North Cyprus Cites

There are so many historical places of interest to visit in North Cyprus. This was bound to be so since the island is located in the centre of the ancient world which is known as the cradle of western civilization.
Lefkosa (Nicosia), Gazimagusa (Famagusta), , Iskele, Girne (Kyrenia), Guzelyurt, Lefke.

Kyrenia
Kyrenia is a fascinating town on the Northern coast of Cyprus, founded by the Myceans ca.1600 BC. Kyrenia is famous for its magnificent harbor and nearby castle. The Kyrenia castle is thought to have been constructed to protect the town against the Arab raids in the 7th century. The Shipwreck Museum, located within the castle, houses the oldest recovered shipwreck in history. There is also The Bellapais Monastery and St. Hilarion Castle, built to defend the island against the Arab raids. Kyrenia houses many interesting museums which you can visit including The Folk Arts Museum and The Icon Museum. Other places of historical interest in the Kyrenia area are:

The Anthipanitis Church, The Buffavento Castle and the Hz. Omer Tomb.
Greek Kirínia, Turkish Girne city, is situated along the north coast of Turkish Cyprus. It is a busy small town with a harbour appreciated for its natural beautym a perfect holiday destination. Founded by the Achaeans, ancient Greek colonists, and fortified by the Byzantines, Franks, and Venetians, the city was the administrative headquarters of the Kyrenia district of the Republic of Cyprus until 1974.

In its heyday it was lined with warehouses, stored with fruits of the countryside whilst they awaited export. The buildings are now mostly all restaurants, all of which have tables and chairs lining the water. The castle at the east end of the harbour is a very spectacular site and within its walls there is a 12 century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals.

Escape Beach Club and Club Acapulco are the top two beaches in Kyrenia. They both offer plenty of entertainment. They both have a bar, restaurant and night club. These two beaches are perfect for younger travelers.
You have an excellent opportunity to find pleasant places for walking in Northern Cyprus. The Besparmak Mountains are ideal walking areas. You can go to St. Hilarion Castle and park your car there. Head west to take in the amazing views of Kyrenia.

Turtle beach is situated on the new coast road East of Kyrenia driving towards Esentepe. The beach is protected during the summer months between the hours of 9pm and 5am. This is because turtles come to lay their eggs on the beach area under the watchful eye of conservationists. The beach by day is excellent and used a lot by the locals. At this location is a small building called the "Turtle Project." You can go there to learn about Turtles, see videos and book in to sleep on the beach at night and watch the turtles coming to shore to lay their eggs. They lay their eggs around June and August is the hatching time.

Just 10 minutes above Kyrenia is Bellapais Abbey. Set in this fabulous location, a visit to this 14th century Lusignan Bellapais Abbey in North Cyprus is a must.

Enclosed to the north by the sea and to the south by the greenery of the Besparmak (Five Finger) Mountain range, it offers the most magnificent scenery on the island. It's charming and tiny harbour, full of yachts and fishing boats, is framed by the colossal hulk of its Crusader castle. With the backdrop of the jagged mountains behind and the calm sparkling sea in front, the harbour has an intoxicatingly serene atmosphere.

Overlooking the entrance to the harbour is Kyrenia Castle. Dating from the time of the Byzantines, its massive defenses surround a complex mixture of building styles from centuries before and it is likely that there was a Roman fort here originally. Subsequently enlarged and strengthened by the Lusignans and then the Venetians, the castle is now home to many historical artifacts and is the current resting-place of the world's oldest shipwreck.
Kyrenia is an easy place to be any time of the day. There are lots of charming shops to explore in the harbour and in the cobbled narrow alleys surrounding it.There are markets and numerous local cafés to visit also.
As the sun sets, Kyrenia harbour again becomes the focus of activity as the locals take their evening stroll and the cafés and bistros that face the sea prepare for their nightly trade. Crisp white linen and small vases of local flowers are lovingly arranged on tabletops to welcome the evening's guests to wine and dine in the cooling breeze.

Places to see Kyrenia: Anthipanitis Church, Bellapais Monastery, Buffavento Castle, Folk Arts Museum, Hz. Omer Tomb, Icon Museum, Karmi Necropolis, Kirsokava, Kyrenia Castle, Kyrenia Harbour, Lambousa, Lapta (Lapithos), Shipwreck Museum, Sourpmagar Monastery,
St. Hilarion Castle, Vrysi (Catalkoy)

Nicosia
Nicosia is the capital of Northern Cyprus and is full of fascinating historical places. The walls ring the old city of Nicosia, with a three and a half mile circuit; contain 11 bastions and 3 gates. Today the walls remain virtually intact and it is possible to walk part of the perimeter. Nicosia contains many interesting museums and mosques which you can visit.

Nicosia (Turkish: Lefkosa, Greek: Lefkosia) is the capital city of North Cyprus. Nicosia is the center of administrative district, and currently the only divided capital in the world, with the northern Turkish and southern Greek portions divided by a "Green line"; a demilitarized zone maintained by the United Nations.

