THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN NORTH CYPRUS
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Miles of untouched coastline, acres of beautiful countryside, impressive mountain ranges, And the rest... |
What the press say about North Cyprus
Kyrenia Harbour... must be one of the most beautiful sights in the world
Mail on Sunday 'You' Magazine
..softer beaches and more impressive monuments than any in the South
The Financial Times
...the North is the best of Cyprus, their stretch of coastline is beautiful...
The Sunday Express
Northern Cyprus was as good as we'd been told; miles of untainted beaches lapped by clear blue water, superb weather, cheap prices. From the moment we landed... ...we were overwhelmed by hospitality. It was as if we and the Turkish Cypriots were old friends who'd been long parted
Mail on Sunday 'You' Magazine
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THINGS TO SEE
There are a great many places of interest in North Cyprus, particularly for those who
wish to experience a culture that hasn't been completely enveloped by tourism, or for
those wishing to emerse themselves in the rich history of the island
Kyrenia Harbour
In its heyday Kyrenia harbour was lined with warehouses in which were stored the fruits of the countryside whilst they awaited export. The harbour is currently used largely for pleasure craft, and the buildings are now mostly all restaurants, with outdoor tables along the water. A larger harbour is located a few miles east of the town centre, used by commercial shipping and ferries from the Turkish mainland. There are many cafes and bars and the colourful boats along the harbour make a picturesque scene
Turtle Beach (Algadi Beach)
Turtle beach hosts some of the most important turtle nesting beaches in the Mediterranean. Both species of turtle that
nest in Northern Cyprus (North Atlantic and Green) are endangered species and nest on Alagadi Beach. You can see the
turtles hatching and going out to the sea from August through to September.
Kyrenia Mountains (5 Finger Mountains)
The Kyrenia Mountains, known as the Five Finger Mountains, run for 120km parallel to the North Cyprus coastline. At the
highest point they are 1024 metres above sea level. The scenery from up there is breath taking, both to the South and
to the south. A dirt track running almost the entire length of the ridge still exists from the time of British
occupation. If you plan on driving it, a 4X4 will be necessary
THE CASTLES OF KYRENIA
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Outside the town, on the Kyrenia Mountain Range, you can see the Buffavento Castle, St. Hilarion Castle and Kantara Castle.
The historical Crusader castles of St Hilarion, Buffavento, Kyrenia, Kantara and the Lousignon abbey of Bellapais
perch on three of the Kyrenia mountain peaks and offer views reaching far across the land and sea on a clear day
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Kyrenia Castle
The castle at the east end of the old harbour is a very spectacular site and within its walls there is a twelfth century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals. The main features of the exterior of the castle are the huge round towers built by the Venetians in 1540 AD. This was a period of history when gunpowder, cannons and the use of artillery were being developed for the first time in military operations. The Old Crusader Castle was changed and huge high walls with round towers at the corners were built. A round tower is more difficult to destroy with cannon fire than a square tower, and so a new type of military warfare arose in the 16th century. The Venetians built many gun ports at three levels where cannon fire could be directed against attackers from the land. This proves that the Venetians were afraid of an attack from the Cypriots and not from the sea. Inside the castle, huge long ramps were built so that the artillery could be rolled up to the gun ports on the walls. The Old Crusader walls and towers were strengthened and improved so that the whole castle was carefully planned to meet a landward attack. However, this was all in vain as a major siege never occurred.
The Arkhangelos Church Icon Museum near the historical old harbour was built in 1860 and is well worth a visit.
The tower that was added after the church was built is a sign point that can be seen from every part of Girne.
