The Greek-dominated culture on Cyprus lasted for centuries and even today there are numerous similarities between the two, including language, food, and the family-centric mentality. However, during the Crusades, the island was taken over by western European powers, who placed the country under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church. Instead of shifting focus to the west, the people rebelled against this rule and remained tied to their historic culture. These ties to the past were even further magnified when the island became home to foreigners and traders.
Of these many foreign settlers, it wasn't until the Ottoman Empire took over the island that the culture began to truly change. Muslim Turks began to settle the island and, like in the past, the ethnic Greeks maintained their separate culture and identity as the Turks held on their own. From this point on these two cultures have continued on parallel paths, rarely interacting or changing the other to any great degree. In fact both remain closely tied to the cultures of Greece and Turkey even today.
In 1974 political instability led to a further divide among the people. Prior to this the ethnic Greeks and Turks lived side by side in the same cities and towns, but after this point the ethnic Greeks remain almost wholly in the south and ethnic Turks live almost exclusively in the north as the country remains politically divided.
Despite the division and political and ethnic tensions, the cultures of the people remain tied to Greece and Turkey as the languages, foods, and cultures from those countries are ever present in Cyprus today. However, Cyprus has developed its own culture in many ways as there are slight variations on foods, languages, dress, and more. Additionally, as a new member of the European Union, the country is again opening its doors to foreign influences and people, however today this primarily comes in the form of tourism.