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Top Attractions in Turkish-Cypriot Administered Area

Nicosia

Nicosia ( NIK-ə-SEE-ə; Greek: Λευκωσία [lefkoˈsi.a]; Turkish: Lefkoşa [lefˈkoʃa]) is the largest city on the island of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaoria plain, on the banks of the River Pedieos. Nicosia is the capital and seat of government of the Republic of Cyprus, and as such is the farthest southeast of all EU member states' capitals. It has been continuously inhabited for over 4,500 years and has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century. The Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of Nicosia segregated into the south and north of the city respectively in 1963, following the intercommunal violence that broke out in the city. This division became a militarized border between the Republic of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus after Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in 1974, occupying the north of the island, including northern Nicosia. Today, the northern part of the city is the capital of Northern Cyprus, a state recognized only by Turkey that is considered to be occupied Cypriot territory by the international community. Apart from its legislative and administrative functions, Nicosia has established itself as the island's financial capital and its main international business centre. In 2012, Nicosia was the 5th richest city in the world in relative purchasing power.

Kyrenia

Kyrenia (Greek: Κερύνεια locally [t͡ʃeˈɾiɳˑa]; Turkish: Girne [ˈɟiɾne]) is a city on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus. While there is evidence showing that Kyrenia has been populated since ca. 5800–3000 BC, it is traditionally accepted that the city was founded by Achaeans from the Peloponnese after the Trojan War. As the town grew prosperous, the Romans established the foundations of its castle in the 1st century AD. Kyrenia grew in importance after the 9th century due to the safety offered by the castle, and played a pivotal role under the Lusignan rule as the city never capitulated. The castle has been most recently modified by the Venetians in the 15th century, but the city surrendered to the Ottoman Empire in 1571. The city's population was almost equally divided between Muslims and Christians in 1831, with a slight Muslim majority. However, with the advent of British rule, many Turkish Cypriots fled to Anatolia, and the town came to be predominantly inhabited by Greek Cypriots. While the city suffered little intercommunal violence, its Greek Cypriot inhabitants, numbering around 2,650, fled or were forcefully displaced in the wake of the Turkish invasion in 1974. Currently, the city is populated by Turkish Cypriots, mainland Turkish settlers, and British expats, with a municipal population of 33,207. Kyrenia is a cultural and economical centre, described as the touristic capital of Northern Cyprus. It is home to numerous hotels, nightlife and a port. It hosts an annual culture and arts festival with hundreds of participating artists and performers and is home to three universities with a student population around 14,000.

Famagusta Gate

The Famagusta Gate is a gate in the Nicosia walls, Cyprus. It is the chief gate of the city: the Porta Giuliana, or "di sotto" of Fra Stefano Lusignano's " Chorograffia", known as Famagusta Gate in modern times. This construction, in the Venetian style has been copied from the famous Lazaretto Gate of Candia designed by Michael Sammicheli at the beginning of the 16th century, and consists of a vaulted passage through the earthwork rampart of the city with a carefully executed spherical dome, eleven metres in diameter, in its centre. The passageway is large enough for two vehicles to pass, and it is lighted by a circular opening in the centre of the dome in the style of the Pantheon, Rome. On either side of this passage appear to be entrances into chambers now blocked up. The external doorway of the Porta Giuliana is a small archway in the re-entering angle or "orecchione" of the Caraffa bastion now somewhat injured by breakage of the arch stones, and the ancient doors, etc., are missing. On the inner side of the gateway, facing the town, is an imposing facade.

Soli

Soli or Soloi is an ancient Greek city in the island of Cyprus, located southwest of Morphou and on the coast in the gulf of Morphou and dates back to about the 6th century BC. Since 1974 the city has lain in the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Originally, Soloi was located in a much constricted geographical location. At its current location, the whole urban centre was designed by Solon during his 10-year trip, after whom the name Soloi is commonly attributed. Reyes, however, disputes this etymological origin, as the name Soloi appears on the Esarhaddon prism predating Solon's visit. Soloi was one of the ten city-kingdoms into which Cyprus was divided at the time. What remains today is mainly from the Roman period, most notably the mosaic floor of the basilica with its wealth of birds, animals and geometric designs and a picture of a swan. There is a theatre but it has been restored so much that it no longer has any atmosphere of its original age.

