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WhatsOnInTRNC.com - TERMS OF USE 1. An important message. PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE ("Terms", "Terms of Use", or "Agreement") CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SITE, AS THEY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WAIVERS OF RIGHTS, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, AND YOUR INDEMNITY TO US. THIS AGREEMENT REQUIRES THE USE OF ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES, RATHER THAN COURTS OR JURY TRIALS, AND LIMITS THE REMEDIES AVAILABLE IN THE EVENT OF A DISPUTE. ​ These Terms of Use describe the terms and conditions that govern your use of the current and future online and mobile websites, platforms, services, applications, and networks owned or operated by WhatsOnInTRNC Ltd ("we", "us", "our"), and/or for which we currently, or in the future provides services and/or technology (the "Site" or "Sites"). You accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use when you use any of the Sites, without limitation, when you view or access content or videos on any of the Sites. ​ (A) Governing Terms. These Terms of Use, along with any additional terms and conditions that are referenced herein or that are presented elsewhere on the Site in relation to a specific service or feature and our Privacy Policy, set forth the terms and conditions that apply to your use of the Site. By using the Site, you agree to comply with all of the terms and conditions hereof. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, you should not access or use the Site. ​ (B) Changes to Terms of Use. We may modify the Terms of Use, or any part thereof, or add or remove terms at any time, and such modifications, additions or deletions will be effective immediately upon posting. Your use of the Site after such posting shall be deemed to constitute acceptance by you of such modifications, additions or deletions. ​ (C) Changes to Site. We may change or discontinue any aspect, service or feature of the Site at any time, including, but not limited to, content, hours of availability, and equipment needed for access or use. (D) Registration. You may be given the opportunity to register via an online registration form to create a user account ("Your Account") that may allow you to receive information from us. By registering you represent and warrant that all information that you provide on the registration form is current, complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge. You agree to maintain and promptly update your registration information on the Site so that it remains current, complete and accurate. During the registration process, you may be required to choose a password and/or user name. You acknowledge and agree that we may rely on this password or user name to identify you. You shall be responsible for protecting the confidentiality of your user name(s) or password(s), if any. You are responsible for all use of Your Account, regardless of whether you authorized such access or use, and for ensuring that all use of Your Account complies fully with the provisions of these Terms of Use. ​ (E) Equipment. You are responsible for obtaining and maintaining all connectivity, computer software, hardware and other equipment needed for access to and use of the Site and all charges related to the same. 2. User Content and Conduct; Community Guidelines The following terms apply to content submitted by users, and user conduct, on the Site's Interactive Areas: (A) Interactive Areas. You are solely responsible for your use of any Interactive Areas and you use them at your own risk. Interactive Areas are available for individuals aged 18 years or older. By submitting User Content to an Interactive Area, you represent that you are 18 years of age or older can fulfil the obligations set forth in these Terms of Use, which forms a binding contract between you and us. ​ (B) Community Guidelines. By submitting any User Content or participating in an Interactive Area within or in connection with the Site, you agree not to upload, post or otherwise transmit any User Content that: violates or infringes in any way upon the rights of others, including any statements which may defame, harass, stalk or threaten others. you know to be false, misleading or inaccurate. contains blatant expressions of bigotry, racism, racially or ethnically offensive content, hate speech, abusiveness, vulgarity or profanity. contains or advocates pornography or sexually explicit content, paedophilia, incest, bestiality, or that is otherwise obscene or lewd. violates any law or advocates or provides instruction on dangerous, illegal, or predatory acts, or discusses illegal activities with the intent to commit them. advocates violent behaviour. poses a reasonable threat to personal or public safety. contains violent images of killing or physical abuse that appear to have been captured solely, or principally, for exploitive, prurient, or gratuitous purposes. is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity or other proprietary right without the express permission of the owner of such copyright, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity or other proprietary right. The burden of determining that any User Content is not protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity or other proprietary right rests with you. You shall be solely liable for any damage resulting from any infringement of copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, rights of publicity or other proprietary rights or any other harm resulting from such a submission. Any person determined by us, in our sole discretion, to have violated the intellectual property or other rights of others shall be barred from submitting or posting any further material on the Site. does not generally pertain to the designated topic or theme of any Interactive Area. contains any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising or promotional materials with respect to products or services, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation. You agree not to engage in activity that would constitute a criminal offense or give rise to a civil liability. You agree that if necessary, you have the consent of each and every identifiable natural person in any submission to use such person’s name or likeness in the manner contemplated by the Site. Further: You agree not to impersonate any person or entity, including, but not limited to, us or any of our employees, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity. You agree not to represent or suggest, directly or indirectly, our endorsement of User Content. You agree not to interfere with any other user's right to privacy, including by harvesting or collecting personally-identifiable information about the Site users or posting private information about a third party. You agree not to upload, post or otherwise transmit any User Content, software or other materials which contain a virus or other harmful or disruptive component. You agree not to interfere with or disrupt the Site or the servers or networks connected to the Site, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of networks connected to the Site. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit for any commercial purpose, any portion of the Site, use the Site, or access to the Site. You agree not to use any service, technology or automated system to artificially inflate the page views that your User Content receives. This includes pay-per-click services, web "robots" and any other current or future technologies. You also agree not to direct any third party to use these services, technologies or automated systems on your behalf. You agree not to use any technology, service or automated system to post more User Content than an individual could upload in a given period of time. You also agree not to direct any third party to use these services, technologies or automated systems on your behalf. Any conduct that in our sole discretion restricts or inhibits anyone else from using or enjoying the Site will not be permitted. We reserve the right in our sole discretion to remove or edit User Content by you and to terminate Your Account for any reason. We do not vouch for the accuracy or credibility of any User Content, and does not take any responsibility or assume any liability for any actions you may take as a result of reading User Content posted on the Site. Through your use of Interactive Areas, you may be exposed to content that you may find offensive, objectionable, harmful, inaccurate or deceptive. There may also be risks of dealing with underage persons, people acting under false pretence, international trade issues and foreign nationals. By using Interactive Areas, you assume all associated risks. (C) Monitoring. We shall have the right, but not the obligation, to monitor User Content posted or uploaded to the Site to determine compliance with these Terms of Use and any operating rules established by us and to satisfy any law, regulation or authorized government request. Although we have no obligation to monitor, screen, edit or remove any of the User Content posted or uploaded to the Site, we reserve the right, and have absolute discretion, to screen, edit, refuse to post or remove without notice any User Content posted or uploaded to the Site at any time and for any reason, and you are solely responsible for creating backup copies of and replacing any User Content posted to the Site at your sole cost and expense. In addition, we may share personally identifiable information in response to a law enforcement agency's request, or where we believe it is necessary, or as otherwise required or permitted by law. See our Privacy Policy. The decision by us to monitor and/or modify User Content does not constitute nor shall it be deemed to constitute any responsibility or liability in any manner on the part of us in connection with or arising from use by you of Interactive Areas on the Site. (D) License to usee User Content. By submitting User Content to the Site, you automatically grant us the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license, but not the obligation, to use, publish, reproduce, modify, adapt, edit, translate, create derivative works from, incorporate into other works, distribute, sub-license and otherwise exploit such User Content (in whole or in part) worldwide in any form, media or technology now known or hereafter developed for the full term of any copyright that may exist in such User Content, without payment to you or to any third parties. You represent and warrant to us that you have the full legal right, power and authority to grant to us the license provided for herein, that you own or control the complete exhibition and other rights to the User Content you submitted for the purposes contemplated in this license and that neither the User Content nor the exercise of the rights granted herein shall violate these Terms of Use, or infringe upon any rights, including the right of privacy or right of publicity, constitute a libel or slander against, or violate any common law or any other right of, or cause injury to, any person or entity. You further grant us the right, but not the obligation, to pursue at law any person or entity that violates your or our rights in the User Content by a breach of these Terms of Use. ​ (E) Moral Rights. I f it is determined that you retain moral rights (including rights of attribution or integrity) in the User Content, you hereby declare that (a) you do not require that any personally identifying information be used in connection with the User Content, or any derivative works of or upgrades or updates thereto; (b) you have no objection to the publication, use, modification, deletion and exploitation of the User Content by us or our licensees, successors and assigns; (c) you forever waive and agree not to claim or assert any entitlement to any and all moral rights of an author in any of the User Content; and (d) you forever release us, and our licensees, successors and assigns, from any claims that you could otherwise assert against us by virtue of any such moral rights. You also permit any other user to access, view, store or reproduce the User Content for that user's personal use. ​ (F) No Obligation. User Content submitted by you will be considered non-confidential and we are under no obligation to treat such User Content as proprietary information except pursuant to our Privacy Policy. Without limiting the foregoing, we reserve the right to use any User Content as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, deleting, editing, modifying, rejecting, or refusing to post it. We are under no obligation to edit, delete or otherwise modify User Content once it has been submitted to us. We shall have no duty to attribute authorship of User Content to you, and shall not be obligated to enforce any form of attribution by third parties. ​ 3. Copyright Ownership ​ The Site contains copyrighted material, trademarks and other proprietary information, including, but not limited to, text, software, photos, video, graphics, music and sound, and the entire contents of the Site are copyrighted as a collective work under the United States copyright laws. We own copyright in the selection, coordination, arrangement and enhancement of such content, as well as in the content original to it. You may not modify, publish, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit, any of the content, in whole or in part. You may download copyrighted material for your personal use only. Except as otherwise expressly permitted under copyright law, no copying, redistribution, retransmission, publication or commercial exploitation of downloaded material will be permitted without the express permission of us and the copyright owner. In the event of any permitted copying, redistribution or publication of copyrighted material, no changes in or deletion of author attribution, trademark legend or copyright notice shall be made. You acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights by downloading copyrighted material. ​ 4. Third Party Content We are a distributor (and not a publisher or creator) of content supplied by third parties and users. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers or users of the Site, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of us. Neither we nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content, nor its merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. (Refer to Section 6 below for the complete provisions governing limitation of liabilities and disclaimers of warranty.) ​ In many instances, the content available through the Site represents the opinions and judgments of the respective user or information provider not under contract with us. We neither endorse nor are responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Site by any third party. Under no circumstances will we be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any loss or damage caused by your use or reliance on information obtained through the Site. We are not responsible for any actions or inaction on your part based on the information that is presented on the Site. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through the Site. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content. ​ 5. Advertisements and Promotions We may run advertisements and promotions from third parties on the Site. Your business dealings or correspondence with, or participation in promotions of, advertisers other than us, and any terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such third party. We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any sort incurred as the result of any such dealings or as the result of the presence of third-party advertisers on the Site. ​ 6. Discliamer of Warranty; Limitation of Liability and Time Limitation for Claims (A) YOU EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. NEITHER WE, OUR PRESENT OR FUTURE PARENT(S), SUBSIDIARIES, OR RELATED ENTITIES, NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, THIRD PARTY CONTENT PROVIDERS OR LICENSORS WARRANT THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE; NOR DO THEY MAKE ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM USE OF THE SITE, OR AS TO THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY OR CONTENT OF ANY INFORMATION, SERVICE, OR MERCHANDISE PROVIDED THROUGH THE SITE. ​ (B) THE SITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY DOWNLOADABLE SOFTWARE, IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THOSE WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPLIED BY AND INCAPABLE OF EXCLUSION, RESTRICTION OR MODIFICATION UNDER THE LAWS APPLICABLE TO THESE TERMS OF USE. ​ (C) THE SITE MAY OFFER HEALTH, FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER SUCH INFORMATION, BUT SUCH INFORMATION IS DESIGNED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE DOES NOT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO CONVEY MEDICAL ADVICE AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR DOES IT REPLACE, PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OR INACTION ON A USER'S PART BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT IS PRESENTED IN THE SITE. (D) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL WE BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, WORK STOPPAGE, COMPUTER AND/OR DEVICE OR TECHNOLOGY FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OR FOR ANY FORM OF DIRECT OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES BASED ON ANY CAUSES OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF USE OF THE SITE OR ANY ALLEGED FAILURE OF PERFORMANCE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT, OR DELAY IN SERVICE, OPERATION, OR TRANSMISSION OF THE SITES, OR ANY ALLEGED COMPUTER VIRUS, COMMUNICATION LINE FAILURE, THEFT OR DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, AND/OR UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO, ALTERATION OF, OR USE OF OR POSTING OF ANY RECORD, CONTENT, OR TECHNOLOGY, PERTAINING TO OR ON THE SITES. YOU AGREE THAT THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY APPLIES WHEHER SUCH ALLEGATIONS ARE FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, TORTIOUS BEHAVIOR, NEGLIGENCE, OR FALL UNDER ANY OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION, REGARDLESS OF THE BASIS UPON WHICH LIABILITY IS CLAIMED AND EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGE. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FORGEOING, YOU ALSO SPECIFICALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY ACTUAL OR ALLEGED DEFAMATORY, OFFENSIVE, OR ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF OTHER USERS OF THE SITES OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTIES. ​ IF APPLICABLE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW ALL OR ANY PART OF THE ABOVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY TO APPLY TO YOU, THE LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY TO YOU ONLY TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. ​ (E) WE DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OF ANY KIND FOR ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF YOUR PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION. BY ACCESSING THE SITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO OUR DISCLAIMER OF ANY SUCH LIABILITY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, YOU SHOULD NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SITE. ​ (F) TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY DISPUTE, CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY TO THE SERVICE OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE AND/OR SITE, THESE TERMS OF USE, OR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US, MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE RELEVANT EVENTS. A DISPUTE IS COMMENCED IF IT IS FILED IN AN ARBITRATION OR, IF THE DISPUTE IS NON-ARBITRABLE, A COURT WITH JURISDICTION, DURING THE ONE-YEAR PERIOD. IF YOU OR WE PROVIDE NOTICE OF A DISPUTE UNDER SECTION 12 (DISPUTE RESOLUTION), THE ONE-YEAR PERIOD IS TOLLED FOR 60 DAYS FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF THE NOTICE OF DISPUTE. YOU AND WE EACH WAIVE—THAT IS, GIVE UP—THE RIGHT TO PURSUE ANY DISPUTE, CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY THAT IS NOT FILED WITHIN ONE YEAR AND ANY RIGHT YOU OR WE MAY HAVE HAD TO PURSUE THAT DISPUTE, CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY IN ANY FORUM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED. ​ 7. Indemnification You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless us, our affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against all claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of the use of the Site by you or your Account. We reserve the right to take over the exclusive defence of any claim for which we are entitled to indemnification under this Section. In such event, you shall provide us with such cooperation as is reasonably requested by us. ​ 8. Termination We may terminate or suspend these Terms of Use at any time without notice to you. Without limiting the foregoing, we shall have the right to immediately terminate Your Account in the event of any conduct by you which we, in our sole discretion, consider to be unacceptable, or in the event of any breach by you of these Terms of Use. The provisions of Sections 1 - 13 shall survive termination of these Terms of Use. ​ 9. Trademarks We, our parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, own all rights to their logos and trademarks used in connection with the Site. All other logos and trademarks appearing on the Site are the property of their respective owners. ​ 10. Governing Law and Venue . The content, data, video, and all other material and features on the Site are presented for the purpose of providing products and/or services that are or may become available in The United States of America, its territories, possessions, and protectorates. ​ Any and all disputes, claims and controversies arising out of or in connection with your access to, and/or use of the Sites, and/or the provision of content, services, and/or technology on or through the Sites shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws and decisions of The United States of America applicable to contracts made, entered into and performed entirely therein, without giving effect to its conflict of laws provisions, except to the extent that law is inconsistent with or pre-empted by federal law. To the extent that a dispute is not subject to arbitration under Section 12 (Dispute Resolution) of this Agreement, that action shall be brought in the appropriate state or federal court located in The United States of America; and we both irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state or federal courts in The United States of America for the adjudication of all non-arbitral claims. ​ 11. Severability . Except as specified in Section 12 (Dispute Resolution), if any provision of this Agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable for this Agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. This is the entire agreement between the parties relating to the matters contained herein. ​ 12. Dispute Resolution Summary: In the unlikely event that we have not been able to resolve a dispute it has with you after attempting to do so informally, we each agree to resolve those disputes through binding arbitration or small claims court instead of in courts of general jurisdiction. ​ Arbitration is more informal than a lawsuit in court. Arbitration uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury, allows for more limited discovery than in court, and is subject to very limited review by courts. Unless expressly limited by this Dispute Resolution provision, arbitrators can award the same damages and relief that a court can award. Any arbitration under this Agreement will take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted. ​ Arbitration Agreement ​ (1) Claims Subject to Arbitration: We and you agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims between us, except for claims arising from bodily injury or that pertain to enforcing, protecting, or the validity of your or our intellectual property rights (or the intellectual property rights of any of our licensors, affiliates and partners). This agreement to arbitrate is intended to be broadly interpreted. It includes, but is not limited to: ​ claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of the relationship between us, whether based in contract, tort, fraud, misrepresentation or any other statutory or common-law legal theory; claims that arose before this or any prior Agreement (including, but not limited to, claims relating to advertising); claims for mental or emotional distress or injury not arising out of physical bodily injury; claims that are currently the subject of purported class action litigation in which you are not a member of a certified class; and claims that may arise after the termination of this Agreement. References to "we," "you," and "us" include our respective subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, employees, licensees, licensors, and providers of content as of the time your or our claim arises; our respective predecessors in interest, successors, and all authorized or unauthorized users or beneficiaries of Services under this or prior Agreements between us. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may bring an action in small claims court seeking only individualized relief, so long as the action remains in that court and is not removed or appealed to a court of general jurisdiction. This arbitration agreement does not preclude you from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state, or local agencies. Such agencies can, if the law allows, seek relief against us on your behalf. You agree that, by entering into this Agreement, you and we are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action. This Agreement evidences a transaction in interstate commerce, and thus the United States Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this provision. This arbitration provision shall survive termination of this Agreement. (2) Pre-Arbitration Notice of Disputes: A party who intends to seek arbitration must first send to the other a written Notice of Dispute ("Notice"). The Notice must (a) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (b) set forth the specific relief sought ("Demand"). If we and you do not reach an agreement to resolve the claim within 30 days after the Notice is received, you or we may commence an arbitration proceeding. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by us or you shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which you or us is entitled. ​ (3) Arbitration Procedure: The arbitration will be governed by the Consumer Arbitration Rules ("AAA Rules") of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA"), as modified by this arbitration provision, and will be administered by the AAA. (If the AAA is unavailable, another arbitration provider shall be selected by the parties or by the court.) The AAA Rules are available online at www.adr.org , or by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879. All issues are for the arbitrator to decide, except that issues relating to the scope and enforceability of the arbitration provision or whether a dispute can or must be brought in arbitration are for the court to decide. The arbitrator may consider but shall not be bound by rulings in other arbitrations involving different customers. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. Except as provided in subsection (6) below, the arbitrator can award the same damages and individualized relief that a court can award under applicable law. ​ (4) Arbitration Fees: If the arbitrator finds that either the substance of your claim or the relief sought in the Demand is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)), then the payment of all such fees will be governed by the AAA Rules. If you initiate an arbitration in which you seek relief valued at greater than US$75,000 (either to you or to us), the payment of these fees will be governed by the AAA rules. ​ The arbitrator may make rulings and resolve disputes as to the payment and reimbursement of fees, expenses at any time during the proceeding and upon request from either party made within 14 days of the arbitrator's ruling on the merits. (6) Requirement of Individual Arbitration: The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favour of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that party's individual claim. YOU AND WE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR OUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and we agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative, class, or private attorney general proceeding. If, after exhaustion of all appeals, any of these prohibitions on non-individualized declaratory or injunctive relief; class, representative, and private attorney general claims; and consolidation are found to be unenforceable with respect to a particular claim or with respect to a particular request for relief (such as a request for injunctive relief sought with respect to a particular claim), then that claim or request for relief shall be severed , and all other claims and requests for relief shall be arbitrated. ​ (7) Future Changes to Arbitration Provision: Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, we agree that if we make any future change to this arbitration provision (other than a change to the Notice Address), you may reject any such change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to the arbitration Notice Address provided above. By rejecting any future change, you are agreeing that you will arbitrate any dispute between us in accordance with the language of this provision. ​ 13. Miscellaneous . These Terms of Use and any operating rules for the Site established by us constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and supersede all previous written or oral agreements between the parties with respect to such subject matter. The provisions of these Terms of Use are for the benefit of us, our parent, subsidiaries, other affiliates and our third-party content providers and licensors and each shall have the right to assert and enforce such provisions directly or on its own behalf. If you access the Site, including its Interactive Areas, from any location, you accept full responsibility for compliance with all local laws. No waiver by either party of any breach or default hereunder shall be deemed to be a waiver of any preceding or subsequent breach or default. If any part of these Terms of Use is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable, it will be replaced with language reflecting the original purpose in a valid and enforceable manner. The enforceable sections of these Terms of Use will remain binding upon the parties. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not be given any legal import. ​ Neither we nor you shall be liable for damages or for delays or failures in performance resulting from acts or occurrences beyond their reasonable control, including, without limitation: fire, lightning, explosion, power surge or failure, water, acts of God, war, terrorism, revolution, civil commotion or acts of civil or military authorities or public enemies: any law, order, regulation, ordinance, or requirement of any government or legal body or any representative of any such government or legal body; or labour unrest, including without limitation, strikes, slowdowns, picketing, or boycotts; inability to secure raw materials, transportation facilities, fuel or energy shortages, or acts or omissions of other common carriers. ​ ​ 14. Copyrights We respect the rights of all copyright holders and in this regard, we have adopted and implemented a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of users and account holders who infringe the rights of copyright holders. If you believe that your work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, please provide us the following information required by the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 512: ​ 1. A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed; ​ 2. Identification of the copyright work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site; ​ 3. Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material; ​ 4. Information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact the complaining party; ​ 5. A statement that the complaining party has a good-faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and ​ 6. A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. ​ These Terms of Use were last updated on July 31, 2023. © Whatsonintrnc.com All Rights Reserved. Top

Guides > Phonebook If there are any inaccuracies in this information, you would like your business added to this phone book, or have it listed in multiple categories, please Contact Us for further details. Search by Name Search Phonebook Filter by Category arrow&v Name Number Category 1001 Airport Mall +90 392 444 1001 General Goods 11 Torch Development +90 533 841 1525 Unions & Associations 1cyptur Real Estate +90 548 880 2222 Estate Agents 33 @ Tims Cafe Bar +90 548 844 9256 Bars-Restaurants-Cafes 3b Bar & Restaurant +90 533 870 0321 Bars-Restaurants-Cafes 4 x 4 Uzbek Motors +90 533 868 2977 Car Sales 8 Design Interior Architecture & Env. Design Bureau +90 533 861 6018 Architecture A & D Construction Ltd +90 392 650 5040 Contractor A & G Industry & Trade Ltd +90 392 365 4504 Water & Gas A & G Industry & Trade Ltd +90 392 365 4504 Beer & Wine A & P Trading Ltd +90 392 236 8805 Food Products A & S Atun Ltd +90 392 365 5570 Customs Clearance A Final Sports Training Center Association +90 533 842 0388 Unions & Associations A New Me Dietitian Beauty +90 533 861 7635 Beauty Salons A Umut Internet Cafe +90 542 851 4151 Bars-Restaurants-Cafes A Unal Estate +90 542 854 5166 Estate Agents A-One Rent A Car +90 542 852 3006 Car Hire Aaron Guryel +90 533 860 3812 Legal Aaron Panther +90 533 821 5029 Hairdressers Aaron Said +90 542 853 8639 Catering Aaron Tosun +90 533 851 2112 Local Authority Aaron Turan +90 542 854 7410 Nature Abant Rent A Car +90 392 815 4524 Car Hire Abbasoglu Pharmacy +90 392 227 1664 Pharmacy Abbey Estates +90 533 840 5326 Estate Agents Abdican Ergin +90 533 836 5696 Car Hire Abdo Okur +90 542 852 1110 Auto Electrics Abdo Yurtgezer +90 542 866 1693 Furniture Abdul Jabbar +90 548 825 3230 Food Store Abdulaziz Sanverdi +90 533 836 0868 Bars-Restaurants-Cafes Abdulbaki Dilekci Ticaret Sti +90 533 852 2083 Food Store Abdulbaki Gokhan +90 533 843 3205 Construction Works Abdulgani San +90 533 842 5635 Furniture Abdulhalim At Abukuwaik +90 533 866 6116 Appliances & Accessories Abdulhamit Ildiz +90 533 844 5979 Bars-Restaurants-Cafes Abdulileh Kuday +90 533 832 8736 Hairdressers Abdulkadir Akturk +90 533 840 6861 Furniture Abdulkadir Astan +90 533 860 7491 Construction Works Abdulkadir Ayda +90 533 866 2946 Gifts & Souvenirs Abdulkadir Ercan +90 542 864 0809 Doctors Abdulkadir Ercan +90 392 366 8297 Doctors Abdulkadir Ermis +90 533 834 7578 Butchers Abdulkadir Odevci +90 548 875 8395 Food Store Abdulkadir True +90 533 877 9478 Construction Works Abdulkadir Ucar +90 542 872 0999 Health Products Abdulkadir Ucar +90 542 872 0999 Metal Workers Abdulkadir Yanar +90 542 851 4781 Water & Gas Abdulkafi Tumurlenk +90 533 836 4713 Construction Works Abdulkerim Eger +90 533 870 6929 Hairdressers Abdullah Akin +90 533 849 2926 Insulation 361

TRNC - Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Guides > Mosques Agha Cafer Pasha Iplik Bazaar Piri Mehmet Pasha Turunçlu Arapahmet Lala Mustafa Pasha Ramadan Hasan Efendi Fountain Shaykh Nazim's Dergah Selimiye Haydar Pasha New Mosque Sinan Pasha Guides > Mosques > Agha Cafer Pasha In a cobbled street running to Kyrenia Harbour , this mosque is named after an Ottoman Governor who donated the land where it's built. It was built in the 1580’s, although some claim it was converted from a Lusignan warehouse. The cut stone rectangular construction has 3 main rooms and a single minaret and is still used today. ​ Southeast of the mosque is the Hasan Kavizade Huseyn Efendi fountain, built in 1841. The northern face has 3 arches, typical of the Ottoman design of the time. In the middle arch there's a marble inscription crescent, a coat of arms and branch figures carved into the stonework. Top Guides > Mosques > Arapahmet Mosque Built in the 16th century on the site of an old Latin church, it's named after Arapahmet Pasha who was one of the commanders of the 1571 Ottoman expedition to Nicosia and the Governor General of Rhodes. In the Arab Ahmet Quarter of Nicosia it's the only mosque in the city with a classical Ottoman dome plus 3 smaller domes to protect its entrance and 4 more at the corners. Outside is a garden with a fountain, cypress trees and graves including that of Turkish Cypriot Mehmet Kamil Pasha , born in Nicosia in 1833. He became Grand Vizier in the Ottoman empire, the only Cypriot ever to do so. In 1913, Kamil Pasha unexpectedly died of syncope (fainting) and was buried in the court of the Arab Ahmet Mosque. Sir Ronald Storrs , British Governor from 1926 to 1932, produced a memorial to be raised over Kamil Pasha’s grave for which he also composed the English inscription, carved on the headstone. It reads, “His Highness Kiamil Pasha, Son of Captain Salih Agha of Pyroi, Born in Nicosia in 1833, Treasury Clerk, Commissioner of Larnaca, Director of Evqaf, Four times Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, A Great Turk and A Great Man.” The site once hosted a Latin church, of which a few fragments still survive. A lintel from a door has a shield carved on it of two lions. 14th century gravestones of prominent Veneto families such as Francesco Cornaro (1390), Antonio de Bergamo (1394), and Gaspar Mavroceni (1402) also survive. Arab Ahmet was restored in 1845 and again in the 1990’s, and the mosque remains in use to this day. Top Guides > Mosques > Hasan Kavizade Huseyin Efendi Fountain In the quiet back streets of Kyrenia, lies this historic fountain. Square-shaped with a barrel vault and reservoir, it's southeast of the Agha Cafer Pasha Mosque . Mosque visitors complete their ablution using this fountain, which is fed from a natural spring. A marble inscription below the three arches of the fountain reveals it was built in 1841 during Hasan Kavizade Huseyin Efendi’s time. ​ In the middle arch a crescent, coat of arms and branch figures are carved into the stonework. The stone stairwells next to the fountain were built by the last Ottoman Provincial Governor, Cemal Bey and the last Ottoman Mayor, Abdul Efendi. Top Guides > Mosques > Hadar Pasha Mosque Originally built as St Catherine Church by the Lusignans in the 14th century, it was the second largest church in Nicosia at the time. The Gothic flamboyant style of southern France makes it the finest example of this design on the island, and the most notable Lusignan monument in the capital after St Sophia . In 1570 the Ottomans converted St. Catherine’s into the Haydarpasa mosque. It's also been known as “Ağalar Camis i”, meaning “the Mosque of the Lords”, when it was largely frequented by Turkish aristocracy living nearby. A minaret was the tallest slender tower in Cyprus until 1931. Struck by lightning, it had to be demolished and was replaced by a shorter version with 3 entrances. The south entrance is a masterpiece of stone carvings of Lusignan insignias on its frame, along with an ornamental poppy. The west entrance has its lintel decorated with carved roses and dragons. The north entrance is plain by comparison, with ornamentations of a nude woman holding a fish and dragon like effigies. Huge buttresses narrow as they rise and flank the windows, ornamented with lattice stucco, the roofline rimmed with gargoyles. The west facade has a Catherine window, shaped like a wheel. The building was part of a woman’s monastery during the Latin period, and the Ottomans added more features. Two Gothic arches support the vault, consisting of crossed ribs. In the apse, 6 ribs resting on a clustered column sprout from the keystone. North of the apse is a vestry, the vaulting of which is supported by corbels with carved human heads. Above, windows of chamber look onto the main church. Sir Harry Charles Luke , a renowned author and historian, described this edifice as “the most elegant and perfect Gothic building in Cyprus”. Across the church courtyard, you'll find the house of Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener who was assigned to conduct the first full triangulated survey of the island as a new British colony in 1878-1882. Top Guides > Mosques > Iplik Bazaar Mosque Two inscriptions above the entrance doors identify two differing periods of build. The initial construction was sponsored in 1826 by Hadji Ahmet Ahga , a governor of Cyprus and the last to hold the title of muhassilor tax-collector. In its earlier days, the mosque was also known as ‘Muhassil Haci Ahmed Agha Mosque ’. It's now known as the Iplik Bazaar Mosque, which references the cotton bazaar that was located here during the Ottoman period.The second inscription reveals the building was demolished and replaced in 1899 with the mosque that stands today, under the sponsorship of Muhammed Sadik Bey, a charitable foundation board member during British rule. This work expanded the area’s mosque capacity to meet the requirements of an ever-increasing congregation. The minaret, which is accessible from inside the mosque, was retained from the original structure and is only one of two designs in Northern Cyprus that feature a stone conical top. The mosque’s architecture is utilitarian, rectangular and built of cut stone and rubble fillings. Two arches support the wooden ceiling and the main room is illuminated by arched windows. A wooden staircase leads to an area for female worshippers. In the yard is a hexagonal water fountain built in the British period. The ground level of the yard rose so much in the 20th century, the taps of the fountain have been left under the surface. Two tombstones discovered next to the mosque indicate a small cemetery once existed next to it. Top Guides > Mosques > Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque Originally known as the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and later as the Saint Sophia Mosque of Mağusa , this is the largest medieval building in Famagusta. Built between 1298 and 1400, it was consecrated as a Catholic cathedral in 1328, converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire captured Famagusta in 1571 and it remains a mosque to this day. From 1954, the building has taken its name from Lala Mustafa Pasha , the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from Sokolovići in Bosnia, who served Murat III and led Ottoman forces against the Venetians in Cyprus. Early history The French Lusignan dynasty ruled Cyprus from 1192 to 1489 and brought with them French architecture, notably Gothic. Constructed from 1298 to 1312 and consecrated in 1328, a unique inscription on a buttress beside the south door records the progress of construction in 1311. The Lusignans would be crowned as Kings of Cyprus in the St Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia and then crowned as Kings of