THE MAMLUKS AND CYPRUS

t was only a few generations earlier that the Cypriots were manoeuvring to become major players in the Eastern Mediterranean. The reign of King Peter I (1358-1369) saw attacks and raids against the coasts of both Asia Minor and Syria, even managing to capture and hold some ports. The King of Cyprus had even bigger plans, and Peter spent three years touring Europe to solicit support and money for a crusade against Egypt. In 1365 he led a fleet that attacked the Egyptian city of Alexandria, which was captured and plundered. That was the end of the crusade, and Peter’s real goals may have been to cripple trade out of the Egyptian port so it could be