Famagusta Off The Beaten Path

Maras (also known as Varosia) is Famagusta's the forbidden city - a city within a city, uninhabited, abandoned, deserted, closed off to people, locals and visitors alike. Once upon a time in this area of town there was a thriving and wealthy Greek community - then in 1974 before the advancing Turkish Army they fled to the south and never returned.

I'm not sure this is the real story behind it... the area is sealed off with barbed wire, photography is not allowed and its streets cannot be walked, but you can stand by the "allowed" side of the fence and look into it. We saw houses with plates and glasses seen on the tables, and an old battered suitcase left on a window, as if someone was leaving in a hurry and had decided carrying his/her own suitcase would have slowed their escape.

Maras has left me puzzled. We did not see anyone near the area, except a few children from a nearby house, an old man and three UN vehicles. Despite begin a safe place, I felt very much uncomfortable and was longing to get away from it... something in the recent present went awfully wrong there, and I have the feeling that the stories told, by both sides, are hiding something... something I may not want to know.

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Incirli Cave is in the small village of Cinarli. The cave gets its name from the fig tree that stands outside the entrance to the cave itself (Fig means "incir" in Turkish).

Incirli Cave is a natural formed cave and is one of the largest caves on the island. The cave is 100 metre long and 10-15 metre wide passage down which contains an amazing collection of stalactites. After successful efforts of the administrator of Cinarli Village, the cave was prepared and opened to the public in 1995.

You can get to the Incirli cave by taking the road north from the village of Gecitkale. Watch out for the signs leading to the cave and Cinarli Village.

The cave is open on Sundays as well as weekdays and requires a small entrance fee.

Please call Mustafa prior to your visit. He is responsible for access to the cave.

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It's worth spending a while poking about, because there are several interesting chunks of masonry dotted about the place, including a marble ?graveslab? which is propped on two small (possible ancient Roman) pillars. I couldn't read the inscription, as it is in Greek. I would not b surprised if some of the marble stonework came from ancient Salamis.

And if you look into the buildings adjoining the cathedral (used as storage areas) you'll see a wonderful wooden bier. I wonder if it's still used for funeral processions?

The building itself still has the remnants of some lovely Gothic carving.....much of that on the cathedral has been eroded away, or removed.

It's always worth poking about....you never know what you'll find! :-)

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As ever, there are bits and pieces of interest to seek out, easily missed when looking at the grand scale.........

..........a store of unused cannonballs.......

......a beautifully carved shield, presumably Venetian.......

.......another carved shield, half destroyed........

.......such skilful arches in the roof, with a stone boss holding all in place.........

I'm sure there is more, if you take time to seek it out.