Fig Tree Bay

Fig Tree Bay is a sandy beach in the resort of Protaras, Cyprus. In 2011, TripAdvisor declared it to be the third best beach in Europe, but it dropped to 13th place in 2013. As with all beaches in Cyprus, access to the public is free, whilst bed and umbrella hire is chargeable. A municipal car park provides parking within a short walk. The sandy beach stretches for 500m and the waters are clean enough for the beach to have been awarded blue flag designation. The beach, which runs the length of its own cove, takes its name from the fig trees located close to the coast. There is an uninhabited islet easily reached by swimming through the shallow waters, the location of which provides a good shelter for the rest of the beach. The islet is covered with low level local vegetation. In contrast to other local beaches, such as Nissi, Fig Tree Bay has become a popular destination for families. Water sports such as water-skiing, windsurfing, and parasailing are available. From April to October, lifeguards and lifesaving equipment are available on the beach from 9am to 6pm. In 2010, during structural improvements to the beach, an ancient Greek tomb was unearthed. "Cyprus Beach Is No.1 On Top Ten European Destinations". TripAdvisor LLC. PR Web. Retrieved 2013-04-14.  "TripAdvisor top 25 Beaches, Travellers Choice". TripAdvisor LLC. Retrieved 2013-04-14.  "Blue Flag beaches in Cyprus". Blue Flag. Retrieved 2013-04-08.  Ktisti, Sarah . "Untouched tomb to unravel secrets of Cypruss past". Reuters . Retrieved 2013-04-14.

Nissi beach

Nissi beach, is a well-known sandy beach in the resort of Ayia Napa, Cyprus. The sandy beach stretches for 500m and the waters are clean enough for the beach to have been awarded blue flag designation. The beach which runs the length of its own cove, takes its name from the small islet located close to the coast. The uninhabited islet can be easily reached on foot through the shallow waters and its location provides a good shelter for the rest of the beach. The islet is covered with low level local vegetation. Nissi beach has become a popular destination for clubbers following live programs transmitted through BBCs Radio 1 Roadshow during the summer tourist season since 2002. Nissi Bay Beach Bar is very popular with locals and tourists alike, playing music throughout the day and organizing events such as foam parties catwalks with guest DJs. Water sports such as water-skiing, windsurfing and pedal boating are available. There are also two beach volleyball courts open to the public. In 2005, archaeological excavations along the western borders of the bay have revealed evidence of fire lighting equipment dating back 12,000 years indicating that the area could have been settled by the first humans on the island.

Buffavento Castle

Buffavento Castle is located in the Kyrenia mountain range, in the north of Cyprus. Its name is Italian and means, “Defier of the Winds”, reflecting that the winds at its location at 950 metres above sea level can reach quite a high velocity. The castle is irregular in shape as it makes use of the mountain itself for its defense. Since 1974 the castle is within the occupied side of the island. Buffavento stands between St. Hilarion Castle to the west and Kantara Castle to the east, all of which were built as a defense against Arab raids. As both of the other castles are visible from Buffavento, it was used to pass signals between them. It also controlled an important pass through the mountains. It was used as a prison in the 14th century. The lowest part of the castle was probably built by the Byzantines in the 11th century. The Lusignans expanded the castle in the 14th century. During the Venetian control of the island, Buffavento fell into disuse as the Venetians saw the coastal castles of Cyprus, such as Kyrenia and Famagusta, as more important.

Kantara Castle

Kantara Castle is the easternmost of the three castles situated on the Kyrenia Mountain range in the island of Cyprus. Lying at 630 metres above sea level, Kantara is well positioned to control the entrances to Karpass Peninsula and Mesaoria plain. The name Kantara is derived from the Arabic word qantara, which means "bridge". It is believed that the Byzantines built the castle in the 10th century as a lookout post against raiding Arabs. The first historical mention of the castle is in connection with Richard the Lionhearts capture of Cyprus in 1191. At that time, Isaac Comnenus, the Byzantine ruler of the island, took refuge at Kantara Castle. Later, in 1228 the Royalists so badly battered the walls that they had to be almost entirely rebuilt. Later, the nobility used the castle as a lodge when they hunted mountain goats with tame leopards. There is also a myth widely believed, that workers who were building the castle, when time came to get paid for their hard work, where thrown by the queen at the time from her rooms window. Mostly and widely believed, that this was done because queen of the castle did not have the money. Eventually, she committed suicide by jumping from the same window. St. Hilarion was supposedly visited the castle of Kantara, in order to free the castle from its queens evil spirit that villagers believed for many years that had been. Eventually St. Hilarion was said that, he explained people that there are no evil spirits in castles but evil thoughts in each peoples hearts. Also many mix this myth with St. Hilarion castle due to the man had visited and mentioned in the Kantara castle myth.

