- 1868-08-21 —
Bahá'u'lláh and His companions left Gallipoli on an Austrian-Lloyd steamer. [BKG263; GPB182; RB2:411]
- CH62 says it was a Turkish boat.
- There were 72 exiles, 10 soldiers and 2 officers. The journey took 11 days. [CH63]
- See BKG270 for map of the journey.
- Towards sunset the same day the steamer touched on Madellí and stopped for a few hours. It continued on to Smyrna the same night where they stayed for two days and left at night. [BKG264; N&N22]
- 1868-08-31 —
The ship arrived in Haifa in the early morning. [BKG269; GPB182; RB3:11]
- Bahá'u'lláh and His companions — 70 in all — disembarked and were taken ashore in sailing boats. [RB3:11]
- One of the Bahá'ís, Áqá `Abdu'l-Ghaffár, one of the four companions of Bahá'u'lláh condemned to share the exile of Mírzá Yahyá, threw himself into the sea when he learned he was to be separated from Bahá'u'lláh. [BKG269; GPB182]
- A few hours later Bahá'u'lláh's party was put aboard a sailing vessel and taken to `Akká. [RB3:12]
- Mírzá Yahyá and the four Bahá'ís arrested at Constantinople, including Mishkín-Qalam, were sent on to Famagusta in Cyprus. [BKG268; GPB179]
- See also The Cyprus Exiles
by Moojan Momen.
- See photo of the sea gate by which the exiles entered the citadel.
- See CH66 for Bahíyyih Khánum's account of the journey.
- The exiles landed in `Akká and began a confinement in the citadel that was to last two years, two months and five days. [CH67, BBR205; BKG169; DH12; RB3:11]
- Photo of the citadel.
- See BKG277–9 for a list of the exiles. Two others joined them immediately after arrival. [BBR205]
- See BR205–6 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's account of the journey of exile.
- See RB32:2 and RB3:21 for prophecies regarding Bahá'u'lláh's exile to `Akká.
- See DH17–24 for a history of `Akká before the arrival of Bahá'u'lláh.
- See DH26–8 and GPB186–7 for a description of the exiles' walk to the prison.
- See GPB186–7 for Bahá'u'lláh's description of the citadel and the conditions there on His arrival.
- See BKG275–7 for Áqá Ridá's description of the citadel and the conditions there.
- See DH30–1 for a description of the citadel building and the accommodation used by Bahá'u'lláh.
- The first night the exiles were refused both food and drink. [GPB187]
- Afterwards each prisoner was allocated three loaves of stale black bread as a daily food ration plus filthy water. [GBP187]
- Within two days all fell ill with typhoid but for two, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and another man who was able to help Him nurse and care for the others. [CH234]
- Three of the exiles died soon after arrival. Soon after their death, Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Lawh-i-Ra'ís, the second Tablet to `Alí Páshá. [BKG283; GPB187; RB3:20, 34]
- See BKG317–21 and CH250–1 for the story of the Azalís who were confined to `Akká with the exiles.
- See BBRSM69–70 for details on the system of communications used between the Holy Land and the Bahá'í communities.
- At first the Governor was disinclined to relax the strict rules of the exiles but eventually allowed Mírzá Ja'far to go into town, accompanied by a soldier, to purchase food. 'Abdu'l-Bahá had sent Mírzá 'Abdu'l-Ahad ahead sometime before with instructions to open a shop. It was six months before the exiles could make contact with him. During this time a Greek, Dr. Petro, became a friend and, after having made investigations, assured the Governor that the exiles were not criminals. [CH67]
- The King of Martyrs and his brother The Beloved of Martyrs were the first to make contact with the exiles by telegraph. They were able to provide much needed assistance. [CH67]
- After the restrictions had been relaxed somewhat Shaykh Salmán was able to function as a courier carrying Tablets and letters to and from Persia. When he was arrested in Aleppo, carrying a most important supplication from a friend in Persia to Bahá'u'lláh, he swallowed the letter to avoid detection. [CH67-68]
- 1868-09-05 —
The ship that had delivered the exiles to 'Akká carried on and Mírzá Yahyá arrived in Cyprus with his entire family but without a single disciple or even a servant. [BBR306]
- Also exiled to Cyprus were four loyal Bahá'ís and they were:
Mishkín-Qalam (Áqá Hussain Isfahání)
Mirzá 'Alíy-i-Sayyáh-i-Maraghih'í (Mullá Ádí-Guzal)
Áqá 'Abdu'l-Ghaffár
Áqá Muḥammad-Báqir (Qahvih-chiy-i Mahallátí) (coffee-maker)
- With their arrival Cyprus became the first island in the Mediterranean to receive the Faith.