Here is a museum that shows the many splendid icons that were collected from Girne and its environs
Buffavento Castle
During the Lusignan rule, Buffavento Castle was a prison and called 'Chateau du Lion', where the despot Byzantine king of the island, Isaac Comnenus, is said to have fled after Richard the Lion Heart conquered Cyprus in 1191
St. Hilarion Castle
The mountaintop castle of St. Hilarion dominates the town of Kyrenia and is visible for many miles along the coast. Historical records show that the castle was originally a monastery, founded about 800 when a monk by the name of Hilarion chose the site for his hermitage. Later, perhaps in 1100 AD, the monastery was changed into a castle
Kantara Castle
The eastern most of the three castles is Kantara castle, and like the other two castles, was thought to have been constructed by the Byzantines following the Arab raids on the island. Sources only make mention of the castle in the year 1191, when Richard Lion-Heart captured the island
Shipwreck museum
The inner courtyard of the castle is vast and in one of the rooms leading off it is the Shipwreck Museum, exhibiting the remains of a 4th-century Greek ship, discovered by Andreas Kariolou, a Greek-Cypriot diver, and studied by Michael Katsev of the University Museum of Pennsylvania, in 1967, salvaged not far from Kyrenia together with its cargo. The Kyrenia ship as it is called, was extensively covered by the National Geographic Society.
Karpaz
There are miles of sandy beaches in the Karpaz region 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 Karpas. There are rural traditional Cypriot villages where the land is agricultural and the majority of the villages live off the land
Bellapais Abbey
Bellapais Abbey (derives from the French "abbaye de la paix" which means the Peace Monastery) in the Northern village of Bellapais in Cyprus. The initial building was constructed between 1198-1205. The main building as it can be seen today was built during the 13th century A.D. by the Franks (French) monks of St. Augustine order, and specifically during the rule of King Hugh III 1267-1284. The pavilions around the courtyard and the refectory were constructed during the rule of King Hugh IV between 1324-1359. You can also see the Ancient Greek Orthodox Church of Mother Mary White Dressed.
Salamis Ruins
8 kilometres north of Famagusta are the spectacular Salamis ruins. The ancient city of salamis was constructed by tribes
who moved to Cyprus from Anatolia and Greece towards the end of the bronze age. The city was severely damaged during the
earthquakes of 76 and 77 BC. Constantine rebuilt the city in the 5th century AD and the city regained the title of
capital city once again. After the Arab raids and more earthquakes in the 8th century AD the city was completely deserted.
The breathtakingly beautiful ruins of Salamis that can still be seen today include the surrounding walls, the port, the gymnasium,
the theatre, the Roman baths and the villa, the furom, St Epiphanius and Basilica, the Agora and the olympic Zeus chapel
THINGS TO DO
For people of a more active nature, there are also many things to do whilst staying in North Cyprus.
These include but are not limited to such activities as wind-surfing, golf, scuba diving,
and all the other usual water sports. There are also numerous shops, restaurants, bars and casinos
North Cyprus Bars And Restaurants
For info on North Cypruses many bars and restaurants click here
Nightclubs and casinos
The nightclubs and casinos are situated on the coast road and in Kyrenia town
Esentepe Golf Country Club
The newly built "Korinium" is an 18 hole, international golf course. It's 7,000 metres in length and is set amongst the natural backdrop of
the mediterranean and the Kyrenian mountain range.
The course boasts 3 training holes and a 30 bay driving range and a clubhouse with a 200 seat restaurant.
Golf lessons are also available, as are golf carts for getting about the course
Amphora Scuba Diving Centre
Situated at Escape beach, the Amphora scuba diving centre offers various diving sessions and courses including wreck diving,
night diving, a beginners course and a deep diving course. You'll see a wide variety of marine life around Eastern Cyprus,
such as moray eels, bream, grouper, wrasse, red mullet, soldier fish,
fan worms and spirographs - you might also come across ancient stone anchors and amphora's dating back to 400 BC
Shopping
There are plenty of places to shop in North Cyprus. Nicosia is the main shopping place,
but Kyrenia also offers a host of shopping options
The main place to shop in Kyrenia is a series of twisting streets just behind the old harbour.
The high street starts by the statue of the white dove. From that point on you will find grocers,
jewellers and fine boutiques. You will also find high street fashions and the speciality of Kyrenia; fake designer clothing.
Kyrenia open market, held on Wednesdays is also very popular, selling fresh produce, clothing and pretty much everything
else you could image
Shops in Kyrenia are open from 8:00am to 6:00pm and most are closed on Sundays.
Most of the shops accept credit cards, GBP, USD, and Euro but it can sometimes be better to exchange your
money into Turkish Lira
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EXPLORE
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