Cyprus
The Republic of Cyprus
&
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
&
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Dec 23rd - 29th, 2024
This is my blog post about six wonderful days in Cyprus, which became my 114th country. Rosie and I flew direct from Munich to Larnaca, which is a three hour flight. We rented our own car, which is something you definitely need, if you want to see more than just the beach and your resort. Owing to the fact that the island was under de-facto British administration from 1878 until WWI, they drive on the left hand side of the road. We stayed at the beautiful Parkland Resort in Limassol. Here is a view from our hotel balcony. The swimming pools were closed however in winter.
Located on the south coast, Limassol is the fourth largest city in Cyprus and one of the main tourist areas on the island. December is low season for Cyprus, since it is a bit too cold for a beach holiday, but a wonderful time for hiking and exploring the many historical sites in the country. We started our first day at the famous Rock of Aphrodite, which is the mythical place where Aphrodite emerged from the waves.
The cult of Aphrodite, who is the Greek goddess of love, beauty and fertility, dates back to the bronze age (2000 BC) and is one of the most ancient and significant religious traditions on Cyprus.
From here we drove further west, because we had heard that there is a salt lake, where we might see flamingos. What we didn't expect however, was the fact that this drive would take us into the UK. We suddenly saw a border on the GPS map, which said United Kingdom. There is no actual border to cross, but it turns out that there are two enclaves on Cyprus, which remain UK territory and are the site of large UK military bases. So here is Rosie in the UK (without even having a UK visa).
We did see some pinkish dots in the very far distance on the lake, which we could only make out as birds with my telephoto lens. But we would be seeing them a lot closer at the end of our trip.
Throughout its history Cyprus was ruled and conquered by many different kingdoms and empires. One of those, that left many monuments, was the rule by the Franks. Cyprus was captured by Richard I of England (Richard Lionheart) during the 3rd Crusade in 1191. He sold it to the Knights Templar, who soon afterwards sold it to Guy de Lusignan. The Frankish Lusignan dynasty held the island until 1473 (when it fell under the control of Venice). During this period of almost three centuries the Franks built many impressive castles and strongholds, as well as beautiful Gothic churches and monasteries. The 15th century Kolossi Castle, just outside of Limassol, is an impressive example of this.
The Troodos Mountains are the largest mountain range on the island reaching a high of almost 2000 meters. They are dotted with small villages and vineyards. Driving can be a bit challenging in these winding mountain roads, and at one stage Google maps let us astray, which nearly got us stuck in a tiny village with roads only a few centimeters wider than the car.
This impressive modern building is the restaurant of one of the many vineyards. Unfortunately we could only see it from the outside, since there was a wedding going on, when we arrived.
The main reason, however, we visited the mountains, is the fact that they are the site of one of the three UNESCO world heritage sites in Cyprus. The "Painted Churches of the Troodos Mountains" are a collection of 10 small Byzantine churches, which were awarded the UNESCO world heritage dedication in 1985. These churches are remarkable due to their rich and colorful murals ranging from the 11th to the 15th century.
The 10 churches are distributed widely across the region, but we were able to visit several of them. Most of them are not particularly remarkable from the outside, as they are mostly small rural churches in simple buildings. But that makes their incredibly rich and colorful interiors even more overwhelming and surprising. Most of them have every inch of wall and ceiling space painted in beautiful murals.
The next day we drove to the west coast to do some hiking. One of the most recommended short hikes on the island is the Avakas Gorge hike, which certainly did not disappoint.
You have to drive along a slightly adventurous unpaved road to reach the trail head car park. The hike initially takes you besides a small brook meandering through a wide valley, which gets narrower and narrower, until you are scrambling through the water inside a beautiful and impressive canyon with steep overhanging rock walls on either side.
Another UNESCO world heritage site in Cyprus is the city of Paphos. Located at the south-west coast, Paphos is the third largest city in Cyprus. A major part of the world heritage dedication is the Paphos Archeological Park, which contains the Greek and Roman remains of the city, much of which is still under excavation. We visited the main excavated area, which contains the remains of several large Roman villas including many incredible mosaics. These floors are considered among the finest and best preserved Roman mosaics in the Mediterranean.
The park also features the Odeon, a small but well-preserved Roman theater, and a large Agora.
The so-called Asklepion, was a healing sanctuary dedicated to the god of medicine, Asclepius.
