Mariandy

Cypriot Folk Traditional Dancing

by greekcypriot

When you visit the island be sure to go to a Cypriot Tavern with live music.
You will have the chance to see how Cypriots dance their Folk Traditional Dances.

Men's Dances
Dancers perform opposite one another, usually within their own limited space, but sometimes changing place with their partner. The position and movement of the arms, normally held out at the sides, are quite distinctive.

Women's Dances
Women are restrained and grave when dancing. Many dance almost without moving from one spot, on a single piece of marble, each marking out a square explicitly her own. The arms assume various positions. First one and then both hands are held against the "koxan", the hip, the free one hanging down or being gently flourished at shoulder height.

There are the villages of...

by cheekymarieh

There are the villages of Pano Lefkara and Kato Lefkara.
There are blue and white houses with red roofs on a hillside surrounded by manadarin,almond, lemon, apricot, olive and fig trees.

The fame of Lefkara comes from the women of the village who produce handmade lace (you will see it sold allover the island but you will never be sure if it is the genuine article).

The fame comes from the fact that Leonardo Da Vinci purchased Lefkara lace in 1481 to decorate the cathedral in Milan. The art of lace making has been passed on down through the generations. You will see the women sitting in the streets making their lace. There is now a huge range of linen available. They will tell you which designs can be found in the cathedral Also available in the villages are handmade gold and silver jewellery and loukoumi (don’t what ever you do refer to it as Turkish Delight in their presence.

Watch out for the sales techniques of the women. Be prepared to haggle quite a lot. For those of you have seen Last Of The Summer Wine – the women are just like Aunty Wainright when it comes to selling their wares.

My Russian friend managed to escape their clutches by telling them he was a Japanese tourist who didn’t speak English!

The tomb of Hala Tekke

by globetrott

There are several interesting tombs inside the Hala Tekke Mosque, but the most important is the tomb of Hala Sultan, who was the aunt of the Prophet Mohammed :
In a sideroom of the mosque there is her sarcophag behind a green green curtain and an iron-fence, you can see it in my first 2 photos here.
The other pics are showing some other tombs that are inside the mosque, close to the tomb of Hala Sultan.

The Djami Kebir Mosque

by globetrott

The Djami Kebir Mosque
Buyuk Cami or Cami Kebir all of these names are for the same mosque, in the very centre of Larnaca, opposite of the medieval fort and not very far from the Lazarus-church. This mosque is an active mosque and so I did not go inside, I also read in other tips on VT,that the interior is quite simple.
This mosque dates back to the 16th century and once it used to be a christian church. In November 2010 it was under restauration.
In front of the mosque there are some interesting tomb-stones, see them in my last 2 photos.

My home..

by el81

"Not as hectic but still great"

Not the most popular of tourist destinations, but give it a chance, and Larnaka just might surprise you.

Ok, so I might be biased as Larnaca is in fact my home town, but honestly, after visiting the hustle and bustle of other resort towns in Cyprus, there's nothing better than relaxing on Finikoudes ('Little Palms' when translated) seafront promenade with a frappe or a hot coffee while watching the world go by.

I can't recommend the Finikoudes area enough - it's basically a long strip sandwiched between the modern marina and the old fort, with bars, clubs and cafes filled on early evenings with people. The palm trees that line this strip are stunning, and seem to dwarf the towering apartment blocks that are being built.

And unlike other coastal resorts, Larnaca has not been hit with the cheesy tourism bug that's infected other places. Really, neon signs are just SO Cocktail.