Kyrenia Gate

The Kyrenia Gate is a gate in the Nicosia walls, in North Nicosia, TRNC. It was the gate which was used for transport to the northern areas, especially Kyrenia. The gate was built in 1567 by Venetians, as a part of the new city walls. It was restored by the Ottomans in 1821, and a lookout was added to the gate for a probable Greek revolt. Now, the gate is used as a tourism information office by the Nicosia Turkish Municipality. Tablets from different periods hang on the gate. One of these is in Latin and dates from the Venetian period, featuring the date "MDLXII", when the construction of the gate began. The text in Latin was rediscovered when an inscription of the Quran placed by the Ottomans on it was removed in 1931 by the British. In the same year, "1931" and "GVRI", which is an abbreviation of "George V Rex et Imperator" ("George V, King and Emperor"), were inscribed on the gate to mark the date of the renovation and the reigning British monarch. A third inscription was placed by the Ottomans in 1821, who renovated the gate at the time, and bears the tughra of Mahmud II. The text in Arabic script reads: "O Muhammad, relay this news to those who have believed: the victory comes from Allah and its celebration is imminent. O, the opener of the gates, open gates that lead to good." The inscription was written by Sayyid Fazullah Dede, the head of the Nicosia Mevlevi Lodge, whose building is now preserved as the Mevlevi Tekke Museum.

Antiphonitis

Antiphonitis is a 12th-century domed church in Cyprus, Kyrenia District. It is reached from the network of tracks in the area of the Herbarium and Agios Amvrosios, situated with a view of the sea. First church was built here in the 7th century and soon after a monastery was built next to it. Both were rebuilt in the 12th century in Byzantine style. The dome is supported by eight pillars, four built into the walls and four free-standing. It is understood that this is the last church of this style remaining in Cyprus. Further rebuildings in Gothic style took place in the 14th 15th centuries. It has an array of frescoes on the walls and on the pillars, most of them retaining a lot of colour, and the inside of the dome is covered by a painting of Christ Pantokrator . Some of the paintings are from the 12th century, but some, including the Christ in the dome, from the 15th. Most of frescoes have been looted over the last decades.

Arab Ahmet Mosque

Arab Ahmet Mosque is situated in the western Arab Ahmet Quarter of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. It was built in the late 16th century. The Mosque is named after a commander of the 1571 Ottoman army. The mosque is the tombs of some important persons of the past in its garden. It is an example of the classical Ottoman architecture. Due to the extensive renovation required, it was renovated in 1845. It is rectangular and the only mosque in Cyprus to exhibit a typical Turkish dome. A large central dome covers the main body of the mosque and three smaller ones cover its entrance. Four more cover its corners. This mosque consists of a large hemispherical dome carried on the usual Byzantine cruciform plan with pendentives. In front of the mosque is a porch covered with three smaller domes. No moulded or carved details relieve the severe simplicity of this characteristic Turkish monument. The current structure dates from 1845. On the site of the Arab Ahmet Mosque stood a church of which a few mutilated fragments still survive scattered about the mosque enclosure, and in neighbouring houses. A lintel from a door on which a shield is carved with the bearing of two lions affronted, may be seen stuck in the ground. But the most singular survival from the ancient church consists of a small collection of 14th century gravestones. A number of fragmentary inscribed stones amongst which the most interesting contain the names of Gaspar Mavroceni of the well-known Venetian family of that name, 1402, and Hugh de Mimars, 1324. Many of these fragments are in the usual type of mediaeval Greek script. There are also two tomb-slabs of the same design, in the low relief renaissance style of Italy of the 16th century which seem never to have been completed with inscriptions or the coats of arms for which shields have been provided. These two slabs are the only ones in the collection in the relief style.

Notre Dame de Tyre

Notre Dame de Tyre is a 14th-century monastery in Nicosia, Cyprus. It is located in the Arab Ahmet quarter, in Salahi Şevket Street, formerly known as Victoria Street. The existing building is gothic in style and consists of a square nave, with a semi-octagonal apse, cross vaults an arch covering the western part, a bell tower and convent buildings to the north of the church. To the east of the nunnery buildings is the sarcophagus of Lady Dampierre, an Abbess of the nunnery. On the church floor are tombstones dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The church was reportedly damaged following its placement in the Turkish Cypriot part of the city following the 1963 division and the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. After 1963, it suffered from neglect and misuse, which put it in dire need of repair as some parts collapsed. In 2007, the UNDP began working on its preservation and restoration. The renovation was completed in 2013 and won the EU Prize For Cultural Heritage in 2015.