Jerusalem in the St Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta. The building is built in Rayonnant Gothic style , quite rare outside France. The historic tie between France and Cyprus is evidenced by its parallels to French archetypes such as Reims Cathedral. Indeed, so strong is the resemblance, that the building has been dubbed "The Reims of Cyprus". It was built with three doors, twin towers over the aisles and a flat roof, typical of Crusader architecture. Sometime after 1480, a meeting chamber, known as the Loggia Bembo, was added to the south-west corner of the cathedral. Notable for its elaborately moulded entrance with slender pillars in marble, it’s in an architectural style that departs considerably from that of the cathedral proper. The association with the Bembo family, some of whom held prominent positions in Cyprus, is shown by their heraldic devices on the building. To enhance the Loggia, late antique fragments in marble, probably brought from Salamis, were placed as seats each side of the entrance. ​ Ottoman Era The upper parts of the cathedral's two towers suffered from earthquakes, were badly damaged during the Ottoman bombardments of 1571, and were never repaired. With the Venetians defeated and Famagusta fallen by August 1571, Cyprus fell under Ottoman control, and the cathedral was converted into a mosque, andrenamed the "St Sophia Mosque of Mağusa". Nearly all statuary, cruciform, stained glass, frescos, and paintings were removed or plastered over, as well as most tombs and the altar. The Gothic structure was preserved however, and a few tombs can still be identified in the north aisle. In 1954, it was renamed the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque after the commander of the 1570 Ottoman conquest - infamous for the gruesome torture of Marco Antonio Bragadin , the Venetian commander of the city's fortress. Bragadin had surrendered the city following a brutal 10-month siege in which 6,000 Christian defenders held off an army of more than 100,000 Ottoman Turks. The Cathedral of St Nicholas was not widely emulated as far as can be judged from surviving buildings of the Lusignan period in Cyprus. However, in the 19th century the west portal and other details were copied directly in the Greek Orthodox church at Lysi. Famagusta Cathedral appears in several works of literature, including "Kuraj" by the Italian writer Silvia Di Natale , "Sunrise" by the British author Victoria Hislop and "In Search of Sixpence" by the Anglo-Cypriot author Michael Paraskos . Top Guides > Mosques > Mawlana Shaykh Nazim's Dergah Mehmet Nazım Adil, commonly known as Sheikh Nazim, was a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Muslim Sheikh and spiritual leader of the Naqshbandi tariqa . Prior to his passing in 2014, thousands of visitors visited him each month at his home and Dergah in Lefke , and international followers came to share in the blessings of this living Sufi Master. Nazim was regularly recognized among the world’s 50 most influential Muslims and has since been succeeded by his son Mawlana Shaykh Mohammad Adil Haqqani welcoming Sufi worshippers from near and afar throughout the year. ​ Visitors can stay at the Guesthouses with prior permission. Men can also stay at the Dergah, while women are accommodated at a hostel allocated, facilities being shared. Top Guides > Mosques > The New Mosque The neighbourhood of Yenicami in Nicosia takes its name from a new mosque built out of the ruins of a medieval church. In the 14th century, Ottomans converted the Gothic cathedral which stood there into a mosque and it remained that way until 1740, when Menteszade Haci Ismail Agha, the first Ottoman chief judge in Cyprus, ordered the foundations be excavated in search of supposed buried riches. The excavations unearthed the mosque, which in turn collapsed, and Haci Ismail was executed, his tomb buried a few metres away from the wreckage site. A new mosque was financed by the Menteszade family and this became the New Mosque or Yenicami as it's known locally. Square in shape, it occupies part of of an old Muslim burial ground, where fragments of the original minaret and turret staircase of the gothic structure are still preserved. The surrounding burial ground is covered with ancient fragments used as tombstones, 4 of which belong to the Menteszade family and another to the famous Cypriot poet Hilmi Efendi who died in 1847. An inscription above the arched entrance door is dated 1316 H from the Islamic calendar, the equivalent of 1899 . The old minaret was demolished in 1979 because of its dangerous condition and replaced. The fountain in the courtyard has also been rebuilt to its original specification. Top Guides > Mosques > Piri Mehmet Pasha Mosque Initially a church, this historic building was twice converted into an Islamic house of worship. Travelling from the main road up towards the village of Lefke , you’ll come across this structure, also referred to Yukari Mosque and Minareli Mosque . The Byzantine Empire also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, and stretched over the island of Cyprus. During the Byzantium rule of Cyprus, the church of St George was erected at this site, the exact date unknown. From the 7th to 10th century the island was repeatedly subject to Arab raids, after which this church was converted into a mosque, but over the years fell into disrepair from neglect. When the Ottoman Empire extended their stronghold onto the island in 1571 under the leadership of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent , one of the empire’s Viziers, a high executive named Mehmet Bey was governor of the Paphos sancak, an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire, and soon included the village of Lefke into this greater province. When in Lefke, Mehmet Bey spotted the neglected mosque and instructed it to be rebuilt, naming it after his grandfather, Piri Mehmed Pasha, an Ottoman Turk statesman and grand Vizier of the empire from 1518 to 1523. ​ The mosque is built on an octagon body in a typical Ottoman architectural style, with three arches at the front and five on the sides, while the front arches sit on columns. The mosque is also the only in Lefke which reveals a dome, built from hewn stone. In the gardens you’ll also come across two graves. The first, a spectacular illustration of an Ottoman tomb, belongs to another Vizier , Osman Pasha who died in 1839. Mystery surrounds his death, however one commonly believed tale reveals some insight. Osman Pasha arrived in Cyprus to collect taxes from the island. Naturally arriving by sea, he was welcomed at the port by some attractive Greek females who presented him with beautiful flowers. Soon after the greeting, Osman was taken ill in Nicosia, where doctors advised him to travel to Lefke, where the countryside weather and natural habitat would assist in his recovery. Even though he took this advice, nine days after arriving in Lefke, he passed away. Some say the flowers he was given upon arrival were poisoned. His tomb was designed and built in Izmir , Turkey, by his wife, who later settled in Lefke. It's one of the best examples of an Ottoman tomb, its' artwork decorated with nature motifs. The mosque beside is sometimes incorrectly referred to as Osman Pasha as well. A second, though less spectacular tomb in the mosque garden is that of Huseyin Agha, reputed to have brought water to Lefke, building aqueducts interlinking with other towns in the district. Top Guides > Mosques > R amadan Ramazan (Ramadan), is the fasting month for Muslims characterised by family gatherings, visiting the graves of loved ones and allowing the body and mind to cleanse themselves. Ramazan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and is classed as one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. Physically healthy Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex between dawn and sunset for 30 days. It's a time for reflection; refraining from gossiping,lying or slandering; good deeds; generosity; thought for those less fortunate and a time to be more conscious of God’s presence. Fasting during the day can be quite tough to start with, so it can be quite draining for those fasting, although it does become easier and the breaking of the fast with Sahur (morning) and Iftar (evening) becomes routine. Meals usually start with something light, such as soup, so as not to feel completely bloated too quickly. Towards the end of Ramazan in North Cyprus, preparations are made for hellim, olive bread and sweetbreads to take to friends and family as well as guests that might visit. Mosques are visited for Sahur on the last day of Ramazan for prayers. Ramazan Bayram in North Cyprus (also known as Şeker Bayram) is the holiday given over to festivities such as full on Turkish pop star entertainment at the local hotels and restaurants, with families gathering to celebrate and shops often holding sales. Older generations are given upmost importance during this time by younger folk and sweets are given out to children. Depending on which day Şeker Bayram falls, there's a 3-4 day public holiday with government offices and banks shut for the whole period, while privately run businesses usually shut for at least two days. Iyi Ramazan Bayramlar. Top Guides > Mosques > Selimiye Mosque One of the most fascinating buildings in Northern Cyprus. It's also the largest building in Nicosia to have survived so many centuries. It may well have been the largest church built in the Eastern Mediterranean in the millennium between the rise of Islam and the late Ottoman period. The name “Selimiye” comes from the Greek words “Aiya Sophia” meaning "Holy wisdom". This name was given primarily to the Byzantine church built in this location in the 11th century. No ruins of this church have been discovered but a manuscript confirms its existence here. The construction of the gothic church started in the 13th century during the Frankish period and lasted over 78 years. The orthodox church was turned into a Mosque in Ottoman times after 1570. Today the Selimiye Mosque opens for visitors all day apart from prayer times. Light falls from large windows to illuminate the green ornaments and burgundy carpet which absorbs the sound of footsteps leaving only whispers to be heard. Top Guides > Mosques > Sinan Pasha Mosque The magnificent facade of this huge14th-century church gives you a great idea what Famagusta would have looked like when its churches and monuments were still standing. Behind the Venetian Palace in the town centre, you'll find the flying buttresses of the renamed Ottoman Sinan Pasha Mosque. The foundations of one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Famagusta, the initial church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul were laid during the Lusignan reign of Peter I, 1358 – 1369, and funded byprofits from a trip to Syria by wealthy merchant Simon Nostrano. The church walls are supported by heavy flying buttresses to take pressure away from the interior vaulting, but only on the upper level. They, like the wall itself, are enormously thick, presumably to withstand earthquakes. Buttressing was added on the south side after two 16th century earthquakes threatened the building in its entirety making it less radiant than more delicately built French counterparts. George H. Everett Jeffery who was the Curator of Ancient Monuments in Cyprus in the early 20th century described it thus: “Nothing could be uglier or more opposed to the beauty of true Gothic architecture than the exterior of this immense church.” The beauty of this church rests almost entirely in its refined and elegant interior. Gothic arches rise above the succession of bays from plain circular piers. From the abacus of each pier are 3 colonettes, merged into the wall. They rise to the clerestory level, fan out over the nave and create the cross vaulted ceiling. Remnants of Gothic sculpture, unidentified renaissance martyrdoms, and post-Renaissance maritime graffiti, all offer a rare insight into a period of wealth and influence in Famagusta. The building wasn't used during Venetian rule, and escaped the attention of the Ottoman bombardment of 1571. The Ottomans added a minaret and renamed it Sinan Pasha Mosque, after “Sinan the Great ” who served 5 times as Grand Vizier in the Ottoman empire. During British rule, it was used as a potato and grain store and so is also locally referred to as the “Bugday Cami” (wheat mosque). In the southern courtyard, underneath the second row of buttresses, you'll find the grave of Yirmisekiz Celebi Mehmed Efendi , who was appointed as ambassador by Sultan Ahmed III to Louis XV’s France in 1720. He became known by the nickname Yirmisekiz (“twenty-eight” in Turkish), as he served in the 28th battalion of the first modern standing army in Europe. He died in exile at Famagusta in 1732. Top Guides > Mosques > Turunçlu Mosque Also known as the Fethiye , until recent times it was one of the most frequented mosques by tradesmen of the nearby markets in Nicosia. The current mosque stands on the site of a previous smaller masjid and has an L-shaped congregational area and wooden ceiling. A gallery supported by wooden columns is designated for women. To the north, its facade consists of 6 tapered arches on circular columns and to the west 4 more tapered arches. Above the doorway an inscription shows the earlier mosque was demolished and built by Seyit Mehmet Emin Agha , Ottoman governor, in 1825. The governor also restored the Fethiye Children’s School next door after which it was given the name “Mekteb-I Irfan ” or School of Enlightenment. Top

Foodie > Ayran Ceviz Macun Hellim Kup Kebab Olives Raki Recipes - Mezze Recipes - Soups Sunday Lunch Brandy Sour Coffee Hellimli Lahmacun Pekmez Recipes - Chicken Recipes - Pasta & Rice Recipes - Vegetarian Vineyard Hotel cafés Costa Cuisine Hummus Meze Pilavuna Recipes - Desserts Recipes - Salads Restaurants Wineries Çakısdez Food Tours Kolokas Molohiya Prickly Pear Recipes - Meat Recipes - Seafood Seftali Kebab Zinavia Foodie > Ayran The perfect partner for your lahmacun has to be a refreshing glass of Aryan , one of the most popular drinks of the Turks since the discovery of Yogurt among the Turkish tribes in Central Asia. It's simply made by diluting yogurt with water and adding salt to taste. Drenched over crushed ice and garnished with a mint leaf, it’s the ideal drink to quench your thirst. It accompanies any meal or is drunk by itself. It's common in all regions of North Cyprus, the only variation being its thickness. Try fresh Ayran (taze yapilmis Ayran) for the best experience. ​ Ingredients 250 gr (8 oz) thick sheep's milk yogurt 150 ml (1/4 pint) cold water A little salt Mint - dried or fresh ​ Preparation Put all the ingredients, eexcept the mint, in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth and lightly frothy. Alternatively, beat in a bowl with an egg whisker, until well amalgamated. Pour evenly to each glass and put some mint on every glass to serve. Top Foodie > Brandy Sour A mixture of brandy and cordial made from lemons of the Güzelyurt region, Brandy Sour is considered the national cocktail. It's made with Cypriot brandy which is milder than Cognac or Armagnac, lemons fresh or cordial, Angostura bitters, soda water and ice. Bitter lemons are used locally to produce a bitter-sweet lemon cordial – the same lemons used by British author Lawrence Durrell for the title of his famous novel "Bitter Lemons of Cyprus ", written next to Bellapais Abbey in the 1950’s. Although Brandy Sour is enjoyed worldwide, the Cypriot version is unique for the local brandy used. It was introduced in the 1930’s in an old hotel in the Troodos Mountains, as an alcoholic substitute for iced tea, as a way of disguising the preference for Western-style cocktails of their distinguished guest, King Farouk of Egypt . As well as enjoying it during your visit to the island, why not pick up a bottle of Cypriot brandy and try making it back home. Top Foodie > Cafés Top Foodie> Çakisdez These unique green olives are manually cracked using special stones. Olives have long been recognised as a symbol of good living and people tend to live longer and healthier lives in regions where olive oil is a staple part of the diet. Harvest time usually begins in October, when the early green olive first fruits are gathered either by shaking the branches over sheets spread on the ground around the tree, or by individually picking the olives by hand. A popular delicacy, Çakısdez (chuck-ess-dez ), are picked, washed, cracked, soaked in brine then served with coriander seeds, garlic, olive oil and lemon, and complement any appetiser for lunch or dinner, although you'll most likely find them at open buffets for breakfast. Chakistes can be preserved in jars or plastic containers, so you can take some back home. Top Foodie > Ceviz Macun A famous Cypriot fruit preserve of small green walnuts , this spoon sweet is a local favourite. Fruit preserves, generally served in little plates or on miniature forks, are an inherent part of local culture, where they're offered to guests as an act of hospitality. Almost all fruits, nuts and even vegetables can be made into a preserve. Ceviz Macun is made with unripe walnuts when they're green and tender, usually at the end of Spring or early summer, when the inner shell is still soft. Making it is labour intensive, lasting a week from branch to table, but well worth the while. Walnuts are known to give the body energy and contribute to the sexual health of men, so eat them one at a time! Served as a dessert at most local dineries, they can also be found jarred in supermarkets, and make a healthy treat to take back home. Top Foodie > Coffee Culture Coffee in Northern Cyprus is a way of life as well as an experience. Turkish coffee or Kahve (ka-veh) brews ground coffee very finely. Arabica varieties are onsidered the best, but robusta or blends are also used. It's made by bringing the powdered coffee, with water and usually sugar, to the boil in a custom pot called cezve , or ibrik . As soon as it froths it's taken off the heat, but can be reheated to increase the froth. Sugar is added while brewing, so the amount of sugar must be specified before preparing. It may be served unsweetened (sade ), with little or moderate sugar (orta ), or sweet (şekerli ), but cream or milk are never added. Often served with chocolate or Turkish delight and a small glass of water to wash off any coffee residue in the mouth, Kahve traditionally comes in small porcelain cups called a fincan and is sipped slowly. Superstition says the grounds can be used for fortune-telling. The cup is turned over into the saucer and the patterns created are interpreted to have a glimpse into the future of the person who drank it. Kahve can also offer health benefits. Known to balance cholesterol levels, it can help prevent some heart diseases, assist the digestive system and be used in some massages and treatment of skin conditions . Kahve will be offered after a meal in most restaurants and can be found almost everywhere. For an authentic taste, find somewhere where it's made in a cooper pot, over a coal fire. Decorated coffee-cups, coffee-pots and coffee-trays are sought after souvenirs for visitors. Top Foodie > Costa Cuisine The stretch of coastline east from Girne to Tatlisu and beyond, has become known as the "Costa Cuisine " as it has so many fabulous eating places. Below are some of the stars which all food lovers will want to visit. Eagle's Nest @ Kücük Erenkoy Fabulous location directly overlooking the sea. Eat inside if it's breezy or winter, or eat outside on the veranda in the summer to enjoy a truly spectacular sunset which is almost, but not quite, as good as the food. Real care is taken with the food here. You can tell this is a place where food is loved. Everything is beautifully cooked and superbly presented by some of the most professional waiting staff you could hope to have. This is high quality fine dining by any standards but at really good prices. (Example: Chicken Liver Pâté + Grilled mushrooms for starters; Sea Bass + the classic Italian dish Gnocchi for mains; chocolate brownie + apple crumble and ice cream for dessert; + 2 glasses of wine. Everything came to £20 per head. ) A new feature is an outside bar area called the Edge (yup, right over the sea again) which will undoubtedly add even more atmosphere to this quality establishment. This place is special. Go for it! This is undoudbtedly the star of the "Costa Cuisine", and a real credit to the owners, chefs and all the superbly trained waiting staff. ​ Café Paris & Bakery @ Esentepe They say that you can't come to TRNC and not have a Meze. That may be true but add to the list of not to be missed, Cafe Paris. Stunning location at the top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean, with a real infinity pool. But the facilities and the views pale into insignificance compared to the food. Pastries, cakes, freshly baked breads and sandwiches may not seem like something to rave about but wait until you've been here and tried them. This is another shinging star on the "Costa Cuisine" and one to be literally, savoured. ​ Old Shakespeare @ Turquoise Bay The decor is tasteful. The furniture includes a large globe, an old radio and other antiquities which together work to create a really relaxing atmosphere. There is a TV on the wall but don't expect Premier League football in here. Scenes of Northern Cyprus and unobtrusive gentle music help to create a real nice ambience. The menu is definitely eclectic. Executive Chef Oleg creates dishes from France, Italy, Georgia, Russia and Europe. For starters our group had: Chicken Live Pate (beautiful); Beef Carpaccio (beautiful); "Julien" with chicken and mushrooms (beautiful); and mushrooms on the Ketsi Pan baked with cheese and butter which were simply divine. All were truly excellent, beautifully cooked and excellently presented, but if ever there's a mushroom olympics, which is a sporting tournament I could very much get behind, this Ketsi Pan way should easily take the gold. Wow, it’s good. When we asked for a wine list we expected to be given a card, but instead the waiter actually brought all the different bottles for us to look at and choose from. Nice touch. Main courses we had were: Beef Stroganoff; Cod Fillet with Zucchini and Tom Yam sauce; Chicken BBQ. The Stroganoff was really tasty. The cod fillet was delicious. The Tom Yam sauce could have been spicier for us although that's a personal taste. The chicken BBQ was also delicious. Enjoying the meal so much, we ordered another bottle of wine and decided to try some of the desserts. Lemon Tiramisu is a wonderful variation on this classic. Instead of being coffee based, it's lemon based, reflecting Northern Cyprus' classic fruit. And it tastes superb. The Semifreddo (Frozen Chocolate Cream with Pistacchios) was simply stunning. Everything washed down with a limoncello digestivo. Executive Chef Oleg took the time to come out and ask for feedback which he got in spades. Yes, the Cod Fillet could have had a larger side dish with it; yes the chicken bbq might have been a bit more well done to suit our personal taste; yes the Tom Yam sauce wasn't as spicy as we would prefer, but generally we were surprised and delighted at the whole experience. And when the bill came, two bottles of wine, 4 starters, 4 mains and 4 desserts came to a little under £30 per head which we all reckoned was great value for money. Old Shakespeares has only been open a short time and there's still improvements that can be made but will we be going back there? Absolutely! ​ Turtle Paradise Restaurant & Bar @ Alagadi Beach Great location right by the beach. Fairly extensive menu and whatever you choose you'll be fine, although the hamburgers do deserve a special mention. Just good, solid cooking, where everything is tasty but the atmosphere surpasses the food. There's just something about this place which is magical mediterranean at its best. Dip in the sea or just sit with a drink and feel the breeze, this is a place built for relaxation. Plenty of car parking, family friendly. They also have a wonderful little shop which operates in the summer season, selling hand made jewellery, clothing and craft work run by the ever genial Ercan. Another must stop place to visit on the "Costa Cuisine". ​ Esenyali Balik Restoran @ Alagadi Set right beside the beach in the protected village of Aligadi, Esenyali is blessed with a really spectacular location. We had to drive slowly past the herd of goats out for a walk. The venue itself is simple and straight forward, but the set menu Meze certainly isn't. 20 cold courses followed by 5 hot courses (there were so many I couldn't keep up!) all of which were fresh, tasty and delicious. There are plenty of places that do a good Meze but this really should be one you try out. Not only was the food good but the service was exceptionally friendly. The presence of so many locals says it all. Highly recommended. ​ Hurma Restaurant between Acapulco and Elexus Resorts Brilliant restaurant. The meze was outrageously good, although better when shared with 4 (so much). Lovely views and great service. ​ Tuncay'in Yeri Restaurant @ Esentepe You can't come to Northern Cyprus and not have a Meze in a restaurant run by locals, like this. Offerings will differ according to seasonal availability, but at least you'll know everything is fresh. Meze here can be hot or cold and is usually served in batches of 4 or 5, although you might just get served 14 or 15 all at once. You’ll find a great mix of meat and fish with vegetarians especially well catered for. As good a Meze as you can find. Reasonable prices and friendly, efficient service. ​ Moonshire Bar & Restaurant @ Esentepe Location, location, location! Set on the hillside above the new marina and Sun Valley Beachside Resort, this gem of a place is a must visit for tourists and locals alike. While away a sunny afternoon with a wine or beer on one of the outside terraces, or enjoy a romantic meal for two while you watch the sun setting and all the time enjoy authentic family cooking at its best and a genuine friendliness which is a particular hallmark. The menu is international, reflecting its' growing popularity with customers from different countries. Prices represent great value - at the time of writing, a great meal will cost less than 20 Euro per head. Particularly popular with Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, Turks and British. Wide variety of events are always well attended so advance booking is recommended. Ample car parking available. ​ Cengiz's Restaurant & Bar@ Esentepe Returned to Cengiz's for my wife's birthday and what a great decision that was. Cengiz absolutely goes out of his way to give the best experience he can to his customers eg picked up and dropped off so we could both have a drink; organised a cake and sources and bought in special champagne at my request. The salmon starter was very generous in size and really tasty as was the chicken liver pâté. Mexican Steak was exactly as spicy as I requested and the beef stroganoff was delicious. Added to that, the general vibe of this place is really special (a covered courtyard adorned with passion fruit). A star venue of the North Cyprus "Costa Cuisine". Definitely recommended. ​ Spice Garden Restaurant @ Bahceli Great place to watch sport (show 4 events simultaneously) and probably the best Indian food for miles around. Friendly staff and friendly patrons make this a really enjoyable place to visit. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Top Make a Reservation Foodie > Food Tours Discover the culture & people of Northern Cyprus through traditional foods and wine, by taking a journey to some of the island’s hidden food haunts and award winning wineries. Sample authentic snacks, dishes and drinks while exploring mountain villages. Normally in small groups of up to 7 people, tours specialise in food & wine of Cyprus and offer a personal, bespoke experience you won’t forget. Private tours for larger groups are also available on request. What participants say… “We were taken to see a variety of brilliant foodie spots in quaint villages around the Troodos mountains. I’m sure we'd have paid a huge amount more if we'd hired a taxi driver for the day to take us from place to place and that would have been without lunch, entrance fees and tastings included. The planned itinerary and having someone to answer all your foodie questions was a huge plus and the info we were given at the end was really useful.” “We’ve started using private tour guides and small group experiences for our last few trips, as we’ve realised the big buses are not for us. We’re really glad we chose a tour instead of saving a few euros to join a big bus full of people. We were with just 3 others and had a great day, driving through the mountains tasting wine. We were introduced to all the native grape varieties and were able to buy top quality wine at phenomenal prices.” ​ ​ “We'd walked past one of the places out of the many we were taken to on this tour and actually thought about going inside. Even if we'd made a visit to this particular place by ourselves, there’s absolutely no way we would have ordered what our guide chose for us – totally worth it, just for the new tastes and dishes we tried. Absolutely brilliant tour!” ​ “We were taken to a great variety of restaurants on our tour, places that we'd never have found by ourselves. By the end of the night we’d seen so many great places and eaten so many delicious things we were stuffed… Make sure you arrive hungry! Worth EVERY penny” ​ Itineraries Some itineraries list an hour-by-hour schedule and a set of specific stops or locations. Others visit locals and because these local villagers are busy with every day life, can’t guarantee which stops will be included. Tours have themes and a kind-of checklist of what will be included, but the specifics of where you go and what you’ll see often changes. For example, if it’s the season for harvesting olives, then that might be included as one of the promised stops. If one of the locals is baking halloumi bread, this’ll get in as well, so you can meet a real local and experience a true Cypriot kitchen. If its September, that’s the time to walk through the vineyards to see the grape varieties. ​ What You'll Do Tours are normally a full day experience , exploring local villages and wineries, with an authentic meze lunch, delicous food and exquisite wine tastings. Your local guide will pick you up and drive you around. You’ll also get to visit traditional product workshops, taste Cypriot delicacies such as halloumi cheese, honey, olive oil, village breads, traditional sweets, and of course wine. You’ll get to learn about the ingredients, the making process and the traditions linked to the products before trying them. Part of the experience is visiting villages, where you’ll have time to explore the sites and take in stunning landscapes. Along the way you’ll usually stop at a local tavern to feast on a selection of Cypriot dishes with a full meze lunch. This is sure to be an authentic experience that will leave you wanting more from a foodie day like no other! Top Foodie > Hellim Hellim is a traditional food that has been produced locally for centuries and is well known worldwide for its unique taste. Also referred to as Halloumi , it's a semi-hard, unripened brined cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes cow’s milk as well. Alongside a distinctive layered texture, it has a high melting point making it easy to fry or grill. This property makes it a popular meat substitute and is moderately high in fat and a good source of protein. Locals enjoy Hellim fresh, grilled, barbequed, with salads, sandwiches, meals and even alongside fruit. Another favourite is grated, sprinkled with dried mint on tubular pasta types like Bucatini, or cooked in a chicken broth. Local cooking culture also revolves around a lot of bread and pastry, and local favourites like Hellimli and Pilavuna also make good use of Hellim within their traditional ingredients. Top Foodie > Hellimli Hellimli is a traditional Cypriot savoury pastry made with Hellim cheese . Consisting of flour, water, salt, butter and olive oil, chopped onions, mint, and diced Hellim cheese. Kneading chunks of the Hellim cheese, onions and mint into a bread dough, the dough is then sprinkled with sesame and nigella seeds, before being baked in a traditional clay oven. The crust of the bread develops a golden colour, ready to be served. You'll come across many bakeries in Northern Cyprus and won’t be disappointed with the choice at hand which make perfect snacks. Top Foodie > Hummus A Levantine food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Today, it's popular throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe. ​ Ingredients 1/2 kg chickpeas (soaked overnight) 1 cup tahini (beaten) * 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup lemon juice Tahini1/2 cup olive oil salt, paprika finely chopped parsley * Note: Tahini is a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds used in North African, Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Tahini is served as a dip on its own, or as a major component of hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Preparation Drain chickpeas, spread on a tea towel and roll a bottle over them to remove the husks. Boil the chickpeas until soft. Dry and mash. Beat the tahini and combine with the chickpeas. Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. If the paste is very thick, add liquid from the chickpeas. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley and pour a little olive oil over the purée. Top Foodie > Kolokas Colocasia esculenta is a perennial, tropical plant primarily grown as a root vegetable for its edible, starchy corm. The vegetables cultivated in Northern Cyprus are much larger than in other countries. Generally, Kolokas is eaten like a potato , as it tastes quite similar when cooked but with a nutty flavour. Be careful handling Kolokas, as the skin and roots are poisonous before they've been cooked and cannot under any circumstances be eaten raw . Often used as a substitute for potato, it's boiled in a tomato sauce or cooked with meat, beans and chickpeas. Overseas it's common to roast, bake, mash or chip them, as many different countries around the world use Kolokas in different ways. Drain chickpeas, spread on a tea towel and roll a bottle over them to remove the husks. Boil the chickpeas until soft. Dry and mash. Beat the tahini and combine with the chickpeas. Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. If the paste is very thick, add liquid from the chickpeas. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley and pour a little olive oil over the purée. Top Foodie > Kup Kebab Also known as Kleftiko , this is a traditional Turkish recipe where lamb is marinated in olive oil, garlic, onions and herbs and slowly cooked in greaseproof paper or foil, keeping all the juices and flavours together. Also referred to by locals as ‘Hirsiz Kebabı’ (Kebab of Thieves), traditionally, lambs or goats in the mountains were stolen then cooked in underground ovens sealed with mud, to disguise the smell and smoke and to avoid detection. The success of this famous dish depends on slow roasting, until the meat fairly falls off the bone. It's usually made with a leg of lamb which becomes very tender once cooked. Though the leaner leg looks impressive and is a cut better suited to faster cooking and served pink, the tougher, fattier shoulder, benefits from slow cooking, becoming wonderfully juicy and rich. Prolonged cooking in a traditional clay oven offers a tender dish that can't be achieved with conventional cooking. Almost always served with Cypriot roast potatoes, some prefer to cook the vegetables together with the meat, for the true flavour and aroma experience. Seasoned with oregano and bay leaves, a little acidity from a squeezed lemon helps to cut through the richness of the meat and potatoes, so you can keep going back for more. Kup Kebab is usually cooked on Sunday’s accompanied by a glass of Turkish Raki and a nap in the shade of a gnarly fig tree afterwards. Top Foodie > Lahmacun Ingredients A pack of pitas 1 lb ground beef 1 lb white onion 1 or 2 tomatoes Salt, black pepper to taste If you can't find tomatoes, replace it with 2 table spoons of tomato puree. ​ Preparation Peel, wash, place onions with tomatoes in food processor and ground. Add salt, black pepper and meat, ground 30 seconds more. With the help of a spoon, spread this mixture over pitas. Put them in oven and bake at 400F about 20-30 minutes. Check to see whether meat is cooked. Serve hot. Top Foodie > Meze You really can't come to Northern Cyprus and not have a Meze. It's the mainstay of traditional cuisine in North Cyprus and basically means appetisers or starters, and there's usually so much of it you won't need a main course. Meze are served in various forms all over the Middle East and certainly the Turkish Cypriot variety have influences recognisable if you've eaten meze in another country, although there are some unique to here. Depending on the time of year, offerings will differ according to seasonal availability, but at least you'll know everything is fresh. Meze can be hot or cold and is usually served in batches of 4 or 5, although you might just get served 14 or 15 all at once. You’ll find a great mix of meat and fish with vegetarians especially well catered for. Some of the more popular and common mezes you might expect to be served: ​ Cacik Pronounced Jajuk, this is a palate cleansing and refreshing dish in summer time. Combining fresh plain yoghurt made from sheep’s milk, finely chopped cucumber, mint and a dash of lemon. Often served along main courses as it’s an excellent accompaniment for meat. Calamar Calamari, usually served with lemon juice and some salt. Chakistes Very popular and definitely a staple of a meze selection. Crushed green olives, served dressed in olive oil, a little crushed garlic, coriander and lemon juice. Often on breakfast menus as well. Dolma/Sarma Stuffed varieties which often feature vine leaves, peppers, courgette flowers or pumpkin flowers which are used as wraps and stuffed with a mix of rice, tomatoes, sultanas, meat, herbs and spices. Very more-ish. Also known as ‘Yalancı Dolma’ (Stuffed Liar) because during the World War 2 no one could afford to stuff things with meat, thus being classed as cheating. Fasülye Beans. Loads of different types of beans served include black eyed beans, green beans, butter beans. Great served hot or cold with yoghurt and bread. Simple but tasty and healthy. ​ Hellim Sheep’s or goats cheese served sliced and grilled or fried . Has a unique taste and when grilled is crispy and chewy with some people finding it tastes a bit like bacon. ​ Hummus Great with bread as a dip on its own, or served with a full meze. Blended chickpeas and tahini paste with various spices to give it quite a sharp flavour. ​ Köfte Meatballs that come in various forms, but usually minced meat, onion and herbs mixed together and either fried, baked or grilled. Bulgur köfte for example, is bulgur wheat used as the outer coating for the meatball and deep fried to make a crisp coating. ​ Molehiya Served as a main course or as part of a meze, Molehiya is a green leaf vegetable unique to Cyprus. The leaves are dried in the sun and then boiled, usually along with pieces of chicken, to make a kind of stew. Quite a bitter taste, but along with a few herbs and spices, it makes for a healthy dish. ​ Mucver Pronounced Mujver, this is a batter mix of courgette flowers, milk and eggs whipped together and small spoonfuls of it then dropped into a hot pan of oil and cooked until crispy on the outside. ​ This is just a selection for you to get the general idea of how delicious a Turkish Cypriot meze meal can be. Others include cracked almonds on ice, salted fish, fresh beetroot, ox tongue, brain, dried meats and other vegetable dishes . There are plenty of traditional Turkish Cypriot restaurants so why not try some. Meze is an important part of social gatherings such as family get-togethers, weddings, parties and other functions, so it's the most popular way of eating for locals. Eat as much or as a little as you like, take your time over it, and don't think you need to finsh the whole lot. Top Foodie > Molohiya The leaves of Corchorus Olitorius , commonly known as Jew’s Mallow, Nalta jute, or Tossa jute. Molohiya is indigenous to Cyprus and was originally found growing on the banks of the River Nile in Egypt, living proof of Egyptian influence on Cyprus. Locals pick and dry the local plant throughout the summer months. Carrying many health benefits, it's cooked with freshly chopped tomato, onions, garlic, lemon juice, lamb or chicken, but can also be served vegetarian. It's a gorgeous traditional dish usually cooked and served at home, but you'll find a few local restaurants serving it during the day in Nicosia’s old walled city. Top Foodie > Olives In Northern Cyprus, as in other Mediterranean countries, the olive tree can be seen everywhere, in the wild and under cultivation. Usually favouring well drained sunny hillsides, olive trees also thrive in backyards and flat plain lands. Olives are an integral part of Cypriot culture and have been cultivated on the island since ancient times. Olive trees live for a long time and have been known to go for over 2,500 years . The oldest Monumental Olive Trees in the village of Kalkanli are an attraction for thousands of visitors each year. The nurture and care of olive trees is of course a matter of some skill. Legend has it that those who eat the fruit of this tree receive its resilience and endurance. Not surprisingly, Cypriots are considered to be long-lived and local life expectancy exceeds European average and other developed countries. Olive products are renowned for their health, vitality and longevity benefits, and olive trees have even had a tremendous impact on global affairs. ​ Green Olives Olive picking season in Cyprus starts early September and continues through to the New Year. The first olives picked are the small green ones. These are washed, cracked and then soaked in brine, and served as a popular delicacy, Chakistes, found in all homes and Cypriot tavernas. If these olives are left on the trees longer, they turn black, and are then used for making olive oil. ​ Olive Oil In ancient times, Cypriots used a heavy stone press with a long wooden handle to produce olive oil. A donkey pushed the handle to rotate the millstone, crushing the fresh olives. Since then the process has changed dramatically and become completely automated, but the essntials remain unaltered: no heating and no chemicals result in the production of high-quality olive oil. ​ Symbol of Peace In North Cyprus the phrase, “to offer someone an olive branch” can be commonly heard, meaning a proposal to make peace with someone. Found in most cultures of the Mediterranean, the olive branch first symbolised representing peace in Ancient Egypt, followed many centuries later in ancient Greek mythology. Even on the “Great Seal of the United States”, the supporter of the shield is a bald eagle grasping an olive branch in its’ right talon, symbolising a preference for peace. A petition adopted by the American Continental Congress in July 1775, was called the “Olive Branch Petition” in the hope of avoiding a full-blown war with Great Britain. ​ Olive Leaf Burning A Turkish Cypriot custom known as ‘Tutsu ’, is the burning of olive leaves. A symbolic act for warding off the evil eye and to protect from harm, a family member gathers leaves into a custom metal pot and then burns them, waving the resulting smoke around people for their protection and well being. ​ Cosmetology Olive oil is widely used not only in the kitchen but also in medicine and cosmetology. Cosmetics made with olive oil are very popular in Northern Cyprus. Soaps, moisturisers, shampoos, shower gels, facial masks and much more are available in and around most towns. Olive oil soaps provide a very clean and smooth silky feel with minimal lather, a moisturising effect that lasts longer time than inorganic cosmetics and is perfect for dry and sensitive skin. As olive oil soap contain effective antioxidant properties, usage stimulates new cell generation, slows down wrinkle development and gives skin a youthful look. ​ Leaf Extract The powerful antioxidants of olive leaf extract are also proven to protect against a variety of viral and bacterial infections. Olive leaf extract capsules claim to improve the regulation of blood pressure, and olive leaf tea helps the digestive system. ​ Gifts Olive oil was a very important part of daily life in the Mediterranean in Roman times It was used for food, as fuel for lamps, and as a basic ingredient in things like medicinal ointment, bath oils, skin oils, soaps, perfumes and cosmetics. Even before Roman times, Cyprus was known for its olive oil, as indicated by the Greek philosopher Strabo when he said that “in fertility Cyprus is not inferior to any one of the islands, for it produces both good wine and good oil”. Olive, olive oils and associated products are popular gifts to take home. Top Foodie > Pekmez The Besparmak Mountains are swarming with carob trees and the sweet thick syrup extracted from the pods are exceptionally tasty. Pods are gound into powder, then boiled in water which reduces them to dark harnup pekmez (carob molasses). Carob syrup can be found in most health food stores globally, but the local version of pekmez can only be found in local supermarkets. ​ Pekmez is used in soups and stews, spread on bread, poured over ice cream, mixed with yoghurt or trickled over pastry and fruit. Restaurants sell desserts made of pekmez, such as gullurikya. In villages such as Tatlisu and Ozankoy which hold annual Carob Festivals , a sweet fermented drink is also brewed with pekmez and drank ice cold. Locals believe that a teaspoon a day of pekmez keep colds and flu away. The fruit of this tree contain vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D, as well as zinc, useful for both children and adults suffering from anaemia. Harnup Pekmez is also believed to show positive effects in treating impotence and infertility. Top Guides > Pilavuna Local culture embraces communal baking and often revolves around bread or pastry and Pilavuna is a cheese-filled pastry unique to Northern Cyprus. Made with a yeast pastry, comparable to bread dough, which is rolled very thinly, the pastry is similar to shortcrust in texture. They're filled with a combination of Hellim and nor, a fresh mild whey cheese produced in Cyprus, the cheeses then mixed with dried mint and sometimes sweet sultanas. Depending where they're made, recipes vary from salty to semi-sweet or sweet and often eaten with breakfast or as a snack with tea in the afternoon. Sometimes also referred to as “flaounes ”, locals serve Pilavna as a celebratory food for the breaking of the Lenten fast, being prepared on Good Friday for consumption on Easter Sunday by Orthodox Christians. Pilavuna’s were featured as a technical challenge in The Great British Bake Off television series. Top Foodie > Prickly Pear (Cactus) Prickly Pears, known locally as Babutsa , is a cactus fruit that can be seen everywhere in Northern Cyprus. It's unpretentious, requiring no special care or water. You can eat it raw, whole, or with the bones which are inside it. In this form it's good for digestion and helps cleanse the body. It's high in antioxidants, contains vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. and has a smell similar to watermelon. It can also be used to make marmalade; be added to desserts and liqueurs; baked or stewed. T he only drawback of course, is that it's covered in thorns! If you decide to clean these off yourself the first thing you'll need is patience and the second thing you'll need is gloves. Start by cutting off the edges of the fruit from the top and bottom, then cut from top to bottom, remove the skin and voila! Juicy cactus figs. But that's not all this wonderful barbed pear is good for. Ancient builders used it to built castles and fortresses would you believe. They cooked the cactus leaves to a jelly-like state, mixed this with soil and used it as cement because the composition was so strong. The famous Bellapais Abbey was built this way. You don't see any cement there and it's still standing centuries later. It also gets used for home security. How many burglars would want to climb over a prickly cactus fence like the one pictured? Top Foodie > Raki Locals call Raki, the anise-flavoured drink “Lion’s Milk” . It's not known where or when the drink was invented, but its' history is less than wine or beer. It's made from different fruits in different regions, but grapes, figs and plums are the main ones. The best way to drink raki is with flat cylindrical glasses and cold – straight (sek), with water, soda or mineral water. Usually 40% – 50% alcohol, it changes colour and becomes a milky white when water is added. A glass of pure water helps clean the palette so you can better enjoy the distinct taste. Served at every restaurant, but traditionally associated with tavernas (meyhanes ), it's usually served with meze’s, meat or fresh fish. Local custom is to clink glasses with the bottom of the glass as using the top indicates you think you're superior. Another tradition is to knock the table lightly with the bottom of your glass before you take a sip, indicating there's someone you're thinking of who you wish was there. ​ After a Raki, a local tip is to try a Turkish tea (çay) which will sober and calm you for the next round. The raki table is referred to as çilingir (“locksmith”), alluding to the way the secrets of the heart are unlocked and spoken around this table. Cheers! Shay-re-fe-nee-ze! Top Foodie > Recipes - Chicken Tavuklu Börek (Chicken pies) The cornerstone of Turkish cuisine - intricate little parcels, filled with delight. Turkish women pride themselves on the small size of these exquisite mezze, even if it requires hours of devotion to make them. Börek are always present at every celebration and the event would not have enough glitter without their enticing, bulgy presence. There are a multitude of different fillings, according to the season and the occasion. The pastry used to wrap them also varies, from the paper-thin fillo pastry found in the cities to permutations of homemade puff pastry, or a simple, homemade substitute for fillo. Fillo pastry freezes well and it will keep frozen for up to 3 months. Let it defrost for a couple of hours at room temperature before it's to be used. When bought fresh, it'll keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Once it's unwrapped, work swiftly, as it soon dries out and becomes brittle. If not familiar with fillo, cover the bulk of it with a slightly damp tea towel while using it and take your time. Preparation time: 1 hour + 20 minutes baking at Gas Mark 4 / 180°C/350°F. Makes 25. Ingredients For filling 375 g (12 oz) cooked chicken breast fillets 25 g (1 oz) butter 25 g (1 oz) plain flour 150 ml (1/4 pint) hot milk 4 tablespoons hot chicken stock 50 g (2 oz) parmesan, or Gruyère cheese, grated 1 egg, beaten lightly A pinch each of ground nutmeg and salt To make up the Börek 8-10 sheets of fillo pastry (or milföy hamuru in Turkish) 75 g (3 oz) butter, melted oil for greasing Preparation : Preheat the oven. If you're using cooked chicken, just cut it into peanut-sized pieces. If you're using chicken fillets, first simmer them in hot water for 6-8 minutes and then take them out and chop them roughly to the same size. Melt the butter, add the flour and stir over a low heat until well mixed into a roux. withdraw the pan from the heat and add the hot milk and chicken stock gradually, stirring; return the pan to a gentle heat and whisk the sauce until it boils and thickens enough, which should take 5-6 minutes. Add the cheese and the seasonings and mix well. Away from the heat, add the beaten egg slowly, stirring, and then the chicken pieces. It should be fairly thick in order to be used successfully in the börek. Next, cut the whole stack of fillo pastry into four long strips, about 8 cm (3 inches) wide. Brush each sheet with melted butter, place a teaspoon of filling in one corner and fold them over making little triangles. Place these on an oiled baking sheet, with the loose end of the pastry underneath, brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes or until golden crisp and light golden. Alternatively, you could use puff pastry, which is available freshly made or frozen. Defrost if needed and cut walnut-sized pieces off the pastry. Roll them out thinly in small circles of about 10 cm (4 inches) diameter, place a teaspoon of filling in the centre, fold the pastry over and press the edges together, making a semi-circular shape. Brush the tops with beaten egg, and bake as before for about 20 minutes or until light golden. Cherkes Tavugu (Circassian chicken) Preparation time: 30 minutes + 1 hour. Serves 6 as a main course, or 8 as a starter Ingredients 1.5-1.75 kg (3 and ½ -4 lb) chicken -jointed 2 carrots -peeled and quartered 1 onion -chopped 250 gr (8 oz) shelled walnuts or walnut pieces -ground finely 175 gr (6 oz) white breadcrumbs 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 40 gr (1 and ½ oz) butter 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt Preparation : Cover the chicken joints with water; add some salt, bring to boil and skim. Add the vegetables, cover and cook for 50-60 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Take out the joints, reserve the stock, and when the joints are cool, skin and bone them, shredding the meat into large mouthful morsels. Cover the meat to prevent it from drying and set it aside. Boil the stock until it's reduced to about 300 ml (½ pint) and discard the carrots. Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs and half the cayenne in a small bowl. If you are planning to serve the dish hot, stop at this stage and prepare the rest shortly before it is to be served. Otherwise just continue. Add enough hot chicken stock to form a smooth paste and mix well. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the chicken pieces in it until they start to brown. Withdraw from the heat, add 4 tablespoons of the walnut sauce and a little more salt and mix well. Pile the chicken on to a platter and use the remaining sauce to cover the whole surface smoothly. Mix the olive oil with the remaining cayenne and decorate the surface by dribbling the oil in decorative patterns. Kolokas (Colocasia with chicken) Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 kg chicken -jointed 1 kg kolokas (colocasia) 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion -skinned and finely chopped 4 sticks of celery -cut into thick slices 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 litre chicken stock Seasoning Preparation : Put the cooking oil and the olive oil into a large saucepan and place the pan on high heat. Fry the chicken joints until golden brown on both sides. Remove the joints and keep them on one side. Add the chopped onion and fry until soft and golden brown. Meanwhile with a sharp knife peel the kolokas, without washing. Then, by holding it from the thick stalk part, starting from the top, break pieces with a sharp knife from the kolokas. Add the sliced celery and the kolokas pieces together with the chicken joints into the pan. Season well with salt and freshly ground balck pepper. Dissolve the tomato paste in the hot chicken stock and pour it over the meat and the vegetables. Bring it to the boil, then cover and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Top Foodie > Recipes - Desserts Aşure (Noah's Pudding) Ingredients 1 ½ glasses ground wheat 2/5 glass rice 30 glasses water 3 glasses milk 3 glasses granulated sugar 50 gr. dried beans 50 gr. dried broad beans 50 gr. chick peas 100 gr. walnuts 100 gr. dried apricots 150 gr. sultanas 100 gr. figs 25 gr. pine nuts 25 gr. currants 100 gr. almonds 1/3 glass rose water ​ Preparation : Soak wheat and rice overnight in cold water. Pour out that water and add 30 glasses fresh water, cook over heat a little less than moderate for 6-7 hours until the wheat is tender. Pour through a strainer, press with a wooden spoon in order to strain. Stir this wheat essenced water thoroughly and measure it. There should be about 12 glasses, add to this wheat essenced water, sugar and milk, place on heat and stir until the sugar melts. Boil either once or twice until the mixture becomes the consistency of quite a thick soup. Soak the beans; dried broad beans and chick peas overnight in cold water. Boil them the next day and add to the mixture along with the cleaned and washed sultanas; currants; dried apricots cut into small pieces; white pine nuts; boiled almonds after removing their skins; chopped walnuts; and rose water. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat and pour immediately into various bowls. After completely cooling, decorate with almonds, walnuts and pomegranates. Serves 4. Baklava (Syrup Filo Pastry) Baklava is one of the oldest known Turkish flaky pastry desserts. Its popularity goes back to the time of Sultan Mehmet (15th century) of the Ottoman Empire. Ingredients 500 grams of filo pastry 300 grams of unsalted butter (melted) 2 cups chopped walnuts or pistachio nuts For the Syrup 500 grams of sugar ½ litre of water Juice of ½ lemon Preparation : Preheat the owen to 180°C/350°F and grease a 25 x 30 cm baking dish. Brush dish with melted butter. Place one sheet of filo pastry in bottom of dish and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet of pastry and brush the top with melted butter. Continue this until you use half of the filo pastry. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place the remaining layers of filo pastry, brushing each one with melted butter. Brush the top with melted butter and cut into diamond shapes. Bake until golden. To make the syrup, place the above ingredients in a saucepan and boil on medium heat stirring constantly. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Pour hot syrup over cooled baklava. Allow to cool and absorb syrup before serving. Ceviz Macunu (Green Walnuts in Syrup) Ingredients Ceviz Macunu (Green Walnuts in Syrup)100 green walnuts - peeled 800 gr (4 cups) sugar 100 almonds -peeled 6-7 cloves Juice of 2 and a half lemons Preparation : With a small sharp knife, cut the tough bony parts on both ends of each walnut. Put them into a bucket full of water for 7 days, changing the water daily. On the eighth day put them in water with a handful of lime stone dissolved in. Drain and wash them well. Into a large saucepan put enough water to cover them. Place the pan on high heat and bring the water up to the boil. Then add the walnuts and cook for 10 minutes. Drain them well. Place the pan again with fresh water, place it on heat, bring up to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain and with a skewer make 2-3 holes on each walnut. Cook them again in freshly boiled water for 20-25 minutes and drain. Let them cool down in cold water with the juice of two lemons added. Drain and stuff each walnut from the cut ends with an almond and place them into an empty saucepan. Pour the sugar over the fruits and wait until they release their own water. Cook the walnuts on low heat until the syrup thickens. Add the juice of ½ lemon and allow them to cool. Place them in sterilised dry jars with lid. It can be stored, in cool place, for up to one year. Gatmer (Sweet filo pastry with walnuts) Ingredients 5 Sheets of filo pastry (about 250 gr) 150 gr walnuts, roughly chopped 225 gr butter For the Syrup 350 gr sugar 500 ml water 1 tablespoon citrus blossom water Few drops of lemon juice Preparation : Oven temerature - 240°C, gas mark 9. To make the syrup in a medium size saucepan dissolve the sugar in a water and add in the lemon juice and the citrus blossom water. Place the pan on high heat and bring slowly to boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until it turns into a shiny syrup. Let it cool down on one side. Grease a round baking tray. On each leaf of filo brush some melted butter. In the middle of the square pastry put some of the coarsely chopped walnuts. First, fold the two opposite sides, then roll it loosely. Place them into the baking tray in rounds, starting from the middle. Pour the rest of the melted butter over them and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden. Pour the cold syrup over the hot pastry and allow it to soak well. Decorate it with chopped pistachio nuts and serve cold. Serves 4. Irmik Kurabiyesi (Cypriot Nut-stuffed Semolina pastries) Ingredients 1/4 lb Sweet butter 1 1/4 c Fine semolina Orange flower water 1/4 ts Salt 3 tb Warm water (more if needed) 1 c Chopped unsalted pistachios 4 1/2 tb Granulated sugar 1 tb Ground cinnamon Confectioners' sugar Preparation : Oven temerature - 180°C/350°F. In a small, heavy saucepan, bring the butter to bubbling over medium heat and stir in the fine semolina. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and let stand overnight at room temperature. The next day, uncover and add 2 teaspoons orange flower water, the salt, and gradually the warm water, working with your fingers to make a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then cover and let rest 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine the pistachios, sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Break off pieces of dough slightly larger in size than a walnut. Work in your fingers to form a ball. Press the centre with your thumb to make a large well and fill with 1 teaspoon of the nut mixture, then cover over with dough and shape into an oval. Set on a cookie sheet and continue until all pastries are shaped. Bake in a moderate oven (350°F) for 30 to 35 minutes or until the yellow colour has become a light (not a deep) chestnut. Remove to racks and cool for 10 minutes, then dip quickly into orange flower water and roll in confectioners' sugar. Cool before storing. Note: You may substitute blanched almonds for the pistachios and peanut oil for the butter. Serves 30 cookies. Lokma (Honeyed crisp doughnuts) These golden, light bubbles that are bathed with thick honey (or syrup if preferred) as they emerge from the crackling cauldron of hot oil and served immediately, dusted with aromatic cinnamon, are glittering prize of a shopping trip or a visit to the market. Made from humble ingredients of flour, yeast and water -basically, a leavened bread dough- they impress with their sumptuously pleasurable results. They are also made for Bayrams and other religious festivals and offered on large platters to visitors. Ingredients 250 gr (8 oz) plain flour ¼ teaspoon salt 6 gr easy blend dried yeast or 15 gr (½ oz) fresh yeast 270 ml (9 fl oz) warm water ½ teaspoon sugar -if fresh yeast is used 300 ml (½ pint) vegetable oil -or more if necessary 6-7 teaspoons good quality aromatic clear honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preparation : Time - 2 and a half hours. Sift the flour and salt in a bowl and mix the dried yeast in; add the warm water slowly while beating either with an electric mixer or a balloon whisk until all the water has been added and the mixture is smooth and lightly frothy, all in all about 2-3 minutes. