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NORTHERN CYPRUS
Location - Eastern Mediterranean; Capital - Nicosia (Lefkoşa); Population - 265,000; Currency - New Turkish Lira MORE CYPRUS
A couple of buses from Troodos took me to Nicosia and I crossed the Green Line into Northern Cyprus at the Ledra Street checkpoint, before continuing to the coast at Kyrenia - April 2009.
Northern Cyprus uses the New Turkish Lira
Kyrenia is a picturesque harbour town on the north coast
Kyrenia's small harbour (Kyrenia is called Girne in Turkish)
The harbour is lined with restaurants - Kyrenia
Kyrenia harbour
Kyrenia harbour
The huge stone structure is Kyrenia Castle - Kyrenia
The minaret of Aga Cafer Paşa Cami rises over the harbour - Kyrenia
The harbour is a lovely area for an evening drink - Kyrenia
A restaurant next to the Aga Cafer Paşa Cami mosque, Kyrenia
In April an election campaign was in full swing in Northern Cyprus.
The UBP seemed to be generating all the publicity - Kyrenia
It involved a live band and lots of frantic flag waving.
Sure enough the UBP (National Unity Party) won the elections - Kyrenia
Above Kyrenia is St Hilarion Castle
St Hilarion Castle is a Crusader castle
The peak of the 3rd section of St Hilarion Castle is reached by steps, steps and more steps
Clouds cast shadows over the north coast - St Hilarion Castle
Looking through the windows of the Royal Apartments, St Hilarion Castle
The Besparmak Mountains roll down to the coast west of Kyrenia - St Hilarion Castle
The upper levels are over 700 metres above Kyrenia - St Hilarion Castle
The climb to the peak is definitely worth it for the superb views of the Besparmak Mountains, the Mediterranean, Kyrenia and the north coast. The 'field' to the right is an off-limits army base - St Hilarion Castle
My YouTube video here
Prince John's Tower, St Hilarion Castle
St Hilarion Castle
Just outside the old city walls of Famagusta is the Victory Monument
The old city as seen from Othello's Tower, Famagusta
Lala Mustafa Paşa mosque is an imposing building - Famagusta
In the 16th century the Ottoman Turks converted the Gothic style St Nicholas Cathedral to a mosque - Lala Mustafa Paşa mosque, Famagusta
Christianity and Islam combined - Lala Mustafa Paşa mosque, Famagusta
Lala Mustafa Paşa mosque, Famagusta
Lala Mustafa Paşa mosque, Famagusta
The old city, Famagusta
More campaigning by the UBP, this time at Famagusta
The Turkish flag on the left; UBP candidate (now 'Prime Minister') in the centre; Northern Cyprus flag on the right - Famagusta
More UBP flag waving - Famagusta
A shopping street within the old city, Famagusta
Famagusta is called Ammochostos in Greek and Gazimağusa in Turkish
The ancient city of Salamis, a few kms north of Famagusta, can be dated back to the 11th century BC
Much of what remains are from the Roman era - Salamis
More on Salamis here
Roman theatre, Salamis
Roman theatre, Salamis
The beach at Salamis could be decent but was strewn with rubbish when I was there
A statue of Ataturk stands in front of Kyrenia Gate and the Venetian city walls - Nicosia (Lefkoşa in Turkish)
The heart of north Nicosia is Ataturk Meydani, a square located inside the city walls - Nicosia
Tombs belonging to the sheiks of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervish sect - Mevlevi Museum, Nicosia
More on the Whirling Dervish sect here
I presume this music related somehow to the Mevlevi sect - Mevlevi Museum, Nicosia
Entering the Buyuk Han, a renovated Ottoman inn - Nicosia
Buyuk Han translates to Great Inn. A han provided accommodation for travellers in Ottoman times - Nicosia
Wikipedia on the Ottoman Empire
The inner courtyard of Buyuk Han, Nicosia
The rooms have now been converted to shops and galleries - Buyuk Han, Nicosia
Buyuk Han, Nicosia
There's also a cafe to rest weary legs - Buyuk Han, Nicosia
Shops in the old city - Nicosia
An antiques shop next to Selimiye Mosque, Nicosia
There's a couple of outdoor cafes behind Selimiye Mosque - Nicosia
Selimiye Mosque was formerly St Sophia Cathedral, completed in the 14th century - Nicosia
Playing in front of a steel partition separating north and south Nicosia
Website and content Copyright © 2008-2010 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.
LINKS
www.northcyprus.cc - North Cyprus tourist board
I am not responsible for the content of external websites.
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