Continuing westwards from Kyrenia, pass the turning to the left signposted Alsancak, soon on the right there is a sign for the Mare Monte Hotel. At present this hotel is closed and undergoing restoration, however the drive to the hotel […]
Church of St. George of the Greeks | Famagusta Built beside the small Byzantine church of St Symeon, the church of St. George was the Orthodox Cathedral. An elegant mix of Gothic and Byzantine styles it was intended to rival […]
Icon Museum | Kyrenia At the western end of the harbour is the church of the Archangel Michael. Dating from the end of the 19th C, it was constructed on an eminence upon which one of the original towers of […]
The Nazar, also called the “Evil Eye” Used by many religions and cultures throughout the world, and a potent symbol against evil from pagan times, is the Nazar. It is used in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and has […]
The Great Inn (Buyuk Han) | Nicosia This Great Inn is the most important Ottoman structure on the whole of the island. Construction began in 1572 under the guidance of Mustafa Pasha who was the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus […]
The partially excavated site of the ancient city of Salamis, has fascinated archaeologists for hundreds of years and it is the most important archaeological site on the whole of Cyprus. Nestling on the shoreline of Famagusta Bay, the remains of […]
This was the second of the two main entrances to the city during medieval times, giving access to travellers from the harbour. The sea gate we see today was constructed by the Venetians and was built by Nicolo Prioli in […]
Kyrenia Castle | Kyrenia The history of Kyrenia castle, shares its origin with the mountain castles and was built by the Byzantines for the same defensive reasons, to repel the Arab raiders of the 7th C. It is possible that […]
The Land Gate and Ravelin | Famagusta The land gate is probably as old a building within the city as the citadel, though the current bridge and gateway entrance are relatively modern. The road now passes through one of the […]
Very close to the Epiphanios basilica is the cathedral-like cistern that provided water for the entire city. The water was transported through an aquaduct that was 45 miles long from a spring in the Kyrenia mountain range. Of the aquaduct, […]