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest in a warm place for one hour, until it has doubled its size and looks frothy. If using fresh yeast, dissolve the yeast in about 60 ml (2 fl oz) of warm water (about 40°C/100°F), add the sugar to activate it and let it stand in a warm place for about 15 minutes, until it starts to froth. (If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.) Empty the dissolved yeast into the middle of the sifted flour, beating continuously. Add the remaining warm water slowly, while beating at the same time, until the mixture becomes smooth, soft and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for about 2 and a half hours until it rises and almost doubles in size. Have the oil very hot but not smoking, using a saucepan or deep-fryer, and drop teaspoon of the mixture in it, 6-8 at a time. Dip the teaspoon into a cup of cold water between each addition to prevent stickiness. The lokma puff up and rise to the surface within seconds. Turn them over and as they become pale golden all over -it only takes a minute- lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain them on absorbent paper. You will have around 30 lokmas. Serve 5-6 on each plate, dribble a teaspoon of honey all over, sprinkle on some cinnamon and serve immediately. Serves 4-6. Muhallebi (Cypriot Rice Powder Pudding) This is a much loved Turkish-Cypriot dessert prepared by families all year round. Ingredients 1 pint (568 ml) semi-skimmed milk 4 tablespoon rice powder [1 rounded tablespoon rice powder per 1 water glassful of milk] ¾ to 1 water-glassful sugar [or enough sugar to taste] 2-4 granules of mastic (mezdeki) grounded with 1 teaspoon of sugar 2-3 bitter orange leaves or orange blossoms Water optional or if available Pistachios and almonds (if desired) Preparation : In a basin or a large bowl, mix rice powder into a paste with a little milk taken from 1 pint (568 ml). Heat remaining milk to almost boiling point and pour onto the rice paste, stirring well. Return the mix to the saucepan and add orange leaves and bring to boil over gentle heat while stirring continuously. Once the mixture starts bubbling, reduce the heat and continue stirring for another 5-10 minutes more. Add sugar and keep stirring until it dissolves completely. If the mixture becomes too thick dilute with a little milk or water. Just before turning the heat off add powdered mastic, orange blossoms (or bitter-orange leaves) and stir well. Remove the leaves (if used instead of blossoms) and pour the creamy mixture into small bowls (or a one large shallow dish approximately 1-1 and ½” deep. Decorate the pudding top with pistachios and almonds if desired. Serves 5. Helpful Hints: Add sugar after the rice powder mixture has been stirred, boiled and thickened for at least 10 minutes. Add mastic right at the end. At the end, you may wish to place the saucepan in cold water and beat the mixture for a few minutes before pouring into small dishes. Shammali (Yoghurt, Almond and Semolina Cake) Ingredients 1 glass cooking oil half glass sugar 3 eggs 2 glasses semolina (fine or coarse) 1 glass self raising flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 glass milk (you might need less or a little more) about 2 tablespoons roasted split almonds optional: 1 teaspoon almond essence For the syrup 3 glasses water 2 and a half glasses sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Preparation : Make the syrup first: bring the ingredients to the boil, simmer gently for about 20 minutes, leave to cool. Thoroughly whisk all the ingredients for the bake (less the flaked almonds) to a thick batter like consistency (like a sponge cake mixture) - add the milk gradually, stopping when the raw cake mixture is smooth enough. Place mixture in greased tin and sprinkle the almonds on the top. Bake in medium oven (200°C) for about 60 min. until the top is golden brown and the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the tin. Pour cold syrup over hot cake, leave to cool and cut in squares for serving. Serves 6. Sütlaç (Rice Pudding) This is a delicious, light dessert enjoyed in the warmer weathers or after a rich meal of meat dishes or fried fish. Ingredients 1 litre milk 250 grams sugar 100 grams rice 1 tablespoon of rice flour 3 - 4 teaspoons of vanilla sugar Preparation : First, wash the rice in cold water. Then boil rice in water, enough to cover rice with. When rice expands, take off heat, drain rice and mix in milk. Place rice and milk on heat when mixture begins to boil add sugar and stir slightly. Simmer until rice is cooked (approximately 10 minutes). Make a paste of the rice flour with a little amount of water and stir into milk mixture and continue stirring. Allow to simmer for a little while longer. Take off heat and add vanilla sugar. Pour Sütlaç into individual bowls and let cool. Sprinkle with cinnamon serve cold. Serves 4. Turunç Macunu (Bitter Oranges in Syrup) Ingredients 20 bitter oranges 1.5 kg sugar 675 ml cold water 2 table spoons lemon juice ½ tablespoon vanilla sugar Preparation : Turunç Macunu (Bitter Oranges in Syrup)Slightly grate bitter oranges to remove the red colour which covers their skins. Without cutting the flesh itself, cut the peel off the oranges divided to four. Remove the white pith from the inside of the skin and roll them. Tie with a strong string so that they remain rolled while cooking. Then place in a glassbowl of cold water and leave for 3-4 days. Change the water daily. On the fourth day, place them into a large pan of boiling water. Cook for 20 minutes until they are soft. Drain them well. Into a separate saucepan pour 3 cups of water and 1.5 kg sugar. Place the pan on heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. When it starts to boil, add in the rolled skins and cook for 40 minutes until the syrup thickens. Shortly before removing the pan from the heat add lemon juice and the vanilla sugar. Let it cool and then transfer into dry jars with lid. Store in cool place for up to one year. Turkish Delight (Lokum) The best Turkish Delight is made by the Turkish masters of its art; but a delicious approximation can be made at home. Its secrets are uninterrupted stirring and careful aging. Time - Total first-day time: 3 hours. Aging: 2+ days Ingredients 4 cups sugar 1½ cups water 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup cornstarch 1 tsp. cream of tartar 3 cups water 2 tbsp. rose or orange flower water, orange juice or lemon juice, or vanilla extract 1-2 tsp. vanilla or other extract or essence Several drops food coloring ½ cup almonds, skinless pistachios or walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted (optional) ½ cup powdered sugar ½ cup cornstarch Preparation : Combine sugar, 1½ cup water and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil vigorously for 5 to 10 minutes, until the syrup reaches 240°F on a food thermometer, or forms a soft ball when a bit is dropped into cold water. Turn off the heat. Using a blender, food processor, or whisk, combine the cornstarch and cream of tartar, then gradually add 3 cups of water, stirring vigorously to fully combine the ingredients and prevent lumping. Transfer this mixture to a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. If any lumps form, scoop them out of the pan; don't try to break them up to make them smooth. It won't work. Once the cornstarch mixture has come to a boil, pour in the hot syrup in a thin, steady stream, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 1 to 2 hours, stirring constantly, until the mixture has turned a pale gold. Turn off the heat. Stir in flavouring to taste, and food colouring, if desired. Blend in the nuts, if desired. Using a flavourless oil, lightly oil a 9" square baking pan, then line the pan with lightly oiled baker's parchment. Pour the Lokum into the pan, then tilt it to distribute the mixture evenly. Wait until the Lokum has cooled completely before covering the pan with plastic wrap. Do not allow the plastic to touch the surface of the Lokum, or it will stick mercilessly. Let the Lokum rest for at least two days before cutting into 1" wide strips with an oiled kitchen knife (not serrated). Clean and oil the knife after every cut. If the Lokum is too gummy to cut, let it age longer. Lay out the strips on a lightly oiled tray and let them rest for another day or two before cutting into small squares. Combine one-half cup each of cornstarch and powdered sugar in a tightly covered container. Put 2 or 3 squares of Lokum into the container, cover and shake to coat them with the mixture. Store in an airtight container, separating the layers with parchment, waxed paper or doilies. Top Foodie > Recipes - Meat Sish Kebab Ingredients : 500 grams of diced lamb Juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tomatoes 6 long green peppers 1 onion salt, pepper Preparation : Grate onion and remove its liquid. Place diced lamb in a bowl and add onion and lemon juices. Cover and rest for a few hours. Cut peppers and tomaotes into large pieces. Place meat and alternate layers of peppers and tomatoes on skewers. Cook on hot plate or barbeque, turning frequently. Serve with a fresh garden salad. ​ Köfte (Turkish meatballs) These appetising, walnut-shaped morsels are always part of the Turkish mezze. They are best served hot, but are also quite good at room temperature and also ideal for a picnic. In Turkey or Northern Cyprus minced lamb is used, but beef or a mixture of both will do. Preparation time - 20 minutes. Serves: 4-6. Ingredients 2 medium-size slices of crustless stale bread, soaked briefly in water 500 g (1 lb) minced lamb or beef 1 medium-size onion, grated thickly 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint, or 1 tablespoon dried mint 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 egg - salt and black pepper For frying 75 g (3 oz) plain flour 150 ml (1/4 pint) vegetable oil Preparation : Squeeze out excess water from the soaked bread, leaving it quite dry. Combine all the ingredients for the Köfte in a bowl and mix well. Make walnut-shaped balls and keep them covered until they are to be eaten. Then roll them lightly in flour and fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes until golden all over. They can be shallow -or deep- fried. Lahmacun (Turkish pizza) Ingredients A pack of pitas 1 lb ground beef 1 lb white onion 1 or 2 tomatoes Salt, black pepper to taste If you can't find tomatoes, you can replace it with 2 table spoons of tomatoe puree. Preparation : Peel, wash, place onions with tomatoes in a food processor and ground. Add salt, black pepper and meat, ground 30 seconds more. With the help of a spoon spread this mixture over pitas. Put them in oven and bake at 400°F about 20-30 minutes. Check to see whether meat is cooked. Serve hot. Bumbar (Cypriot sausages) Stuffed intestines with rice; serves 4-6 Ingredients 3 thin intestines (with no hole) 700 gr minced beef 1 large onion -grated 160 gr rice -washed and drained 750 ml (3/4 litre) water 2-3 tablespoons salt 3 tablespoons parsley -finely chopped 2 large ripe tomatoes -peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 100 ml cooking oil Vinegar Lemon juice How to clean the instestines. Wash all the three pieces under cold water. To clean the inside, take one piece and hold one of the ends with one hand, then with the other hand start turning inside out. Fill the intestine with water, so that it runs out like a long sausage. The fatty outside is now in. Do all the three pieces in the same way. Wash them again with cold water than rub in some flour, so that all the thick mucuous is rubbled out of them. then wash again. Lastly, clean with lemon juice and vinegar. For the filling: Grate one large onion, chop the tomatoes and parsley. Wash and drain the rice. Add all into the minced beef, together with tomato paste, 2 tablespoons salt, and 3/4 litre of water. Mix all the ingredients well. Preparation : Turn all the intestine inside out in the same way. Then with a special funnel which has a large mouth (made for this purpose) fill the intestine with the prepared filling and tie the ends with a thick string. Put all the stuffed intestines into a large cooking pot. Fill with cold water just to cover all. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to boil and simmer 30-45 minutes. In the middle of the cooking time, make holes on each intestine with a skewer, so that all the air escapes. When cooked, take them out of the water and drain. Keep 3/4 litre of the hot cooking water separately. The rest can be used in making soups or in cooking. Then fry the bumbars (intestines) until brown all over, without damaging them. After frying, take them out and serve warm. Top Foodie > Recipes - Mezze Chakistes Crushed green olives in marinate. One of the favourite Turkish Cypriot appetizers. To make chakistes, pick some green olives early in winter, best in October. Try to select the large ones. Ingredients Large green olives Water Salt Extra virgin olive oil 1 egg Garlic cloves -crushed Lemon juice Coriander -crushed Preparation . Wash olives well and dry in the sun then split them with a flat stone or a hammer. Place them into a bucket and cover them with salted water to preserve them. Leave for six days, changing the water every day. To make sure the water has got the correct quantity of salt, put a fresh egg in it. If the egg floats, with part of it coming out of water, then it's just fine. Add the juice of three lemons and pour half a cup of olive oil on the surface. They're ready to eat after one month. Serving . Get enough quantity out of the jar and wash under cold water to remove salt. Mix some olive oil with lemon juice, crushed coriander and some crushed garlic. Pour the mixture over the green olives and serve. Cacik Yogurt, cucumber & mint dip. Preparation time: 10 minutes + chilling. Serves: 4. `Cacik' in Turkey, or `Tzatziki' in Greece, is one of the best known appetisers in either cuisine. Extremely refreshing and fragrant because of the aroma of the mint, it's served with kebabs; fried slices of courgettes and aubergines; roast chicken, lamb or with meze. Deliciously thick, creamy yogurt, made from sheep's milk accounts for the wonderful texture and flavour of the dish. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon wine vinegar 1 clove of garlic, crushed 175 g (6 oz) natural yogurt 5 cm (2-inch) piece of cucumber, diced finely or grated coarsely 3-4 fresh mint leaves, chopped finely, or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint salt Preparation Lightly beat the oil, vinegar and garlic with a fork in a bowl; add the yogurt and beat until smooth and well amalgamated. Add the cucumber, salt and the chopped mint and mix well. Serve chilled. ​ Halloumi (Hellim) cheese Hellim cheese, or Halloumi, as it's also known, is the most unique of the Cypriot delicacies. It is full fat soft cheese made of whole goat's milk, salt and a hint of mint. You can buy packaged halloumi at a local Middle Eastern grocery. Serving suggestions: Dice into small cubes for salads or serve with biscuits, cucumber or melon. It also makes a superb side dish, as well as fried or grilled topping. ​ Grilled Halloumi Ingredients : 1 halloumi (hellim) cheese -cut into thick slices. Preparation : Sliced halloumis can be cooked under a hot oven, grill or on charcoal until it starts to melt and gets slightly brown. Or it can alternatively be fried in hot oil or butter. Serve with a slice of lemon. Halloumi & Tomato Sauce This rich tomato sauce with cubes of fried Cypriot cheese goes great with penne or other short pasta with a good chewy bite. It's slightly sweet, flavored with cinnamon and mint, and just a little spicy. Ingredients : 2 x 1/2lb packages Halloumi Olive oil, for deep frying 2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Bay leaves 3 inches Cinnamon stick, broken into 2 or 3 pieces 2 tsp. Cumin seeds 2 large Onions, sliced 3 cloves Garlic, minced 2 Serrano cillies, minced 1/2 lb. Mushrooms, sliced 1 quart Tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 1/2 tsp. Ground cumin seed 1 Tbsp. Oregano, dry 1 Tbsp. Mint leaves, dry 1 small can Tomato paste 1 Cup Water 1/2 - 1 tsp. Sugar Salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste Preparation : Cut halloumi into 1/2 inch cubes. Deep fry in olive oil until golden and lightly browned on edges, much as one treats Paneer. Do this in batches, so that the cubes can be kept from clumping together. Drain on paper towels and put aside. This can be done ahead of time; just refrigerate halloumi in paper towels inside a container until ready to use. Heat 2 or 3 Tbsp. of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add bay leaves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds; fry 30 seconds. Add onions and stir-fry with the spices. After two or three minutes add garlic and chile, and continue stir-frying a few more minutes. Add mushrooms; fry a few minutes, until they change color. Add tomatoes, stir in ground cumin, oregano, and mint. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste, stir well to dissolve paste. Gently stir in fried halloumi cubes and simmer 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally and adding the water as needed for the desired consistency. Add sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Hummus HummusTurkish Humus is sharply appetising; it can be served with fresh bread or pitta bread to be dipped in, or as a sauce with fried fish or kebabs. It will enliven the table when served along with a vegetable casserole or as part of a meze. Humus can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Don't use canned chick-peas to make Humus as they're not successful. Preparation time: Soaking overnight + 1 hour cooking + 15 minutes. Serves 4-6. Ingredients 175 g (6 oz.) chick-peas, picked clean and soaked overnight 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons tahini paste (optional, but add more oil if not used) Juice of 1 and a half lemons 1 and a half teaspoons ground cumin 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 300 ml (1/2 pint) chick-pea cooking liquid Salt and black pepper 1 or 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil A little cayenne pepper or paprika Preparation : Rinse the chick-peas. Cover with plenty of water in a large pan, bring to the boil and skim until clear. Cover and cook until soft: in a pressure cooker they will take 15-20 minutes; otherwise a little over 1 hour, according to their age. Strain the chick-peas, reserving the cooking liquid. divide all the ingredients in two and place the first batch in a food processor or liquidiser; blend until grainy and of a runny consistency. If too dry, add more liquid and then adjust the seasoning and blend it in briefly. Make the second batch in the same fashion. Pour on to a flat platter, and sprinkle the oil and the cayenne pepper or paprika decoratively on top before serving. Tahin Salatasi (Tahini dip) Extremely appetising and refreshing, this can be served with hot pitta or bread to be dipped in. It's a very Cypriot dish which is also offered along with kebabs, or with mezze. Preparation time: 10 minutes. Serves: 4. Ingredients 5 tablespoons Tahini paste 150 ml (1/4 pint) warm water 1-2 cloves of garlic 6 tablespoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt to taste 1 tablespoon chopped parsley A few black olives Preparation : Combine in a blender the tahini, water, garlic and salt and blend. Slowly add the lemon and oil, alternating them, while the blades are in motion, until the mixture looks creamy in colour and texture. Adjust the seasoning and serve in a bowl with the parsley and olives sprinkled on top. Top Foodie > Recipes - Pasta & Rice Firin Makarnasi (Baked Macaroni) Ingredients 900 gr macaroni 100 gr butter 200 gr onion -finely chopped 650 gr minced beef 900 gr riped tomatoes -peeled and finely chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ tablespoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon sugar Pinch of nutmeg (optional) Seasoning 100 gr halloumi cheese For the sauce 50 gr butter 50 gr flour 600 ml milk 3 eggs -well beaten Seasoning Oven temperature: 200C, gas mark 6 ​ Preparation : In a frying pan heat 50 gr of the butter and fry the onions for about 5 minutes until they are soft, add the minced meat, all the spices, salt and pepper and fry gently for 10 minutes stirring all the time. Then add the skinned and finely chopped (or grated) tomatoes, together with the tomato paste and sugar. Cook gently for a further 10-15 minutes. To make the sauce melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add the flour. Cook the roux gently for 2-3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk a little at a time, beating all the time. Replace on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot sauce into the well beaten eggs and pour the beaten eggs into the sauce. Cook the sauce 4-5 minutes, stirring all the time without boiling. Cook the macaroni in plenty of boiling salted water, until soft but firm. Drain well. Heat the rest of the butter and pour over the macaroni. Into a well greased baking tray, put half of the cooked macaroni, sprinkle with cheese, then spread the minced meat sauce on top, into which 2 tablespoons white sauce is added and well mixed. Top it up with the rest of the macaroni, sprinkle more cheese over and cover with the white sauce. Put the rest of the cheese on the top and bake in a moderately hot oven until brown and crusty on the top. Serves 8-10. Bulgur Pilavi (Cracked wheat pilaf) The delectable taste of this Cypriot dish is quite surprising and far from bland although its ingredients may seem humble at first. It can be served with bumbar, fried fish, squid or a meat casserole. Serve fresh yogurt with it. Serves 4-6. Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 125 ml (4 fl oz) olive or groundnut oil 1 medium-size onion -sliced very finely 25 gr (1 oz) vermicelli 250 gr (8 oz) bulghur (cracked wheat) -picked clean 300 ml (½ pint) chicken (or vegetable) stock Salt and pepper Preparation : Heat the oil and saute the onion until it glistens; add the vermicelli, breaking it with your hands. Continue to saute together for 4-5 minutes until it all looks pale golden. Place the bulghur in a fine sieve, wash it briefly under running water and add it to the saucepan. Add the chicken stock and season, but do not add salt if your stock was made from a stock cube; mix well. Cover the pan and simmer very gently for 6-7 minutes at most, until the mixture is dry. Cover with tea towel, place the lid tightly on top and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving. (On uncovering the saucepan you will find its aroma is quite overpowering.) The bulgur pilavi will keep quite hot and fresh, if covered like this, for about one hour and it keeps its texture if reheated with 2-3 tablespoons of water the next day. Nohutlu Pilav (Rice Pilaff with Chick Peas) Ingredients 150 gr chick peas -soaked overnight 200 gr rice -washed and drained 60 gr butter 1/2 litre (500 ml) chicken broth Preparation : Wash and drain the rice. Put the chick peas into a large saucepan and cover them with water, add some salt, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer 1-2 hours until they are soft enough. After draining them, melt the butter in a medium size saucepan, and then add the rice and fry for a minute. Add in the cooked chick peas and mix. Pour in the hot broth, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the grains are soft. Serve hot. Serves 4-6. Top Foodie > Recipes - Salads Çoban Salatasi (Peasant-style salad) This is one of the most popular salads in North Cyprus. Light, refreshing and easy to make, it makes a perfect lunch under an olive tree by the sea. Ingredients 375 gr (12 oz) large tomatoes -washed and dried ½ onion -sliced finely ½ green pepper -sliced thinly 10 cm (4-inch) piece of cucumber -peeled and sliced 6-8 black or green olives 125 gr (4 oz) halloumi cheese -diced A pinch of dried oregano 5 tablespoons good quality olive oil Salt ​ Preparation : Quarter the tomatoes; slice them in thin segments if too large. