North Cyprus History

26 October, 2009
Bath houses

Bath House Complex

Adjacent to the ticket office, the bath houses are the most visited part of the site. There is the central gymnasium or exercise ground that is surrounded by marble columns. These columns were not originally part of the gymnasium and […]
22 November, 2009
religion

Religion

The religion of North Cyprus is predominantly Muslim though the Turkish Cypriots are not particularly zealous in the pursuit of their religion. There are very few covered women here and those that are will usually be from Turkey. On an […]
25 October, 2009

Church of the Franciscans

On the north side of the palace lie the remains of the Franciscan church dating from early to mid 13th Century. There is little left intact, but it is an interesting example of ecclesiastical architecture. There is a very old, […]
26 October, 2009

Ayios Epiphanios Basilica

Ayios Epiphanios Basilica There is tarmac road leading from the rear of the theatre that forks left and right. Take the left fork and follow the road passing a villa with visible bath and furnace area on the left, until […]
25 October, 2009

The Mevlevi Tekke (Whirling Dervish Museum)

The Mevlevi Tekke (Whirling Dervish Museum) | Nicosia Entering the city through the Girne Kapisi (Kyrenia Gate), the Mevlevi tekke museum is fifty metres on the left. A tekke is a religious base, and this 17th C building was the […]
25 October, 2009

Yeni Erenkoy

Yeni Erenkoy | Karpaz In Turkish, the word Yeni means new, so this village is New Erenkoy. Once the centre of the thriving and lucrative tobacco industry, it has been administered since 1974 by Turkish Cypriots from Erenkoy (Kokkina) the […]
25 October, 2009

Aphendrika

Aphendrika | Karpaz Clearly signposted, and about four miles from Ayios Philon along the coast road eastwards, is the group of three churches collectively called Aphendrika. This was the site of a major city in the 2nd C BC, rock cut […]
25 October, 2009

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Cathedral of St. Nicholas)

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Cathedral of St. Nicholas) The most impressive edifice in Famagusta, if not the whole of Cyprus, is the beautiful gothic Catholic Cathedral built during the Lusignan period and dedicated to St. Nicholas. Constructed in the 14th […]
25 October, 2009

Church of St. George of the Greeks

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 […]
25 October, 2009

Othello’s Tower

The fortress that guards the harbour and is now called Othello’s Tower, was built during the Lusignan period in the 14th C, and it may well have been a residence for members of the royal family or their entourage during […]