Located near the archeological park along the coast you can find the small but well fortified Paphos Castle, which was originally a Byzantine stronghold, that was further fortified by the Franks in the 13th century.
On our way back we stopped over at the Old Town of Limassol, which is the medieval heart of the city. The narrow streets are full of restaurants, bars and cafés, which are probably swarming with tourists in summer. On a rainy day during the Christmas holidays it was a rather quiet place. The Agia Napa Cathedral was built in the early 20th century and is the main Orthodox church in the city.
The next day we did a fascinating day trip to Northern Cyprus, also known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is a territory only recognized as an independent country by Turkey. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, causing a split of the island, which has now lasted for 50 years. Following the invasion most Greek Cypriots were either evicted or fled to the South, while the majority of Turkish Cypriots in the South relocated to the North. A buffer zone, controlled by the United Nations, separates the two parts of Cyprus. You need a passport to cross the two border checks, but the process is fairly quick and straightforward. Most rental car companies do not allow you to drive across the border, so we left our car in Nicosia, crossed the border by foot and met our guide on the other side.
Our first stop on the tour were the beautiful ruins of Bellapais Abbey, located on the hillside along the Northern Coast. The abbey was built in the 13th century when Cyprus was under the control of the Frankish Crusaders.
Kyrenia is an ancient harbor town on the island's north coast. The town was probably founded by Greek settlers after the Trojan War around 1,300 BC.
Kyrenia Castle is the largest fortification in Cyrpus. It was initially built by the Frankish Crusaders and later expanded by the Venetians in the 16th century. We could only see if from the outside though, since it was closed for the holidays.
We continued our drive towards the east coast, where our first stop were the ruins of Salamis. Founded around the 11th century BC, Salamis was originally an important Greek port, and later became the capital and largest city of Roman Cyprus, after the Roman Empire annexed the island in 58 BC. The very impressive ruins that can be visited today are mostly of Roman origin and include a gymnasium and baths, huge columns, mosaics and the remnants of an elaborate heating system. Only a small part of this expansive Roman city has been uncovered so far, since all archeological excavations were halted in 1974 following the Turkish invasion.
Salamis thrived until the 4th century CE, when a series of earthquakes as well as Arab raids caused its decline. The amphitheater, originally built in the 2nd century AD, could seat 15,000 spectators and was used for gladiatorial games, theatrical performances, and public events.
Driving through Northern Cyprus you come across several large and modern mosques. Our guide told us that these were all donated and built by Saudi Arabia, but they are mostly attended by foreign workers and students. Although almost all of the Cypriot population in the North is Muslim, they don't seem to be particularly religious.
The walled city of Famagusta, located on the eastern coast of Cyprus, is surrounded by imposing city walls, which were built by the Venetians in the 15th and 16th centuries. Reaching its peak in the 14th century under the Frankish rule, Famagusta was once an important stop for merchants traveling between Europe and the Middle, and became one of the wealthiest cities in the Mediterranean.
The city still boasts many historical buildings, like the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, formerly St. Nicholas Cathedral, which is an outstanding example of Gothic architecture in Cyprus. Originally built in the 14th century, the cathedral was converted into a mosque after the Ottomans conquered the city in 1571, following a lengthy siege against the Venetians.
One of the weirdest places to visit in Cyprus, is the abandoned city of Varosha, which is the southern quarter of Famagusta. This was once a thriving resort town, full of large hotels and modern beach apartments, and the number one tourist area in Cyprus in the 1960s and early 70s. Following the Turkish invasion of 1974, the entire area of 15 square kilometers was completely abandoned and has remained a ghost town ever since. The area remained completely sealed off until 2017, when the government opened parts of the city to visitors.
All of these hotels and apartment buildings along the beautiful sand beach have been empty and abandoned for 50 years.
On the way back from Northern Cyprus we just had enough time to visit the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, which has a very impressive archeological collection of Neolithic, Greek and Roman artifacts, including this amazing bronze sculpture of Septimius Severus, Roman Emperor from 193 – 211 AD.
After another day exploring the Troodos mountains, we had to say good bye to Crypus. On our way to the airport the next morning, we stopped at one more place to see something you would not expect to see in Europe in winter - flamingos.
Cyprus has several shallow saltwater lakes along its southern shores. The flamingos come here during the winter months to refuel on shrimp, before heading back to the their breeding grounds in Africa and the Middle East.
We left Cyprus on a direct flight from Larnaca to Cairo, to continue our trip in Egpyt.
No comments:
Post a Comment