- See also GPB 182 and AB285, 523.
- 1868-10-00 —
Nabíl was released from prison in Egypt and departed for `Akká. [BKG290–1; RB3:57]
- He visited Cyprus on the way. [BKG291]
- 1870-09-29 — Mírzá `Abdu'l-Ghaffár effected his escape from Cyprus and rejoins Bahá'u'lláh in `Akká. [BBR306]
- 1871-08-04 —
Shaykh `Alíy-i-Sayyáh, one of the Bahá'ís imprisoned in Cyprus, died, allegedly of poisoning. [BBR306, FOI,Forward]
- Subsequently Mishkín-Qalam married the widow of Sayyáh. [BBR 306, FOIp24]
- Born Mulla Adi Guzal, a trustee and courier of The Báb during the days of Mah-Ku and Chiriq. He visited the Fort of Shaykh Tabarsi (Mazindaran) at the request and on behalf of the Báb carrying His Tablet of Visitation for the martyrs of Fort Shaykh Tabarsi. [from Anita Graves, National Bahá'í Archivist Cyprus]
- He was one of the four Exiles ordered to Famagusta by the Ottoman Sultan at the time that Baha'u'llah was exiled to 'Akka. These four Exiles, including Mishkin-Qalam, arrived in Famagusta on 5 September 1868. [from Anita Graves, National Bahá'í Archivist Cyprus]
- 1872-11-22 —
Muhammad-Báqir-i-Mahallátí, one of the Bahá'ís imprisoned in Cyprus, died. [BBR306]
- He had begun his service to Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad and was a member of the entourage that accompanied Him to Constantinople in 1863 and further served in His household in Adrianople. See FOIp9-12 for a brief description of his service.
- This left Mishkín-Qalam as the only Bahá'í in Cyprus. [BBR306]
- 1878-07-12 — The British government took over the administration of Cyprus. [BBR306]
- 1879-06-20 — Mishkín-Qalam was given permission to move from Famagusta to Nicosia. [BBR307]
- 1880-08-15 —
Mishkín-Qalam addressed a petition to the High Commissioner of Cyprus begging to be released from his confinement. [BBR307]
- See BBR307–11 for consequences of this.
- 1881-03-24 —
Mírzá Yahyá was granted freedom by the British administration of Cyprus. [BBR311]
- He asked for British citizenship or protection so that he might return to Iran or Turkey in safety but was denied so stayed on in Cyprus for the rest of his life with a pension of 1193 pias/month from the British government. [BBR311]
- 1886-09-14 — Mishkín-Qalam, who had been living in Larnica, left Cyprus on a Syrian vessel going direct to `Akká. [BBR311, FOI24]
- 1912-04-29 —
Mírzá Yahyá died in Famagusta. [BBD243; BBR312]
- He was the younger half-brother of Bahá'u'lláh and a follower of the Báb who conferred on him a high station and leading role in the Bábí community. Later he became an opponent of Bahá'u'lláh. Shoghi Effendi described him as "the arch-breaker of the Covenant of the Báb." GPB165
- He was known as Azal (Eternity or Pre-eternity) and Subh-i-Azal (Morning of Eternity) and his followers become known as Azalís.
