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 Shipwreck by ProfsmileyLeave a Comment Address: In Girne (Kyrenia) Castle
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St . Hilarion Castle is situated on a spectacular crag 2,400 feet above the plain. Its ancient stones contain the history of the political and religious conflicts which have raged in this region for centuries.
Originally a monastery, later the stronghold of Crusaders, Lusignans, the Holy Roman Empire, Genoese and Venetians.
Battles have been fought, won and lost here; cruel punishments administered -a microcosm of the history of piety and power, pity and cruelty.
The earliest, greatly restored, Byzantine foundations date from the 10th Century but the main structures still standing date from the 13th Century.
When we visited it was an exceptionally hot day (April) so make sue you have suitable clothing and sun protection. Strong shoes are essential for the rough steep terrain. There were no guided tours on offer so it helps to have a good guide book with you, and bottles of water. The only refreshments on offer when we were there were bottles of home made orange juice on sale in the ticket office - which we bought on the way out and later thought were responsible for dickey tummies! Leave a Comment Directions: About 6 miles south of Girne on Lefkosa road. When we were there the approach road was controlled - it was in a military area close to the YamanKislasi Camp -no stopping or photography! Things may be more relaxed now but look out for signs.
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The retired archaeologist we met in Famagusta told us we must not leave Cyprus without seeing the ancient remains of earlier civilisations at Soli and Vouni.
So we headed westwards to find Soli, the ancient city North west of Lefke. Its earliest foundations date back to the 6th Century B.C. The remains that can be seen today are mainly Roman.
Near the empty car park we found a small Ticket Office. Admission was 2, 000,000 TL. We - my husband, brother and sister in law, were the only visitors that day to the site.
There was no Guide, no lttle map to direct us to different parts of the site, which includes the remains of the ancient city; a 4th century basilica - where we found the staggeringly beautiful mosaics; further up the hillside is the the Roman amphitheatre, which seated 3,500 people. It was excavated in the 1930's and, according to our Guide Book ," over efficiently restored by a Swedish expedition".
Higher up still are the remains of Vouni , a citadel-palace.
Much of the stone from the site of the city was plundered in the 19th century to build the quays at Port Said and the Suez Canal. Our archeologist friend told us that he had last worked on the site in 1974 and no work had taken place since then because of the lack of resources to carry out the work.
A very interesting and rather sad visit to a neglected site of great historical interest and artistic beauty. Leave a Comment
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The village of Bellapais is about 4 miles up the hillside SE of Kyrenia.
The house where Lawrence Durrell lived when he wrote "Bitter Lemons " in the 1950's is up the hill away from the square. Durrell entertained other writers there including Patrick Leigh Fermor, Rose Macaulay and Freya Stark.
At the time of our visit, Durrell's former home was a holiday house and there were depressing indications that it would not be too long before the whole hillside would be carved out to make way for little holiday villas and hotels.
It is in the village square that the Tree of Idleness is to be found - our leisurely, unhurried service for coffee certainly seemed to induce a sense of idleness!
The Gothic Abbey is situated just below the village and was founded in 1206. Although much of the structure has gone the outline that remains conveys a sense of the beauty that once was here.
We returned one evening to hear a concert given by the Girl's Choir of Exeter Cathedral in the Refectory - 90ft long hall with a vaulted ceiling. The pock-marked walls of the magnificent hall puzzled us and we were horrified to learn that this was not the result of some long forgotten conflict but by the British use of the walls for rifle practice!
The audience included many ex-pats but also a surprising number of local people.
After the performance we went to the adjacent Kybele Restaurant for supper.
Another very special evening to remember. Leave a Comment
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 St Nicholas Cathedral / Lala
Mustafa Pasa Mosque by ranger49, 1 more photos
It was here in a small shabby office the elderly man who was the full time volunteer Information Officer told us, with tears in his eyes, his story.
He had worked as an archaeologist with special responsibility for the preservation of ancient sites in the care of the, then, Ministry of Works and Ancient Monuments, under the British administration. After that period ended the budget was drastically reduced and he worked in the archives department. Now retired he devotes his time to keepng the office open and tidy, and receiving the few visitors who come. He was a wealth of information and gave us the history of the 14th Century Cathedral of St Nicholas consecrated in 1326 and now the Mosque, which he encouraged us to enter. We were shown old prints of 16thC. Famagusta. He pointed out the great fig tree outside the building, believed to be of the same age. He found a couple of dusty leaflets about the excavtions at Soli other advice about what else we must see. Finally he thanked us for our visit, hoped we - and more British visitors - would come again to his beloved island.
It was a poignant moment as he stood at the door waving goodbye as we left. Leave a Comment
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There are plenty of place to visit west of Kyrenia and along the way you will pass some of the best golden sand beaches in the island. There was relatively little sea-side development 8 years ago but I have been told things are changing now.
We arrived in Guzelyurt, after a very pleasant coffee stop at an attractive small hotel restauarant in the Bay. It was obviously a popular place with off duty UN forces who we saw there having a swim in the clear blue waters.
We went first to the Market which had a real bazaar feel about it and bought some workaday leather goods - belts and shopping bags, all still in every day use. It is a sizeable town in the middle of a fruit growing area particularly citrus fruits.
We then went to a large and rather stylish restaurant nearly opposite the market for lunch. It was very good but we were embarrassed by the low cost. At that time millions of Turkish lira converted into toy money pounds sterling.
After lunch the sight-seeing. We dutifully went to see the monastery of Ayios Mamas, one of the very few examples of a Greek Orthodox church in northern Cyprus that still stands as a church, many have become mosques or put to other uses.
As we crossed the courtyard after leaving we had a view of a recently built mosque through the arch of the cloisters. There seemed then to be a harmony in the juxtaposition..... Leave a Comment
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 Inside the Girne Castle by ProfsmileyLeave a Comment Directions: By the marina (old harbour). The entrance to the castle is via a bridge built over the road that used to be a wide ditch.
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 by ranger49
When we went, eight years ago in April 1999, there were few guide books concentrating on North Cyprus and some of those were out of print.
We did read Colin Thubron's Journey Through Cyprus, Bitter Lemons by Lawrence Durrell and the Goulding's Northern Cyprus Guide in the Windrush Island Guides Series.
(Eight years on there seem to be many more guides covering the TPNC.)
Our holiday home had a mini library where we found - The Infidel Sea, Travels in North Cyprus by Oliver Burch.
This is a fascinating and absorbing book which I failed to finish on holiday so searched everywhere to find a copy when we returned home. It was out of print but I eventually found a copy via the internet and recommend anyone who likes to read about places they visit on their travels to try and get hold of a copy. Leave a Comment
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 Entrance to Kyrenia
castle by easyoar
The castle has served as a hiding place, a defence and a prison. It has never been taken forcibly, with the incumbents either starving or surrendering. The Ottomans were the last people to conquer the castle, and this was by scaring the people inside into surrendering by sending in the severed heads of the Venetian soldiers in Nicosia who did not surrender.
Inside there is a small Byzantine chapel and a ship-wreck museum (see separate tip for this). The entrance to the castle is by a bridge which has been built in more recent times and goes over what would have been the origibal moat. Leave a Comment
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 Kyrenia Harbour from the
Castle Battlements by easyoar
Kyrenia was originally founded in the 10th Centrury BC! Cyprus is an old old place and has many ruins dating well back to several thousand years old. The Castle was built by the Byzantines (who built a lot all over the island) to try and stop Arab Raiders in the 7th Century AD. Leave a Comment Address: Kyrenia waterfront!
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