kingdom · Greece and the Aegean

Kingdom of Alashiya

1700 BCE – 1100 BCE (approx.) · capital Enkomi

Late Bronze Age kingdom on Cyprus whose rulers traded copper with Egypt, the Hittites and Ugarit, as revealed by the Amarna letters.

Origins

Alashiya appears in Near Eastern texts from the 18th century BCE as a source of copper, and most scholars identify it with Cyprus or part of it. Cyprus developed urban centres in the Late Cypriot period from c. 1650 BCE, including Enkomi on the east coast, Kalavasos and Alassa, though which was the royal seat is uncertain.

Rule and society

The king of Alashiya corresponded with Pharaoh Akhenaten as a 'brother' in the Amarna letters, sending copper ingots in return for silver, oil and luxury goods. Clay analysis shows these letters were made on Cyprus. Enkomi had copper workshops and ashlar buildings, and the island used the Cypro-Minoan script. The Hittite Empire claimed overlordship in the 13th century BCE.

Decline and legacy

Letters from Ugarit describe enemy ships threatening Alashiya c. 1200 BCE, and Suppiluliuma II fought naval battles off its coast. In the following century Cypriot towns declined or moved, Aegean settlers arrived, and the island reorganised into the Iron Age kingdoms such as Salamis, Paphos and Kition.

Connections (1)

  • Kingdom of Alashiya paid tribute to Hittite Empire1210 BCE – 1190 BCE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Alashiya. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-alashiya
MLA
“Kingdom of Alashiya.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-alashiya. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Alashiya.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-alashiya.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Alashiya’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-alashiya (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