In Central Cyprus are situated the Troodos Mountains, the second-favorite holiday spot in Cyprus. The Troodos are also home to another Cypriot treasure. The Commandaria — the oldest named wine of the world traced back to about 1000 BC. Produced only in 14 villages on the slopes of the mountains, the wine was mentioned first by Greek poets. Over the last 2800 years, the wine fascinated royalty and commoners alike, earning the title, “The wine for kings, the king of wines” from King Richard of England in 1191.
As Cyprus changed hands, so did the ownership of the wine. But only one owner gave it a name that persisted for 2 millennia. What was special about this owner?
At around the end of the Byzantine empire, the Crusades started — the pushback of Christian organizations against the spread of Islam. To protect pilgrims visiting Jerusalem from murdering highwaymen, the King of Jerusalem decided to set up a small crack team of horse-riding, swordsmen. They were given a small room to operate from in the palace. This room sat on top of the ruins of an old temple. And this group of troops got the name ‘Knights Templar’. Giving up all material wealth, the soldiers joining the squad vowed to serve the spiritual pursuits of the Church.
While serving devotedly, the Knights Templar, gained a reputation for fervently protecting the Christian holy land. After receiving the endorsement of the Church, the Knights Templar became the favorite military outfit of Christian Europe. It received land, precious metals, money and able sons from the rich and famous. This group of spiritual soldiers expanded rapidly, receiving exemptions to pass through borders and be immune from local laws. In about half a century the Knights Templar were winning wars, managing estates, growing crops and building castles growing to become a truly formidable force in Christian Europe.
During this period, the entire island of Cyprus was for a period of time, under the control of the Knights Templar. At this time, the vineyards of the Troodos mountains were under the control of the military commanders and the headquarters was called the Commanderie. The knights started producing huge quantities of the wine and exported it to Europe’s royalty. The market gave the wine a name, Commandaria.
The Knights Templar, continued to expand. Anyone who wished to visit the holy land could deposit their assets with the Knights Templar. If they survived the visit, they could pick up assets of a similar value when they returned. Financial networks were established. The Knights were now running booming businesses in shipping, manufacturing, agriculture and real-estate.
The first Multi National Corporation.
And you know what was special about the Knights Templar?
The church exempted them from paying taxes!
The fastest way to build an MNC, you say..? Perhaps that 25% extra capital did some wonders to the Knights Templar.