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and toss them gently. Serve fresh bread with it, to dip the juices in typical Cypriot fashion. Serves 4. Fasulye Piyaz (Haricot bean salad) This is one of the most common of the Turkish dishes, often served as a main dish, accompanied by mezze like Hummus, or as a side dish accompanying a main meal, in order to add variety. Preparation and cooking time: Soaking overnight + 55 minutes. Serves 4. Ingredients 175 g (6 oz) haricot or cannellini beans, picked clean For the dressing 5 tablespoons olive oil ½ a lemon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Salt and black pepper For garnish Black olives Hard-boiled eggs, peeled, and quartered lengthways Preparation : Soak the beans overnight. Rinse them and cover with plenty of water in a pan; bring to the boil, skim and add some salt. (This will make them firm, which is desirable for this dish). Boil them for 10 minutes, cover and cook until soft, which will take 40-50 minutes according to their age and quality. If they are not to be eaten immediately, very slightly undercook them and let them stay in their liquid. They will go on cooking anyway. Drain them just before they are to be served and place in a bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of their liquid. Beat the dressing ingredients lightly, add to the beans and toss gently. Empty on to a flat platter and garnish with olives and eggs. Börülce Salatasi (Black-eyed bean salad) This Cypriot dish is excellent as a substantial salad or as a main course, but be lavish with some aromatic olive oil and fresh lemon juice for authenticity. These are touches of glorification in this otherwise humble dish, which can be served hot or at room temperature. Black-eyed beans do not need soaking and cook quickly. Ingredients 250 gr (8 oz) black-eyed beans -picked clean and washed 2 tablespoons lemon juice 375 gr (12 oz) courgettes (zucchini) Salt For the dressing At least 3 tablespoons olive oil per person 1 lemon -quartered Salt and black pepper Preparation : In a medium saucepan, cover the beans with water, boil for three minutes and drain, discarding the water. Cover with fresh water, add the 2 tablespoons lemon juice (to prevent their discolouring during cooking) and salt. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Cut the courgettes in 5 cm (2-inch) pieces and then quarter them lengthways. Add them to the pan and cook for 5-7 more minutes. Do not strain. Serve in individual soup plates, allowing 2-3 pieces of courgette per person with some of the cooking liquid as well; pour plenty of olive oil on top, season and offer the lemon quarters to be squeezed according to individual preferences although the more lemon juice the better! Serves 4-6. Ahtapot Salatasi (Octopus Salad) Ingredients One 300 gr octopus -cleaned, washed and cut into large pieces 1 and ½ litre water 1 tablespoon salt 100-150 gr onion -finely chopped 250 gr ripe tomatoes -peeled and cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 spring onions -finely chopped 90 gr green cocktail olives -cut through the middle 2 tablespoons capers 4 tablespoons lemon juice ½ tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil Seasoning Preparation : Put the water and the salt into a large saucepan and place the pan on high heat. Bring up to boil and add the cut octopus. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until the octopus is soft. Drain well. Into a large salad bowl put the drained octopus, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped parsley and the green olives and mix well. To make the sauce, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Pour the sauce over the salad and mix well. Serve with fresh bread and butter Top Foodie > Recipes - Seafood Raki Soslu Levrek (Fried Fish in Raki Sauce) Ingredients 1 kg fish of choice 250 ml oil flour salt lemon parsley Preparation : Clean and wash fish. Salt fish and rest for 10 minutes. Flour fish and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Remove and place on absorbent paper. Arrange fish on a serving platter. Place lemon wedges around fish and decorate with parsley. ​ Ahtapot Salatasi (Octopus Salad) ​ ​ Ingredients One 300 gr octopus -cleaned, washed and cut into large pieces 1 and ½ litre water 1 tablespoon salt 100-150 gr onion -finely chopped 250 gr ripe tomatoes -peeled and cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 spring onions -finely chopped 90 gr green cocktail olives -cut through the middle 2 tablespoons capers 4 tablespoons lemon juice ½ tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons olive oil Seasoning Preparation : Put the water and the salt into a large saucepan and place the pan on high heat. Bring up to boil and add the cut octopus. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until the octopus is soft. Drain well. Into a large salad bowl put the drained octopus, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped parsley and the green olives and mix well. To make the sauce, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Pour the sauce over the salad and mix well. Serve with fresh bread and butter. Sipya (Cuttlefish cooked with its ink) Ingredients 1 kg cuttlefish -eyes, beaks and guts removed; several ink sacks reserved for cooking 2 medium onions -finely chopped 3-4 garlic cloves -crushed 60 ml (4 tablespoons) olive oil ¼ litre dry white wine 2 large ripe tomatoes -coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon brandy ½ tablespoon starch Pinch of cayenne pepper Seasoning Preparation : Put the olive oil into a large saucepan and place the pan on high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the chopped onions until soft. Add the crushed garlic and fry few more minutes. Then add the cuttlefish and cook them 20-25 minutes on low heat. Add the wine, chopped tomatoes and pinch of cayenne pepper, cover and cook 30 more minutes. Dissolve the starch with little water in a small bowl, add the ink sacks and pour all into the saucepan together with the brandy. Season well, cover the saucepan with the lid and cook for 45 minutes or until they are very tender. Serve hot. Top Foodie > Recipes - Soups Tarhana (Crushed wheat soup) Tarhana is made locally by the villagers. It's a mixture of crushed wheat and yogurt, first cooked then in small biscuit forms dried in the sun for four to five days. These dried pieces are then placed in airtight bags to be used in cold winter days. It's also sold in the grocery shops. Serves 4-6. Ingredients 1 litre chicken / vegetable broth 200 gr diced Cypriot halloumi cheese 400 gr tarhana 30 gr butter Juice of half a lemon Seasoning ​ ​ Preparation : Soak the tarhana in cold water for about an hour. Drain well then put in a pan together with the chicken broth. Simmer gently for an hour, stirring occasionally. While the soup is cooking, put the butter in a medium size frying pan and place the pan on heat. Once the butter is hot, fry the diced halloumi pieces until golden brown on both sides. Just before serving add the fried halloumi, lemon juice and the seasoning. Mix well and serve hot. ​ Yayla Çorbasi (Soup of the Pastures) Ingrdients Yayla Çorbasi (Soup of the Pastures) 4 cups of chicken/vegetable stock 2 tablespoons rice -washed and drained 1 cup natural full-fat yogurt 1 dessertspoon flour 1 teaspoon butter 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves Preparation : Bring the salted stock and rice to the boil, then simmer until it is cooked. Remove from the heat. In a bowl, stir the flour into the yogurt and mix until smooth. Slowly whisk one cup of hot stock into the yogurt one spoonful at a time to prevent curdling. Add the yogurt mixture to the stock and rice. Stir and reheat gently until the soup has just thickened. Add salt to taste. Top the soup with a knob of butter. Sprinkle with dried mint leaves and serve. Serves 4. Top Foodie > Recipes - Vegetarian Yalanci Dolma (Stuffed Vine Leaves) Ingredients 25 vine leaves one and a half cups of onions, finely chopped one cup of spring onions, finely chopped 1 cup of olive oil 1 cup of rice Salt and pepper Juice of 2 lemons Half a cup of dill, finely chopped quarter cup of fresh mint, finely chopped Prepraration : Blanch the vine leaves, drain and allow to cool. Mix all the ingredients except the lemons and wrap in the vine leaves, forming them into roll shapes. Place some of the vine leaves on the bottom of the pan, then place the rolls in outward radiating circles, evenly spaced and close to one another. Gently place a plate that's not too heavy on top of the vine leaves so that they don't break open during cooking Add the lemon juice and enough water to cover the rolls. Boil gently until the water had been absorbed and rice cooked. Allow to cool then arrange on a plate, garnished with slices of lemon. Serves 4-5. ​ Çiçek Dolmasi (Stuffed Marrow Flowers) Ingredients 1 bunch marrow flowers with stems and pistils removed. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 75-100 ml water For the stuffing 150 gr rice -washed and drained 1 small onion -finely chopped 2 medium tomatoes -peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil Seasoning 10-15 leaves of fresh mint -washed and roughly chopped Prepraration : ; Wash and dry them the flowers by gently pressing onto a towel. Mix the stuffing ingredients together except the cooking oil and stuff the flowers carefully by using a small teaspoon. When doing this take care not to tear the flowers, and also fill only 3/4 so that when cooking the rice has enough space to expand. After stuffing, fold the flower petals in without breaking them. Into a small saucepan, put one tablespoon of cooking oil and place the pan on low heat. Place each flower into the saucepan by standing them next to each other. Pour 100 ml of water into the pan and bring gently to boil. Cover the saucepan and cook gently on low heat another 20 minutes until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked. Serve hot or cold. Serves 4. Domates Dolmasi (Stuffed Tomatoes) Ingredients 650 gr minced beef 8 large tomatoes -cut around stems and open the seeds and wash them well 2 medium onions -finely chopped 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 750 gr ripe tomatoes -skinned and chopped or tinned tomatoes with their juice 2 eggs 3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1/8 litre dry white wine 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil seasoning Prepraration : Stuffed Tomatoes and Green PeppersHeat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chopped onions until soft. Put the minced meat into a large salad bowl. Add the fried onions with the oil, crushed garlic, two eggs, rosemary, salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. Stuff the tomatoes with the meat filling and put the lids on. Arrange them side by side with the caps upwards. Pour in the white wine and add the chopped tomatoes with their juice. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes. Add the freshly chopped basil and serve hot. Serves 4. Imam Bayildi (The Imam Fainted) There are many stories about the origin of the name of this dish. Here is one of them... A long time ago a Turkish Imam (Muslim cleric), known for his love of good food, surprised his friends by announcing his engagement to the young daughter of a wealthy olive-oil merchant. The friends did not know about her ability to cook. But they presumed part of her dowry would include olive-oil. They were right. For her father gave the groom twelve jars, each one large enough to hold a person, of the precious oil. After her marriage the bride proved to be an excellent cook and each day prepared a special dish for her epicurean husband. One of them, eggplant cooked in olive-oil, became his favorite. And he ordered that his wife prepare it each night for dinner. This she did for twelve consecutive days. On the thirteenth, however, the dish was missing from the meal. Queried about its absence, the bride replied, "Dear husband, I do not have any more olive-oil. You will have to purchase some more for me." The lmam was so shocked that he fainted. And since that day, according to the story, his favorite dish has been known as "Imam Bayildi" (the Imam Fainted). Ingredients 2 medium aubergines (eggplants) 2 medium onions, chopped Olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped 3 tablespoons chopped parsley Salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Prepraration : Sauté the onions in a little oil. Add the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pep per. Cook until mushy. Cut the stem ends from each aubergine. Make 3 lengthwise slits, almost from end to end. With and hold each slit apart and spoon the onion mixture into each cavity. Arrange aubergines in a baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup oil. Bake, covered, in preheated moderate oven (350°F) for 40 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot. or as they do in Türkiye, cold with yogurt. Serves 4-6 One modification: Instead of making three slits in the aubergine, etc., hollow the aubergines out, but leave a firm outer edge . Take the insides of the aubergines, chop them up, toss them into the pan with the other sautéed ingredients. Sauté the new mixture. Then stuff the aubergines with that mixture. If you want to microwave, I found that 15 to 20 minutes on medium works well . Actually, I microwave for 15 minutes then I baste the eggplants with the liquid at the bottom of the dish. I then cook for the remaining 5 minutes at high. You can tell by looking when the outer edge is done. We slice it for serving. Menemen (Scrambled eggs with vegetables) Ingredients 8 eggs -well beaten 2 green peppers -seeded and cut into thin rings 3 small or medium tomatoes -skinned and chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper 30 gr (2 tablespoons) butter Prepraration : Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the pepper rings and cook them a few minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the juice is reduced to half. Mix in the well beaten eggs and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the eggs stirring constantly. Serves 4. Serve at once. Molohiya Ingredients 1 kg chicken, jointed or 1 kg lamb breast, cut into pieces 160 g molohiya -soaked overnight in cold water 150 g (2 medium) onions -skinned and chopped 4 garlic cloves -thickly sliced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 large ripe tomatoes -skinned and chopped 3 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 tablespoon olive oil Juice of a lemon Seasoning 900 ml chicken stock Prepraration : Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken pieces for about 15 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken joints and keep them on one side. Add the chopped onion and the sliced garlic and fry until soft. Return the chicken joints to the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and the hot chicken stock. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add pinch of sugar and stir gently for a minute. After washing few times with cold water, drain the Molohiya well and add it to the pan. After adding juice of a lemon, stir well and bring to boil. Then cover the pan with the lid and simmer 1-2 hours, until the vegetables are well cooked. Serves 4. Top Restaurants > Restaurants Top Foodie > Recipes - Seftali Kebab Seftali (shef-ta-lee)is a type of crépinette, a sausage without skin, that uses caul fat, or omentum, the membrane that surrounds the stomach of a lamb, to wrap the ingredients together. The filling is made from lamb shoulder or leg, mixed with finely chopped onion and parsley, seasoned with salt and pepper. Rolled into small balls, the filling is wrapped in the caul fat then placed on skewers and grilled or charcoaled until golden brown. By the time it's cooked and served, the outer layer of fat is melted away and reduced to a thin golden-brown layer. It's often served in pitta bread with salad, and sometimes topped with Cacik, a Turkish appetiser or sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, olive oil and mint. ​ For those curious about the name, there are two theories as to how it came about. The Turkish word şeftali, means peach , a reference to its texture or pinky complexion when cooked. Another popular urban explanation is that a local street vendor called Ali invented the recipe, foreigners who tasted this delight quickly dubbed him “Şef Ali” (Chef Ali) and his sausage became known as Şef Ali Kebab, later shortened to “Şeftali Kebab”. One of the most popular kebab dishes, Seftali should definitely be on your must-taste list of traditional Cypriot dishes. Top Foodie > Recipes - Sunday Lunch Fancy a Sunday Roast? A Sunday Roast is a traditional British meal usually served on Sunday, although it can be served any day. The centrepiece of the meal is roasted meat along with roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy, and condiments such as apple sauce for pork, mint sauce for lamb, or redcurrant jelly for turkey. A wide range of vegetables can be served as part of a roast dinner, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, or peas, which can be boiled, steamed, or roasted alongside the meat and potatoes. Mashed potatoes are also a frequent accompaniment. The Sunday Roast is ranked 2nd in a list of things people love about Britain. It’s often compared to a slightly less grand version of a Christmas dinner . The tradition of a Sunday roast lunch or dinner has been a major influence on food cultures in the English-speaking world including Northern Cyprus. Here, Sunday roast normally comprises roast beef, lamb or chicken, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, yorkshire pudding, cauliflower-broccoli cheese, creamed spinach, green beans, carrots, peas, fresh corn, beetroot, or sweet potato. There’s literally dozens and dozens of places you can get Sunday Roast in Northern Cyprus – too many to mention. And they taste great! Origin The Sunday Roast originated in the UK as a meal to be eaten after church on Sunday. All types of meat and dairy produce are allowed to be eaten on Sundays, unlike Fridays where many Roman Catholics and Anglicans traditionally don’t eat meats, so eat fish instead. It’s traditional for Anglicans and English Catholics to fast before Sunday church service, so the Sunday Roast breaks the fast afterwards. These religious rules created several traditional dishes in the United Kingdom. For example, only eating fish on Friday resulted in a British tradition of 'fish Fridays' which is still common in fish and chip shops and restaurants today, particularly during Lent. To mark the end of not being able to eat meat, the Sunday roast was created as a mark of celebration. ​ History There are 2 historical views on the origins of the Sunday Roast. In the late 1700s, during the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom, families would place a cut of meat into the oven as they got ready for church. They would add vegetables such as potatoes, turnips and parsnips before going to church on Sunday morning. When they returned from church, the dinner was all but ready. The juices from the meat and vegetables were used to make stock or gravy to pour on top of the dinner. Another opinion holds that the Sunday roast dates back to medieval times, when village serfs served the squire for six days a week. Then, on Sunday, after morning church service, they would assemble in a field to practise battle techniques, and were rewarded with spit roasted oxen. ​ Typical elements Meat Roast lamb, roast potatoes, carrots, green beans and yorkshire pudding. Roast beef, roast potatoes, various vegetables and yorkshire pudding. Typical meats - chicken, lamb, pork, or roast beef, although seasonally duck, goose, gammon, turkey, or other game birds may be used. Vegetables Sunday roasts can be served with a range of boiled, steamed or roasted vegetables. The vegetables served vary seasonally and regionally, but will usually include roast potatoes, roasted in meat dripping or vegetable oil, and gravy made from juices released by the roasting meat, perhaps supplemented by one or more stock cubes, gravy browning/thickening, roux or corn flour. The potatoes can be cooked around the meat itself, absorbing the juices and fat, but many cooks prefer to cook the potatoes and the Yorkshire pudding in a hotter oven than that used for the joint, and so remove the meat beforehand to rest and settle in a warm place. Other vegetable dishes served with roast dinner can include mashed swede or turnips, roast parsnips, boiled or steamed cabbage, broccoli, green beans, boiled carrots and peas. It’s not uncommon for leftover composite vegetable dishes such as cauliflower cheese and stewed red cabbage, to be served alongside the more usual assortment of plainly-cooked seasonal vegetables. ​ Accompaniments Beef: Yorkshire pudding, suet pudding, English mustard, horseradish sauce. roast potatoes, vegetables Pork: crackling, sage-and-onion stuffing, apple sauce or English mustard. Lamb: mint sauce or jelly or redcurrant jelly. Chicken: pigs in blankets, sausages or sausage meat, stuffing, bread sauce, apple sauce, cranberry sauce or redcurrant jelly. ​ Leftovers Leftover food from the Sunday roast has traditionally formed the