Cities of Northern Cyprus

Cyprus – Discover one of the most beautiful medieval islands.

For people who have made the island their home, Cyprus is the 8th wonder of the world. The southern and northern parts are beautiful in their own way. Let us discuss its northern part, Northern Cyprus and its cities. From year to year, people are attracted by sunny beaches, virgin nature, beautiful mountains and many attractions. Visiting the monuments of antiquity, thoughts come to mind that people lived here thousands of years ago. There were cities with their own hustle and bustle. People smiled, laughed, planned their future and created families. Imagine, they also dreamed of something that we do today… North Cyprus cities are a great story of the past! By the way, it’s a little funny that they all have double names.

North Cyprus Cities

• Nicosia (Greek: Λευκωσία – Lefkosia; Lefkoşa – Lefkoşa)
• Kyrenia (Greek: Κερύνεια / Turkish. Girne)
• Famagusta (Αμμόχωστος, Turkish – Magusa or Gazimagusa, Turkish. Gazimağusa)
• Guzelyurt (Turkish: Guzelyurt; Güzelyurt)
• Iskele (Greek: Τρίκωμο and Iskele in Turkish: İskele)
• Lefke (Turkish: Lefke; Lefke, Greek: Λεύκα)
• Karpas (Greek: Καρπασία, Turkish: Καρπασ� Karpaz) is a peninsula in the northern part of the island of Cyprus

Nicosia

Nicosia is the capital of Northern Cyprus, it is located in in the very center of the island. Part of the city belongs to Southern Cyprus and the other is the TRNC. The date of the foundation of the city has more than 2,500 years of history. Important places to see in Nicosia:

• Arap Ahmet Mosque
• Bedesten
• Büyük Han
• Dervish Pasha Mansion
• Kyrenia Gate
• Mevlevi Museum

Arap Ahmet Mosque. Мечеть была построена в 1845 году на руинах церкви Лузиньян и получила свое название от этого района. Интерьер мечети вымощен мрамором эпохи Лузиньянов и Венеции. Говорят также, что под каменным полом мечети находятся надгробия XIV века. Poor. During the Turkish period, this place was a market for fabric merchants. Now it is two small Latin (Catholic) churches, built side by side. The most important feature of the covered bazaar is that the door in the northern part is a smaller copy of the arched entrance to Hagia Sophia (İstanbul, Türkiye). Büyük Han is located on several streets west of the Selimiye Mosque. In 1570, as soon as Muzaffer Pasha took Nicosia, he immediately ordered its construction of a mosque in 1572. In the center of the inn is a fountain. Live music at noon and in the evenings on some days is another attraction that attracts visitors to this hotel.

Architecture of Büyük Han

The hotel has 2 floors and has a rectangular shape. The dimensions are 50.67 m by 45.25 m. The large courtyard is surrounded by rooms with columns. There are 68 rooms on the floors. In the past, the ground floor was mainly occupied by merchants. And the rooms upstairs were rented out. The entrance to the tavern is through the gates from the east and west. The main gate is on the east side and overlooks Asmaalti Square.

Interestingly, after the establishment of a British colony in Cyprus in 1878, the hotel was converted into a prison. It was the central prison of Nicosia in the period until 1903.

Dervish Pasha Mansion

It was built in the early 19th century and preserves Characteristic features of Turkish architecture of that period. A mansion belonging to Dervish Pasha, who published “Zaman”. It is the first Turkish newspaper in Cyprus. Subsequently, it was restored and renamed the Ethnographic Museum.

Kyrenia Gate

Or, in other words, the Girn Gate, built by the Venetians in 1567, is one of the 3 gates of the old walls. They surround the city and provide the entrance to Nicosia. Interestingly, there are inscriptions from the Venetian and Ottoman periods on the walls of the gate.

Mevlevi Museum

The building was built at the end of the XVI century after Cyprus became part of the Ottoman Empire. Lala Mustafa Pasha, Arab Ahmet Pasha, the first qadi and the mufti of the island were members of the Mevlevi Order. Until 1920, when Turkish President Atatürk banned religious lodges, there was a place for religious meetings of members of this order – the Abode of the Dancing Dervishes. Inside are the graves of 16 Mevlevi sheikhs. The last sheikh, the head of the order, died in 1954. Currently, the building houses an ethnographic museum.

Kyrenia

Kyrenia is located on the northern shore of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is an ideal resort town with 6000 years of history. On the shore of Kyrenia there is a harbor, right at the foot of the castle, which contains the remains of an ancient ship. As well as a museum of folk, decorative and pictorial art. To the south of Kyrenia are the Beşparmak Mountains.

Girne is 26 km from Nicosia (the capital of the TRNC). And also, 47 km from Guzelyurt and 80 km from Famagusta. Kyrenia is a destination for those arriving in the TRNC by sea. If you want to get to Kyrenia by sea, then you have to leave from Alanya and Taşuku, or Mersin in Turkey.

Sights of Kyrenia

• Kyrenia Castle
• Castle of St. Hilarion
• Buffavento Castle
• Bellapais Abbey

ToIrenija Castle was built in the 7th century AD against intense Arab raids. The castle, which was rebuilt by the Lusignans during the Crusaders, was fortified against the Ottomans, who raided Cyprus as well. The castle was constantly changing hands, probably only the Chinese or Japanese did not own it. As a result, it was captured by the English king Richard the Lionheart. After that, in the XIII century, the castle was almost completely rebuilt. The Castle of St. Hilarion is the ancient residence of the Cypriot kings. I think that the most picturesque of the Kyrenia mountain castles is the city, right in the palm of your hand! Buffavento Castle is located on mountain ranges. By the way, there are also other fortresses of the Middle Ages: Kantara and St. Hilarion. They were built around the VII-VIII centuries to ensure the protection of the island from Arab raids. Bellapais Abbey. The monastery was built by Augustinian monks in 1025 and was enlarged and completed between 1265 and 1284 during the reign of King Hugh III of France.

From the editors…

The island is so beautiful that you can talk about it and talk about it… So, we will tell you about Guzelyurt, Lefke and other cities. Wait for new articles 🙂
Now you can follow the links and see real estate in Northern Cyprus. Good viewing to you!

North Cyprus Real Estate

Source: Veles Enterprises Article prepared by: Valerii Veles

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