Levantine Sea

The Levantine Sea around Cyprus connects the eastern Mediterranean coast with routes toward Anatolia, Egypt and the Aegean. Its ports and coastal waters support local fishing and movement as well as longer voyages. Winds and seasonal conditions influence travel.

During the later Middle Ages, Cyprus belonged to a commercial and political world involving Latin rulers, Italian merchants and neighbouring Muslim states. Venetian rule later connected the island to a major maritime network. Ottoman conquest in the sixteenth century changed its administration while trade continued. Storms, raiding and warfare affected shipping across the wider eastern Mediterranean.