre-Province Binary

Examining the century-long period of the incorporation of Cyprus into the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of the conquest of 1571, the article identifies the multiple processes that characterised the Ottomanisation of the island. It examines specific instances of turmoil due to the transitional nature of a period characterised by reconfigurations and realignments. Conceptualising Cyprus as a ‘contact zone’, the article demonstrates that developments observed on the island are reflections of larger processes that were under way on a Mediterranean scale. Finally, the article proposes the notion of insularity as an alternative means to envision historical space, in order to go beyond a state-centric spatial imagination.