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The Swedish theologian and traveler Michael Eneman journeyed done the East successful the aboriginal 18th century, documenting invaluable observations from Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Cyprus, and Constantinople. His enactment Resan till Orienten (“Journey to the Orient,” 1711-1712) stands arsenic 1 of the earliest Swedish accounts of the Ottoman world, offering important insights into the lives of Christian communities, Turkish administration, and the regular struggles of Greeks successful Cyprus.
Eneman’s Arrival successful Cyprus (1713)
According to the blog Hyperboreans, which uncovered the notation successful the book, Eneman reached Cyprus connected February 4, 1713, recovering from an unwellness successful Tripoli, Lebanon. In his notes, helium portrays the Turkish medication arsenic arbitrary, unjust, and harsh toward the locals. One of the incidents helium records is the uprising led by a Greek nonmigratory of Nicosia, who had suffered terrible injustice from the Muslim politician (mousoulimis). Having recovered nary justness successful Constantinople or from the Pasha of Cyprus, helium resolved to instrumentality revenge.
This Greek antheral rallied villagers and men from the surrounding areas, galore of whom were mediocre farmers who had besides endured taxes and abuses from the authorities. Joined by a tiny radical of Levantines, they boarded a vessel and arrived successful Nicosia nether the screen of night. There, they launched an onslaught connected the city’s streets, stormed into the mousoulimis’s house, dragged him from his bed, and bound him manus and foot. They past targeted the homes of affluent Turkish officials, looting and sowing panic.
However, the uprising was swiftly crushed. The mousoulimis summoned reinforcements from Famagusta and the countryside, and the Greeks’ men were surrounded by hundreds of equipped Turks. They attempted to flight from Cape St. Andrew by vessel but were betrayed by the captain. The Greek leader, on with 1 of his companions and respective villagers who had joined the revolt, was captured and publically hanged arsenic an exemplary punishment. The remaining farmers who had supported the uprising were tortured oregon executed successful assorted villages crossed the island.
This convulsive lawsuit had occurred conscionable earlier Eneman arrived successful Cyprus. As helium writes, the matter had instilled panic and suspicion among the Turkish authorities, who feared a caller rebellion.
When Eneman disembarked successful Larnaca and traveled toward Nicosia, helium was regarded arsenic a suspicious foreigner. He was interrogated by the mousoulimis and ordered to instrumentality to Larnaca nether escort by Janissaries. He notes that helium escaped harm acknowledgment to his Swedish identity, arsenic the Turks knew small astir Sweden and did not see it a hostile power.
In Larnaca, Eneman observed brisk commercialized betwixt European and Greek merchants. The island’s main exports were silk, cotton, and styrax resin.
He stayed successful Cyprus for respective weeks, departing by vessel connected March 1, 1713. He passed done Castellorizo, Chios, and Smyrna, arriving successful Constantinople connected June 20, 1713. His instrumentality travel began connected June 28.
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