Today is Thursday, July 9th, 2020.

On this day in 1821, 486 Greek Cypriots were executed by the Ottoman Empire.

Among the victims was a prominent member of the Greek Orthodox community,

Archbishop Kipriano.

Welcome to today in True Crime, a parcast original. Today we're discussing the execution of Greek Cypriots

during the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

Let's go back to the morning of July 9th on Cyprus Island. The island sat only 45 miles south of the Ottoman Empire across the Mediterranean Sea.

It had been under their rule since 1570, and things had gone relatively smoothly.

But the Greek War for Independence that erupted on the mainland of Greece thousands of miles away

was about to upend that.

Known as Cypriots, there were 100,000 people

living on the island at the time,

the majority either Turkish or Greek.

Early on there was a line drawn in the sand.

You either supported the Greek cause

or were behind the empire.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the city of Nicosia.

It was an ancient city, hundreds of years old, known for its large ornate defensive walls.

It was also the heart of commerce and culture on the island.

On the morning of July 9, 1821, the usually bustling town square was quiet, the air tense. Rumors swirled that the Ottomans were up to something.

One of the leaders of the Greek community on the island was a man from the Orthodox Church.

Archbishop Kipriano was in quiet support of the Greek rebellion.

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