North Cyprus in a nutshell
The north of Cyprus is sometimes forgotten by travellers, but as Abbe Bates discovers, this part of the island has some beautiful coastal scenery, a complex history and a relaxing pace of life that all add up to a pleasurable group getaway.
Northern Cyprus has for some years been rather a well kept secret. Since a civil war climaxing in 1974, the island of Cyprus has been divided into north and south, the southern area of the island being known as the Republic of Cyprus, inhabited by Greek Cypriots, and the northern half, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, lived in by Turkish Cypriots. The north has suffered somewhat in tourism terms from the accession of the south into the EU, in May 2004, and with restrictions on direct flights and a lack of recognition in the international arena as an independent country from all nations barring Turkey.
This should by no means put groups off visiting this very picturesque and largely unspoilt area of the island. North Cyprus has a wealth of historic attractions which depict its interesting history as well as plenty of countryside and coastal highlights to explore and there is an eagerness to encourage more visitors to discover this less talked about section of Cyprus. Group rates are offered at all the attractions on the island, along with combined tickets to attractions in close proximity with each other. These are arranged through the UK tour operator you choose to book a holiday through (there a number who specialise in North Cyprus), who will liase with local handling agencies on your behalf.
It is also worth arranging a guide for your stay in North Cyprus, who can travel with you by foot or on your coach and can also accompany you into places of interest. Many attractions also offer free guided tours. North Cyprus is also home to over 30 species of wild orchids and numerous migratory bird species that can only be found here and guided walks on these subjects are also possible as well as following marked trails on a self-guided walk. It is also worth sampling the traditional meze, consisting of hot and cold appetisers, salads, meats, vegetables and fish dishes, along with local kebaps (like kebabs).
Lefkosa – a diverse city
The capital of North Cyprus. Lefkosa (also known as Nicosia), is a thought-provoking place as it is now the world’s only divided city – around a third of the North Cyprus population lives here. The city is split in two by the Green Line, which actually runs right across the island, defining north from south Cyprus. Within this divide is the ‘buffer zone’, currently controlled by the UN, which in Lefkosa is around 20 to 50 metres wide. Since April 2003, it has been possible to walk between the two sections; you will need your passport but British citizens have no trouble crossing the border. Coaches can provide a list of passengers and passport numbers in advance and can also travel between the Greek and Turkish sides. It is a very surreal experience to see the derelict houses and old cars that seem to be ‘stuck’ in a time warp in the ‘buffer zone’.
Lefkosa is home to a range of different cultural influences. Around 300BC, the Egyptian royal Lefkos rebuilt the city and this is reflected in its name. In the 12th century, Richard the Lionheart captured Cyprus on his way to the Holy Land and sold it to the Knights Templars in 1192. They in turn permitted Guy de Lusignan, who had lost his Kingdom of Jerusalem, to buy the island a few months later. Since then, Nicosia has remained the capital of Cyprus.
During the Lusignan period, a number of churches and palaces were created but most were demolished when the Venetians invaded in the 15th century. They built protective walls around the city, which can still be seen today. In particular, part of these fortifications, the Kyrenia Gate, still survives, although it now stands alone, bisected by two roads and serving as a tourist information centre.
Just past the Kyrenia Gate is the Mevlevi Museum, set in a 16th century building, formerly used as the tekke or ceremonial hall of the Mevlevi Islamic order, which was based on the teachings of Celaleddin Rumi, who lived during the 13th century. Music and dance featured heavily in his teachings and the order became famous for its ‘whirling dervishes’, members who would ceremoniously revolve around to music. The museum’s role nowadays is to collect and protect Turkish art in Cyprus.
Further into the city, you will find the Selimiye Camii, formerly St Sophia Cathedral. It dates from the Lusignan period, but after the Ottomans conquered Nicosia in 1570, two minarets were added to the building and it was turned into a mosque. You can enter for free, outside prayer time, to get an idea of its interior and it is regarded as the most important example of Gothic architecture in Cyprus.
Not far from here is the Belediye Pazari, known locally as the Bandabulya (originating from the Greek bandobolio or general store). A bustling bazaar, you’ll find one side dedicated to fruit and vegetables whilst the other contains delicacies such as brightly coloured Turkish Delight.
Another interesting stop in Lefkosa is the Buyuk Han, which was constructed in 1572 by the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus. At its centre is a small mosque that was used at the time whilst around the inner courtyard are the former dwellings of travelling merchants – a han being an inn in medieval Turkey for this purpose – now converted into shops and restaurants. Groups can arrange meals and evening entertainment here, as well as organise wine tasting.
To the west of the city of Lefkosa is Guzelyurt. Here, you will find an abundance of citrus groves and the area is also home to the ancient site of Soli, dating from the 6th century.
Coastal Girne
The town of Girne (also known as Kyrenia) on the northern coastline can easily lay claim to being one of the most picturesque in North Cyprus, featuring an attractive harbour and old town. Groups can enjoy cruises around the north coast from the harbour as well as indulging in activities such as scuba diving.
The town is overlooked by Kyrenia Castle. It is thought that the castle site dates back to the Hellenistic-Roman period of 7th century BC; subsequent inhabitants have all left their mark but it is the adaptations of the Venetians that you will largely see today. The attraction has a number of highlights including The Shipwreck Museum, which contains a wreck dating back to 300 BC, discovered by a diver off Girne in 1967. It is believed to be the oldest such find in the world and displays include artefacts discovered on board. You can also climb up onto the walls for far reaching sea views – on a clear day you can even see Anatolia in Turkey.
