Learning to read and write in late Ottoman Cyprus

The 19th century in the Ottoman Empire was marked by the introduction of the Tanzimat reforms that sought to reorganize and modernize the state. Education was pivotal in this process as it was thought that the introduction of new teaching methods and curricula would support the modernization of the Empire. The effects of the reforms were felt in Cyprus too with the opening of new schools or the reform of existing ones. With the advent of the British though, both Christians and Moslems in the island started investing in education. As a result, in a few years many more schools opened, and the numbers of students increased. In this paper we will try to analyze the structure of the Moslem and Christian education in Cyprus in the 19th century before the transfer of the island to Britain in 1878. To do that we will first look at the Ottoman educational institutions to see how this was reflected in Cyprus. Then, we will look at the Christian schools and examine the role of the church in the founding and running of schools. In this way we shall attempt to reconstruct the educational map of Cyprus in the 19th century. When in 1878 the British take over the administration of the island from the Ottoman Empire, both communities invest in education while the British, too, take steps in the modernization of the educational system. At the same time, the first newspapers appear in Cyprus the first books are also printed. This changes drastically the way Cypriots read and write.