- He had been deserted by most of his followers and was given a Muslim funeral. [BKG426; GPB233]
- Years later the sons of Mírzá Yahya and their relatives reconciled themselves to the authority of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [CH237-238]
- 1926-11-30 — Sir Ronald Storrs (b. 1881 - d. 1955) was appointed Governor of Cyprus (30 Nov 1926 - 29 Oct 1932)
- 1946-06-30 — While visiting in Famagusta (Gazimağusa) Rúḥíyyih Khánum is quoted as saying: "Shoghi
Effendi was working very intensely in Haifa and people were knocking on his door all the time to
ask questions; because of that, during his unofficial travels to rest (holidays), he was traveling
around quietly (incognito), and without contacting the believers. We came to Cyprus together
for two or three weeks in one of the years 1946 or 1947 – if I look (in my diary) I can find the
year. We went to Nicosia, and then we got a car and went to Famagusta, Larnaca and then
again Nicosia. I can't remember whether we went to Limassol. Afterwards we went to St.
Hilarion. There weren't good hotels in the Troodos area then, and because of that we stayed in
a small house for a while. This is all I can say about this visit." [Notes of the Visit to Famagusta of
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum in the home of Erol & Şafak Olkar Notes taken by: Erol Olkar. The English translation of the original Turkish language handwritten manuscript of Erol Olkar was by Deniz Oraç.]
- 1949-08-16 —
The passing of Lilian Vaughan McNeill (b.1 December, 1879). In May, 1931 she and her husband, Brigadier General Angus McNeill had taken a lease on the abandoned property at Mazra'ih where they lived until her passing. They had restored the house and property respecting the fact that Bahá'u'lláh and His family had lived there from June 1877 until September, 1879. In 1981 the staff at the Bahá'í World Centre discovered her simple grave in the Commonwealth Cemetery in Haifa and, with the permission of her family, erected a befitting and dignified memorial.
She had been a childhood friend of Marie Alexandra Victoria (Queen Marie of Romania).
During her latter years at Mazra'ih she wrote a series of short stories, some of which were published in the local English-language newspaper. [BW19p779-782]
- Brigadier General Angus McNeill died in Cyprus in June 1950, nearly one year after Lilian's passing, and was buried on 21 June 1950 in Wayne's Keep, the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery now located in the buffer zone, under the control of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Anita Graves, archivist for the Cypriot community, discovered he grave in 1994. [from a message from Anita Graves dated November, 2019] iiiii
- 1953-08-00 — 'Abbás Vakíl arrived in Cyprus and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]
- 1953-09-16 —
Hugh McKinley and his mother, Violet, arrived in Cyprus and were named Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]
- Violet passed away in 1959 and she was laid to rest in Famagusta. Hugh remained in Cyprus until 1963. He died in Suffolk in 1999 was was buried in Lawshall, Suffolk. He had been born on the 18th of February, 1924.
- See Ismael Velasco's paper entitled In Memoriam: Hugh McKinley.
- See Life of Hugh McKinley, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh by Olive McKinley.
- See Memoram: Hugh McKinley by Ismael Velasco.
- 1953-11-02 — Samíra Vakíl arrived in Cyprus and was named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. [BW13:450]
- 1958-00-00 — In the late 1950s a meeting that was held in Famagusta at which representatives of all three main generations of Bahá'ís were present including: Jalal Azal representing the followers of Mirza Yahya (Bayanic), `Ismat and others represented the followers of Mirza Muhammad `Ali (Unitarian Baha'is), and Ahmad Sohrab represented those opposed to any form of administration. One of the aims of this conference was to build a mausoleum over the grave of Mirza Yahya. [The Cyprus Exiles p102 by Moojan Momen]
- 1976-12-00 — The first Bahá'í Winter School in Cyprus was held in Nicosia.
- 1978-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of Cyprus was formed with its seat in Nicosia. [BW17:190, 348]
- 2003-04-27 — Bahá'ís from the north and south of Cyprus met when they were permitted to cross the demarcation line that had divided the island for three decades. The event followed the decision by the Turkish Cypriot authorities to lift the ban on travel across the cease-fire line. Some 60 Turkish and Greek Bahá'ís held a devotional meeting together at the Bahá'í centre in Nicosia. [BWNS216]
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