North Cyprus History

25 October, 2009

The Land Gate and Ravelin

The Land Gate and Ravelin | Famagusta The land gate is probably as old a building within the city as the citadel, though the current bridge and gateway entrance are relatively modern. The road now passes through one of the […]
25 October, 2009

The Martinengo Bastion

The Martinengo Bastion | Famagusta Situated on the north west corner of the city this bastion is diamond shaped and was considered by the Ottoman forces to be impregnable. It is constructed on top of solid rock and maybe for […]
22 November, 2009
religion

Religion

The religion of North Cyprus is predominantly Muslim though the Turkish Cypriots are not particularly zealous in the pursuit of their religion. There are very few covered women here and those that are will usually be from Turkey. On an […]
25 October, 2009

Famagusta

Famagusta | North Cyprus Originally called Ammochostos (hidden in the sand), the town’s origin dates from about 275BC when it was settled by people from Egypt. The population increased and the port was established as the harbour of Salamis silted […]
22 November, 2009
Herbarium

Alevkaya Herbarium

The most picturesque route for driving to the Alevkaya area is the road that turns to the left from Kyrenia to Famagusta mountain road at the Five Finger mountain pass. Alternatively it can be accessed from the north coast road […]
25 October, 2009

Church of the Franciscans

On the north side of the palace lie the remains of the Franciscan church dating from early to mid 13th Century. There is little left intact, but it is an interesting example of ecclesiastical architecture. There is a very old, […]
5 November, 2009
turkish language

Turkish Language

Turkish is spoken by over 63 million people worldwide, and originates from Ottoman Turkish, which dates back nearly 1,200 years. The Ottoman Turkish language was based mainly on Arabic and Persian, but was replaced under one of Ataturk’s reforms in 1928, […]
25 October, 2009

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Cathedral of St. Nicholas)

Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Cathedral of St. Nicholas) The most impressive edifice in Famagusta, if not the whole of Cyprus, is the beautiful gothic Catholic Cathedral built during the Lusignan period and dedicated to St. Nicholas. Constructed in the 14th […]
26 October, 2009

The Royal Tombs

The Royal Tombs | Famagusta  In order to get to the Royal Tombs it is necessary to leave the main site of Salamis, take the road that is signposted to St. Barnabas, and the tombs will be seen on the […]
25 October, 2009

St. Barnabas – Patron Saint of Cyprus

Standing on a slight rise and overlooking the huge necropolis of Salamis is the twin- domed church dedicated to St. Barnabas, patron saint of Cyprus. This church, now used as an icon museum with the ancillary monks’ cells housing an […]