Girne sits below the Five Finger Mountains, so called due to the shape of one of the ranges, which looks like a clenched fist with five knuckles showing. Within this rocky landscape is St Hilarion Castle, the history of which dates back to between the 7th and 10th century, during the Byzantine periods, when a series of castles were built or adapted (including Kyrenia) on high points in the mountains to protect the island from Arab attacks. The castle was developed during the Lusignan period and is made up of three sections – a total of 516 steps take you up to the top! The views from the castle help you to understand what a good strategic position it held and one famous tale claims that it provided the inspiration for the castle in Walt Disney’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
A short distance away is another important historical site in North Cyprus, Bellapais Abbey. Another good example of Gothic architecture, it was built around the early 13th century and later added to during subsequent centuries. Much of what you see today remains from the late 13th century and the refectory, which was built during the 14th century, is very well preserved; it is now often used as the setting for music events due to its excellent acoustics.
The village of Bellapais, which surrounds the Abbey is also very picturesque and is well known as the former home of the British author Lawrence Durrell.
Another mountainside village in the area is Karaman or Karmi, a haven for British ex-pats. It is said to be the most attractive of the villages in this area, with quaint, whitewashed houses helping to capture its Mediterranean appeal.
Further to the east is Buffavento Castle, another of the castles that helped form a defence of the island along with St Hilarion and Kyrenia Castles. Like St Hilarion, it was developed by the Lusignans and sits dramatically about 950 metres above sea level.
Along the coast from here is Alagadi or ‘Turtle Bay’, a sandy beach where you can sometimes spot the rare sea turtles that arrive here during the summer to lay their eggs.
As you make your way around this area, from April you will also be able to enjoy golf for the first time, as the Korineum, the first professional 18-hole golf course and golf academy in North Cyprus opens for business.
Historic Gazimagusa and the Karpaz
On the east coast of North Cyprus is the port of Gazimagusa (also known as Famagusta). You’ll find the old town enclosed by Venetian walls, which were built over existing Lusignan fortifications, and today you can still walk around parts of them.
Within the old town, you will find Lala Mustafa Pasha Camii, which was formerly St Nicholas Cathedral. Based on designs akin to the cathedral in Rheims in France, it features the same sort of Gothic influence. Similar to the Selimiye Camii in Nicosia, it was transformed during Ottoman rule into a mosque, with a minaret added. During the Lusignan period, after coronation for the Kingdom of Cyprus, in the Selimiye Camii, Lusignan royalty would travel here to receive the honourary crown of the lost Kingdom of Jerusalem. You can enter for free and can spot the Muslim additions such as a niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca.
Also in Gazimagusa is Othello’s Tower, forming part of the city walls. It’s name came into use in the British colonial period during the 19th and 20th century, as Shakespeare is believed to have used the town as the setting for his play of the same name. Originally built during the Lusignan period, like many of the historic buildings in North Cyprus, it was adapted by the Venetians as an artillery stronghold and a marble panel above the entrance bears the name of Nicolao Foscareno, who remodelled it.
Further out into the new town, you will discover Palm Beach, which is literally the last stretch of sand that you can visit before you reach another section of the Green Line. Here, the ‘buffer zone’ stretches across five and half kilometres and you can see the shells of numerous hotels ‘stranded’ here, still bearing the marks of the disturbances of 1974. It is known to locals as ‘Ghost Town’ as at present it is stuck in limbo, no-one can enter and those who have been allowed in intermittently report seeing everything left just as it was by former inhabitants – even including half eaten toast!
Just to the north of Gazimagusa is Salamis, a site that is believed to date back to the 11th century BC and flourish during the Hellenistic-Roman period. The site has stood the test of time and is well preserved – the remaining marble architecture really stands out from the more worn sandstone areas. There are a number of different areas to explore within this large complex including the Gymnasium and Baths and the Roman Amphitheatre, from the top of which are great views of the surrounding area.
Slightly further west is the Church and Monastery of St Barnabas, now the St Barnabas Icon and Archaeological Museum. St Barnabas was born in Salamis and was influential in spreading Christianity in Cyprus during the 1st century. He was subsequently murdered and several hundred years later, it is reported that the site of his body was discovered, leading the Monastery to be built on the site in 477 AD. The confines of the monastery now house an Archeological Museum, containing finds from different periods of life on the island whilst the Church within the complex now acts as an Icon Museum, with paintings depicting various religious figures. Groups can arrange the viewing of films in a dedicated room at the Archeological Museum to give further insight. A short walk away is also the Tomb-Chapel of St Barnabas, where St Barnabas was actually believed to have been found. It is still visited today by people paying their respects.
As you begin to travel further north east, you start to discover the Karpaz Peninsula, or North Cyprus’ panhandle, the part of the island that juts out rather like an arm.
Within the beginnings of this peninsula is Kantara Castle, another of the castles that was thought to have been used as a defence against Arab raids in the Byzantine period along with St Hilarion, Buffavento and Kyrenia Castles.
The peaceful peninsula is also the place to spot further sea turtles as well as wild donkeys, just past the last inhabited place in this area, the village of Dipkarpaz.
How to get there
International requirements mean that flights from the UK to North Cyprus have to land in Turkey first, where they continue as a domestic flight. The main carrier is Cyprus Turkish Airlines, who fly from Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted as well as Birmingham and Manchester to Ercan Airport in North Cyprus via Turkey, although there is no change of aircraft. It is also possible to fly into Larnaca airport in the south of Cyprus and transfer to the North via coach.
Our thanks to North Cyprus Tourism and the Dome Hotel for their hospitality to Abbe Bates during her visit to North Cyprus.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
North Cyprus Tourism Centre
29 Bedford Square
London WC1B 3ED
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7631 1930
Fax: +44 (0)20 7462 9789
Email: info@visitnorthcyprus.cc
Web: www.visitnorthcyprus.org.uk