The Medieval Bellapais Abbey is located at the foot of the Beşparmak (Five Finger) Mountains to the east of Kyrenia (Girne) where it fascinates visiting tourists from all over the world with its unique gothic styled architecture and astonishing scenery. The world famous English author Lawrence Durell, who wrote his book the "Bitter Lemons" whilst living in Bellapais Village between 1953-1956, constantly...
The wonderful Golden Beach is one of the Mediterranean Sea's virgin beaches; it stretches 2 km along the Karpaz Peninsula with its clear blue water and golden sandy shoreline. All along Golden Beach you will have the captivating opportunity of walking bare footed for kilometres and refreshing yourself by taking a dive in to the cool blue...
The Besparmak Mountains stretch 160 kilometres in length, running parallel to Cyprus' northern coastline. The name “Besparmaklar” comes from the five finger-like projections of the mountain towards Kyrenia's east. There are many legends about the Besparmak Mountains. The most common one tells the story of two young men who fought a deadly duel over a girl they had both fallen in love with. The...
The Ancient City of Soli is located along the coast of Lefke. It was one of the ten Kingdoms on Cyprus, but it was deserted as a result of Arab Raids. There is a theatre as well as one of the first churches known to be built in Cyprus, the Soli Basilica, found within the Ancient City of...
The Vouni Palace, which was built in about 500 BC in order to maintain control over the city of Soli, was inhabited by the people of Soli until it was destroyed by a fire in 380 BC when it was deserted. The Palace Complex, which consists of a total of 137 rooms lining three sides of the central courtyard, is located on a high hilltop to the east of the Ancient City of...
The St. Mamas Monastery is located in Morphou (Guzelyurt), and the church within the monastery was built by the Byzantines. There are many stories about St. Mamas, but the most common one is that of a Christian Saint who lived in the Guzelyurt area. The Monastery is now being used as a...
The owner, of the two storied classical Ottoman Mansion, which was built in the 19th century, was Dervish Pasha, who was also the publisher of the 'Zaman' Newspaper which was one of the first Turkish newspapers printed in Cyprus. The mansion is located in the well preserved neighbourhood of Arabahmet within the walled city of Nicosia (Lefkosa). The mansion was opened to the public in 1988 as the...
The Bufavento Castle sits astride the Beşparmak (Five Finger) Mountains towards the east of Kyrenia (Girne) and it is the highest of the three castles, with St. Hilarion Castle to the west and Kantara Castle to the east. It was named "Bufavento, because the mount that it was built on is very windy and Bufavento literally means "defier of winds" in Latin. Looking towards the south from the castle, you...
The Hz. Ömer Tekke, dating back to the Arab Raids which took place between the 7th and 10th centuries, is one of the most important votive places for Muslims to visit in Cyprus. The Tekke is located approximately 4 km to the east of...
The horseshoe shaped historical Kyrenia (Girne) Harbour, which was built at the centre of the city, is most definitely one of the first places to visit in Kyrenia (Girne). The colourful fishing boats and yachts anchored at the harbour make the Girne Harbour a favourite attraction for locals as well tourists to visit. Up until recently the harbour was used as a centre of...