Linobambaki

The Linobambaki or Linovamvaki were a Crypto-Christian community in Cyprus, predominantly of Catholic and Greek Orthodox descent[1] who were persecuted for their religion during Ottoman rule.

[6] With Ottoman-Venetian rivalry at its peak, the Ottomans feared the security risk posed by the Latin Catholics of Cyprus, and in particular that they would entice the Venetians to return.

The Catholic inhabitants affected by these measures consisted of Latins, Venetians, Genoeses, Maronites and Armenians who had converted to Islam in order to circumvent these Ottomon legal precepts.

[8] The Linobambaki did not outwardly practice or demonstrate their religious beliefs, due to their faux conversion to curry favour with the Ottomans and the Orthodox communities.

For example, they frequently consumed alcohol and pork,[11] and didn't attend religious services; traditions similar to continuing Turkish Cypriot culture today.