Places to see in Nicosia: Arap Ahmet Mosque, Bedesten, Dervis Pasa Mansion, Gambler's Inn, Grand Bath, Great Inn, Iplik Pazari Mosque, Haydarpasa Mosque (The St. Catherine Cathedral), Kyrenia Gate, Lapidary Museum, Mevlevi Tekke Museum, Nicosia City-Walls, Sarayonu Mosque, Selimiye Mosque (The St. Sophia Cathedral), Sultan Mahmut Library, Turunclu Mosque, Venetian Column & Ataturk Square, Yenicami Mosque

Famagusta
The old city of Famagusta is encircled by the historical walls which date back to mediaeval times. The walls have stayed intact to this day and are well preserved. Two of the original gates of the Famagusta castle still stand: The Sea Gate and The Land Gate. Kantara Castle is magnificently placed astride the near east end of the Five-Finger Mountain.

Greek Ammochostos, Turkish Gazi Magusa is a major port in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It lies on the island's east coast in a bay between Capes Greco and Eloea and is about 37 miles (55 km) east of Nicosia. The port possesses the deepest harbour in Cyprus.

Famagusta is a Frankish corruption of its Greek name, which means "buried in the sand," descriptive of the silted mouth of the Pedieos.

Famagusta city lies south of the ancient city of Salamis (now Salamis ruins) and just north of the ancient ghost town of Varosha (Maras). Today Varosha is no more than an empty ghost town. It lies in a UN zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Places to see in Famagusta: Arsenal (Martinengo Bastion), Canbulat Tomb & Museum, Cellarga Mass - Graves, Enkomi (Alasia), Famagusta City Walls, Greek St. George Church, Kertikli Bath, Land Gate (Ravelin), Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque , Latin St. George Church, Namik Kemal Dungeon, Nestorian Church, Nikokreon Monument, Nitovikla Castle, Othello Castle, Panaya Kanakaria Church, Royal Tombs, Salamis, Sea Gate, Sinan Pasa Mosque: (St. Peter & St. Paul Church), St. Barnabas Monastery, St. Barnabas Icon & Archaelogy Museum, St. Francis Church, Twin Churches (Templar & Hospitaller Churces), Venetian Palace

Karpaz
The Karpaz Peninsula is a land where time stands still. Miles and miles of sandy beaches with not a person in sight, Ancient towns, basilicas, ruins and tombs scatter the area waiting to be explored. To get a taste of Cyprus twenty years ago, the traveler must visit the Karpas.

The Karpaz Peninsula or "panhandle" as the British called the north-east part of Cyprus is a land where time stands still. There are miles of sandy Karpaz beaches with not a person in site. Ancient towns, basilicas, ruins and tombs scatter the area waiting to be explored. To get a taste of Cyprus 20 years ago, the traveler must visit the Karpaz. There are rural traditional Cypriot villages where the land is agricultural and the majority of the villages live off the land.


Lefke
In Lefke you can visit Soli and Vouni Palace. The Vouni Palace was constructed in the 5th century by the Persian sympathizer Doxandros, the king of the city of Marion, to keep the settlements supporting the Greeks (Soli) under control.

Nestling below the Troodos Mountains, 74 km away from Nicosia, Lefke (Lefka) is a small and friendly town in the north west of Cyprus.

Its inhabitants will tell you that its citrus fruits are the tastiest and the juiciest in the whole of the island. This is because of its rich soil, plentiful water and its reservoirs.

Its Turkish character reflects the domination of the area by the Ottoman Empire for more than three hundred years.
The town also houses one of North Cyprus' universities, European University of Lefke.

Lefke was once a prosperous mining town. It was once the center of mining in ancient times and a medieval barony. The town became predominantly Turkish after the Ottoman conquest and there are some interesting examples of Ottoman architecture to be seen here.

Places to see in Lefke: Soli, Vouni Palace

Guzelyurt
In Guzelyurt there is the Guzelyurt Museum. The museum houses a collection ranging from the prehistoric age of Cyprus to the Byzantine period. St. Mamas Monastery, also in Guzelyurt, dates back to the 18th century and contains art going back to the 16th century.

Guzelyurt, which means `beautiful country' in Turkish, is aptly named. Guzelyurt is a market town located in the west of North Cyprus. One of its attractive features is that it is the home of one of the many churches in the country dedicated to St. Mamas, popularly known as the patron saint of tax avoiders. The name was bestowed on him because he was a hermit living in very poor circumstances and when the authorities tried to tax him, he avoided them. Soldiers were sent out and captured him but on the way back to town, he saw a lion attacking a lamb, escaped the soldiers, saved the lamb, jumped on the lion's back and in that way came to town. His bravery earned him exemption from tax, hence his name - the patron saint of tax avoiders.

Places to see in Guzelyurt: Guzelyurt Museum, St. Mamas Monastery

Iskele
On the roads on Nicosia – Karpaz and Famagusta – Karpaz main roads where Kantara Range meets forests and valleys you find the village Yeni Iskele. The Greek name of the village is Trikomo. The name Yeni Iskele is a reminder of the relocation of Turk Cypriots from the Turkish district Iskele in the city of Larnaca on the island’s south coast.

Iskele region is also famous for its icon museums and ancient churches. The ‘Cyprus Endemic Plats information Centre’, the turtle nesting beaches under protection of Long Beach Tourism, the Iskele Fest (from 1 July to 10 July annually) are wonderful attractions of Iskele. One visit to Iskele and its Bogaz, and you will join those who lave fallen in love with our torn and region.

Places to see in Iskele: Aphendrika, Apostolos Andreas Monastery, Aya Trias Bazilica, Ayios Philon Church, Icon Museum of Iskele, Kantara Castle