Panagia Apsinthiotissa

Panagia Apsinthiotissa or Absinthiotissa is a Greek Orthodox monastery located at the southern foot of the Pentadaktylos range in the Republic of Cyprus. As a result of Cyprus dispute and the invasion of the Turkish army in 1974, the site presently falls within the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Lefkoşa District. The nearest settlements are Sychari and Vouno . The monastery was known in Western medieval sources as the Abbey of Abscithi or Apinthi. The name refers to Panagia, the Orthodox name for the Virgin Mary, of Absinthe, a toponym derived from the cultivation of wormwood shrubs in the area. Sometimes the monastery is simply called Psithia, as in the Chronicle of George Boustronios. According to a local legend, the monastery was named after a wormwood bush that covered the mouth of the cave in which a monk had hidden an icon of the Virgin Mary in order to save it during the period of Byzantine Iconoclasm. Many years later, after the restoration of images, the inhabitants of the area saw a strange light shining from this point on the mountain. They found the icon and built a monastery immediately below in the name of the Virgin and the wormwood bush. The monastery was probably established in the eleventh or twelfth century as a Byzantine imperial foundation and continued to enjoy a degree of prominence in the Lusignan and Venetian periods. Leontios, the abbot in about 1222, was one of the delegates sent to report the plight of the Orthodox Church under Latin jurisdiction to the Patriarch Germanos II in the Empire of Nicaea. Neophytus, Archbishop of Cyprus, was also in Nicaea at the time, having been banished by the Latin authorities for refusing to take an oath of obedience to the Roman Pontiff. Boustronios tells us that the Queen of Cyprus worshipped at the monastery in 1486, the implication being that Panagia Apsinthiotissa was under the Roman Church. He also reports that pilgrimages were made to Apinthi and Antiphonitis on the fifteenth of August by all the people of Kyrenia. After the Ottoman conquest, the monastery became the property of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and subordinate to the nearby Monastery of Saint Chrysostom in Koutsoventis. The main church of the monastery appears to have been built in the twelfth century and has a cross-in-square plan of the Byzantine type surmounted by a high dome. The narthex, on the west side, has simple Gothic rib vaulting and probably dates to the fifteenth century. Writing in 1918, George Jeffery describes the establishment as a ruin. After the opening of checkpoints between the two parts of Cyprus in 2003, a group of Greek and Turkish architects associated with the Cyprus Civil Engineers and Architects Association and the Chamber of Cyprus Turkish Architects began listing and documenting building as a way of preserving, safeguarding and operating the religious buildings of Cyprus that were abandoned after 1974. The monastery of Panagia Apsinthiotissa is among the places documented by this bi-communal group.

Imprisoned Graves

The "Imprisoned Graves" are a set of graves in a small cemetery located in the Central Jail of Nicosia, where 13 EOKA fighters, during the 1955-1959 liberation struggle for the liberation of Cyprus from the United Kingdom, were interred. Nine of them were hanged by British executioner Harry Allen, three were killed in action and one died in hospital from wounds. The tombs were built in an area adjacent to the cells of the condemned and close to the gallows where they would be executed. The area is surrounded by tall walls and covered by glass. Having a small, private cemetery was the idea of Cyprus Governor Sir John Harding, who did not want the funerals of EOKA fighters to be turned into demonstrations against British rule. The condemned, as well as the four others who died, would be buried in the area without any relatives or a priest present. The nine men who were hanged were buried immediately following their executions. To save space, they were buried two to a grave. The nine men who are hanged on the gallows were: Michalis Karaolis executed 10 May 1956 Andreas Dimitriou executed 10 May 1956 Iakovos Patatsos executed 9 August 1956 Andreas Zakos executed 9 August 1956 Harilaos Michael executed 9 August 1956 Michail Koutsoftas executed 21 September 1956 Stelios Mavrommatis executed 21 September 1956 Andreas Panagidis executed 21 September 1956 Evagoras Pallikaridis executed 14 March 1957 The other four were: Markos Drakos Grigoris Afxentiou Stylianos Lenas Kyriakos Matsis After Cyprus gained her independence, the area became a national monument where thousands visit. A sign proclaiming "Του ανδρειωμένου ο θάνατος, θάνατος δεν λογιέται" "The brave man's death is no death at all" was put up against one of the walls. During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus battles raged around the Central Jail of Lefkosia. Vastly outnumbered, the Cypriot national guardsmen aided by corrections officers managed to fight off the Turks and keep the jail with its Imprisoned Tombs from being captured. Today, the cemetery along with the cells and the gallows function as a museum.

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