basis of meals served on other days of the week. For example, meats might be used for sandwiches. Roast beef can be chopped up with leftover roasted potatoes and additional onion, then fried in a pan with oil and seasonings crispy to make roast beef hash. Lamb can be used as filling for a shepherd's pie, and vegetables can form the basis for bubble and squeak or in Scotland, traditional stovies. Top Foodie > Vineyard Hotel Top Foodie > Wineries Vines have been grown and grapes pressed in Cyprus since the Bronze Age. The first commercial wine project in Northern Cyprus was established in 2000 in Geçitköy, west of Lapta, with the aid of an international wine consultant. A variety of wines are today produced by wineries from grapes grown in the vineyards at Geçitköy, Güzelyurt as well as in Ilgaz, set high on the hills of the Five Finger Mountains. Local farmers also produce wines. Bud breaks occur in early spring with harvest around the beginning of August. Grape vines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Semillon, the reds including Merlot, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache and the whites Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin Blanc. Visitors are provided with a complete insight and experience of the Cypriot wine culture, from planting to the final production and can choose from a wide selection of tours, wine education courses, lectures and more to enhance the whole wine culture experience. Wine tasting events are held throughout the year. ​ Vineyard & Wine Tasting Tour A full day, including tour of a vineyard, wine tasting and lunch in avillage up in the mountains. You‘ll see amazing views, hidden places and experience a tour of the islands newest winery followed by lunch and, of course, a glass of wine. Artisan vintners will provide you with a complete insight and experience of wines grown in the mountain vineyard. You’ll have the opportunity to discover 6 (yeh!) unique and distinguished wines, as well as a tour of the complete wine making process. ​ ​ INCLUDES ​Pick up and drop off at hotel Mini mountain jeep tour Tour of vineyard Wine tasting of 6 unique wines Lunch in a local restaurant in the beautiful village of Ilgaz AVAILABLE Every Day ​DURATION 0930-1530 Top Foodie > Recipes - Zinavia A pomace brandy produced from distillation of grape pomace plus local dry wines, Zinavia is colourless with a light aroma of raisins. With an alcohol content of 40 – 95% , it's no surprise Northern Cyprus's national drink is known as ‘firewater ’. Dating to Venetian times in the 14th century it's still made in the same tradition today. Grape pomace (pulp, peel, stalks and seeds) is mixed with high-quality dry wines made from indigenous grape, distilled in a 'kazan ' copper pot and mellowed. Using different processes to produce distinct qualities and intensities, a very slow process usually lasting eight hours, turns tons of pomace into a highly potent clear liquid. ​ Locals drink Zinavia as an aperitif , serve it ice cold in summer, gulp it on cold mornings or enjoy a small measure with meals. ​ Traditionally, it was also used to treat and sterilise wounds, soothe muscular aches, numb toothaches and clean and disinfect. Villagers still make it at home and it can be seriously strong, so you can buy it from a supermarket or head to the villages for that extra kick. Zivania has varieties with up to 95% alcohol presence, so beware. Turkish Cypriots say, “the best Zinavia is the one that burns well when you set it on fire”. You may want to seek advice on alcohol levels before trying Zinavia - or afterwards if you drink too much! Top

Guides > Health Dentistry & Pharmacy IVF Surgery Health Insurance Medical Tourism Tulips Cancer Charity Health System Spas Yoga Healthy Lifestyle State Hospitals Guides > Health > Dentistry & Pharmacy Top Guides > Health > Insurance There's NO equivalent to a National Health Service in the TRNC. All Medical and Dental treatments are at the cost of the patient and charges vary from one practitioner to another. Doctors and Dentists issue prescriptions, but these are payable at cost by the patient. If you're receiving a regular prescription take care to check the availability and cost of any medicines you may require. There's plenty of good doctors, dentists and hospitals, both state and private, in the TRNC, along with other health professionals. The standard of care is generally good to excellent, but it is different. In case of emergency there’s a good ambulance service, thanks to the hard work and dedication of volunteers and professionals. The number to ring for an ambulance is 112 . Be aware there’s no post code generated satellite navigation system, nor freely available street maps, so you may need a friend to meet with the ambulance and guide it to you, if you're not near to a well-known location. Many minor injuries are treated quickly and without cost in the emergency room of the state hospitals.​ It’s local practice that the first port of call during an illness is the local pharmacist , who provides free advice , or will recommend a visit to a doctor. There’s not a wide spread 'General Practitioner ' system, although Kamiloglu Hospital (also known as Kyrenia Medical Center) in Girne is introducing the service and a GPS ambulance system for registered patients. If you have a known particular ailment, you can go directly to a consultant for that condition. You’ll be expected to look after your own X Rays, MRI Scans etc. Most hospitals have a range of specialists. If admitted to hospital it’s usual for a carer to be present to help the patient get to the toilet etc and to provide additional needs. In State owned hospitals, it’s also usual for the carer to obtain required drugs from a nearby pharmacy. There are numerous dental surgeries, many of which have ultra-modern equipment. Health insurance Covers the cost of medical and surgical expenses . Depending on coverage, you pay then claim it back, or the insurance company pays direct, providing it’s a covered condition. Medical costs in many countries can be very expensive and there are many horror stories of ex-pats who’ve suffered serious illness, been unable to pay healthcare bills and had to sell their home, car or cash in life savings to make payments. There are also people who've had to give up their retirement or nice life to return to their home country because they can’t afford to live here with on-going medical bills. There's quite a number of health insurance plans available in Northern Cyprus from both local and overseas providers. Some of the local products may only cover up to a certain age so check them thoroughly. Cover provided and premiums payable will depend on age, type and extent of cover required and any pre-existing conditions , which is very important to declare at application stage. You should spend time and effort selecting a health insurer, understanding the benefits it offers, ensuring your agency knows the products well and can answer questions about the product and claims issues when they arise. Top Guides > Health > Health System Top Guides > Health > Healthy Lifestyle Top Guides > Health > IVF Top Guides > Health > Medical Tourism North Cyprus Medical Tourism offers state of the art medical, dental and IVF facilities, low costs and an ideal climate for post-operative recuperation . A growing number of visitors are looking to combine a visit or holiday with the opportunity to get private medical or fertility / IVF treatments, cosmetic or general surgery and dental treatments at a fraction of the usual cost in their home country. Many of these visitors currently come from the UK, Switzerland and other European countries , where operation waiting lists are long, private medical and dental treatment prices (including dental implants) are high, and where some treatments are simply not available. New hospitals such as the Near East University Hospital in Lefkosa and IVF medical establishments such as the Kolan British IVF Centre, Lefkosa IVF Centre, Dunya IVF and Miracle IVF Centre, offer world-class treatments on a par with other established health tourism destinations. The British Kolan Hospital is the biggest private hospital in North Cyprus with a good range of specialists and intensive care centre. They offer Reproductive Endocrinology and IVF, hold ISO 9001 certification, won best Hospital of the Year several years running, and have their own brand-new IVF laboratory . The availability of a wide range of specialist departments under one roof is important, as it ensures that any IVF patient experiencing complications has access to the right specialists and intensive care if needed. ​ TRNC and Switzerland 2015 saw North Cyprus Ministry of Health sign an initial agreement with two leading Swiss Medical Associations following which a joint North Cyprus-Swiss Medical Tourism Committee was formed. This led to an increase in Swiss health tourism visitors as well as enabling the exchange of technology and medical doctors and other personnel between the two countries. This is a win-win situation for patients and medical services in both North Cyprus and Switzerland ensuring TRNC’s medical facilities gain the benefit of technology and equipment used elsewhere in the general European area, while taking pressure off health services in Switzerland. Best of all, Swiss patients get the benefit of lower cost or even state-funded procedures carried out more quickly and often more effectively. Recuperation North Cyprus is a perfect location for recuperation from any sort of operation or dental procedure, whether or not you’re recuperating in a clinic, hospital bed, or hotel room. The amount saved by undergoing private medical or dental work in North Cyprus, compared with the cost for the same treatment elsewhere, easily covers the cost of the flights and often the accommodation as well. Many, particularly elderly patients, find the warm climate has an extremely positive effect on a range of conditions including arthritis and asthma, as well as being a great climate for their recovery. ​ Choose a leading hospital or private clinic As with all countries, anyone wishing to organise their own medical or dental procedure should be careful to check the credentials and references of the medical institution they’re about to visit. All North Cyprus Doctors speak English . Hospitals which are part of the major universities such as the Near East University Hospital have an excellent reputation. Be sure to get a quote in writing at the outset. Standard investigations such as MRI and CT scans can also be obtained at a fraction of the cost in other countries. There's a number of excellent private scanning companies in Lefkosa as well as very good private and specialist medical clinics and laboratories in both Lefkosa and Girne. Low-cost private healthcare in North Cyprus for residents too It’s not only tourists who benefit from state-of-the-art medical facilities in North Cyprus. Many of those who come initially for a holiday, or a vacation combined with a medical, cosmetic or dental procedure, realise what a benefit it would be to their life to live most of the year in the TRNC, and move to live there. While there’s no free national health service in North Cyprus, the costs are so low and the standard so high that, with or without pre-existing health insurance, you don’t need high income to afford good health care. In European countries, a patient wishing to see a specialist can wait weeks for an appointment. In Northern Cyprus you can literally visit a hospital or private clinic, and ask to see a specialist on that same day for a comprehensive appointment. Tests are carried out rapidly, usually on the same day , and results come fast, via high tech laboratories. Prescriptions and drug/medicine costs are extremely low in Northern Cyprus compared with other countries. For those with minor ailments who don’t need a hospital, pharmacies in North Cyprus act almost as clinics, with all pharmacists fluent in English and able to dispense a wide variety of drugs and medicines. If you have an accident in North Cyprus, or need hospital transportation, there’s an equally excellent service. The 112 TRNC Ambulance Service serves both state and private hospitals and was created by a former British NHS Manager and paramedic and all 112 ambulances are staffed by trained paramedics. There are rapid response times to medical emergencies and ambulance stations all around North Cyprus. All in all, the future for medical tourism in Northern Cyprus is looking extremely healthy, if you'll pardon the pun. Top Guides > Health > Spas With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, why not unwind at a professional spa and wellness centre in Northern Cyprus? Nothing is more important than your health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally. Northern Cyprus has packages for spa and wellbeing breaks to suit every budget . Spa holidays cater for everyone, whether you’re looking for a traditional spa with massages, saunas and Jacuzzi’s, to a more active fitness and wellbeing program. All hotels featured have been picked to bring you quality that won't cost the earth. Fabulous spa and wellness centres can be found at: Korineum Golf & Beach Resort Acapulco Spa Resort Grand Pasha Hotel Gillham Vineyard Salamis Bay Conti Merit Park Hotel Top Guides > Health > State Hospitals Top Guides > Health > Surgery Top Guides > Health > Tulips Cancer Charity A cancer diagnosis can turn your world upside down but Tulips can help. How can TULIPS help? Life changes immediately after hearing the words; "you have cancer". Initially it's the only thing on your mind and you can think of little else. This'll be one of the hardest battles you'll encounter and the TULIPS cancer support team will assist every step of the way through cancer treatment. They' help everyone with cancer, irrespective of nationality. ​ Help Just For You Everyone reacts differently when diagnosed with cancer. This new diagnosis can stir up a range of emotions. You may feel shock, numbness and anger. It can be hard to believe. You'll have questions like ‘why me? TULIPS support all kinds of cancer and provide practical and emotional support to the patient and their families during cancer treatment and after the treatment period . TULIPS support team are on hand to help and understand what patients are going through. Support & Information Firstly you'll have many questions about what's available in TRNC? How to organise your treatment? Can I get a second opinion? How will I organise all my tests? What costs are involved? To name but a few. TULIPS can help answer all of these , so that any decision you make about when and where you'll have your treatment, will be an informed decision based on the facts given to you. ​ Financial Worries? This is always a concern. Unless you're a citizen of TRNC you'll have to pay for all your treatment which could end up quite costly. Speak to TULIPS support workers who will help guide you through the approximate costs you'll incur. ​ Hope Shines Through Having cancer doesn’t mean you have to lose hope. Hope is the belief that a positive outcome lies ahead. This belief can be difficult to hold onto in the face of cancer, however by holding onto this sense of hope you can help yourself face cancer with strength and confidence. Hope can help ease overwhelming doubts and fears. Attitude affects everything. Make hope a way of life. ​ Fund Raising As a non-profit non-governmental organisation, raising money never ends. Fundraising is the core part of the charity who rely on your generosity. Without your support TULIPS simply can't survive or help as many cancer patients as they do. Monthly commitments are high so they can't sit back once they've completed an event, they have to continuously look forward due to the amount of people to help. TULIPS is helping some 1,800 patients at any one time and receive approx 700 new patients per year. Fundraising is not just a means of raising money but also a way to raise awareness of the charity and its goals. They're constantly looking for new donors and always on the lookout for new events or ideas to raise funds. If you've an idea for an event or wish to run one in aid of Tulips, then please contact them . Top Guides > Health > Yoga Yoga & Pilates Retreat @ Karpaz This heavenly escape is the perfect place to find comfort and peace and distract you from life’s stresses. Immerse yourself in the beauty of North Cyprus with a 5 -night stay on a full board basis with free access to hamam, saunas, beach, pool, fitness area, and more. Highlights Hatha Yoga Style Vegetarian friendly 2 professionally led classes per day Free access to hammam, saunas, beach, pool, fitness area Discount on treatments at the hammam and spa 4 hours fun boat tour Coffee break twice a day 5 nights full board accommodation Round trip airport transfers Caters for Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced Spa treatments available at extra cost Swedish massage Deep tissue massage Targeted massage Turkish spa body ritual Reflexology Hammam exfoliation Classic hammam Sultan treatment ​ Facilities Gym Health Club Sauna Spa Indoor & Outdoor Swimming pool Air-conditioned rooms & public areas Dining area, Bar, Poolside Bar, Restaurant, BBQ Lobby, Concierge, Tour assistance, Luggage Room Meeting room Luggage room / storage Multilingual staff in English, Russian, Turkish Special menu request Yoga deck & studio Free parking Free Wi-Fi Laundry, Iron & ironing board Medical assistance Airport transfer included from Ercan & Larnaca ​ The hotel’s 52 rooms and suites, named cabins (as in a yacht), are airy and cool, with crisp white sheets and touches of nautical flair such as Teak deck floors, sailing visuals, and white wood-washed ceilings. Marina, sea, and garden views invite you to enjoy the Mediterranean nature or to step onto your balcony for a nightcap beneath the stars. Program Mornings start with coffee or tea and a light snack of dates and nuts before Mat Pilates. Breakfast will then be served at Hemingway's Resto Bar before a boat tour (weather dependant) and lunch onboard or at the Beach Club. After lunch, coffee or tea is followed by the mixed-flow yoga class. Dinner on the marina front at Hemingway's Resto Bar is followed by a bonfire or Beach Hang Out and live music A 4-hour boat tour is included on day 4 of the retreat, which includes lunch onboard (the day may change depending on the weather). Location An unspoiled corner of the Mediterranean. With a rich and intriguing history, North Cyprus is a land of contrasts. Vibrant business centres and tranquil villages; traditional values and cosmopolitan lifestyle; sun-kissed beaches, fertile valleys, and snowy mountains all await discovery. In a region that remains largely untouched by the usual Mediterranean over-development, friendly locals and a community spirit provide visitors with a unique experience and memorable welcome. Fringed by long golden beaches, the region features ancient castles and abbeys, vibrant culture, and enticing cuisine. The natural landscape includes mountainous peaks as well as an abundance of flora and fauna and notable wildlife, including the region’s rare turtles and wild donkeys on the island’s Karpaz peninsula. Visit Famagusta, Nicosia, and Kyrenia for an abundance of shops and restaurants, or enjoy sites such as St Hilarion Castle, Bellapais Abbey, and the famous Apostolos Andreas Monastery. Food Hemingway’s Resto-Bar is perfectly located on the promenade. Savour traditional Cypriot cuisine, international delicacies, seasonal treats, and your favourite drinks while overlooking the marina or while enjoying the sea air outside on the terrace. By embracing the philosophy to respect, nurture and enhance the surroundings, this is a truly immersive experience within this natural marine and countryside setting. The vegetables and herbs garden provides fresh produce straight to your plate alongside their own homemade bread and fresh, locally-sourced dairy, fish, and meat. ​ Included: Tea, Coffee, Water, Breakfast, Lunch Dinner, Snacks, Drinks. Vegetarian dishes served. Special dietary requirements can be catered for. Optional extras 46ft (14m) sailing yacht charter for full and half-day sailing trips catering for up to six people RYA powerboat level 2 course Hire a luxury beach club cabana Health & Hygiene Cleaning Cleaning materials are effective against coronavirus. Linens, towels and laundry washed in line with l guidelines. Accommodation disinfected between stays. Accommodation protocols follow all local authority guidelines. Equipment for activities is disinfected before and/or after use. Physical distancing Cashless payment available. Physical distancing maintained. Instructors maintain distance from clients at all times possible. Activities take place outside where possible. Safety features Staff follow all protocols directed by local government. Hand sanitizer available in guest rooms and key areas. Process in place to check the health of guests. First aid kit available. Isolation room available. Protective masks are available for all staff. Protective masks available for clients. All staff are fully vaccinated. ​ Top

WhatsOnInTRNC.com Privacy Policy This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Whatsonintrnc.com ("we", "us", "our") collect, use, share and otherwise process about individuals ("you") interacting with our Offerings ("Information").Under the laws of some countries, we may need your consent to our processing of your Information set forth in this Privacy Policy. Subject to any indications you may give us to the contrary, such as opting out or not opting in if asked, and where permitted by law, by providing Information or otherwise interacting with our Offerings, you consent to our use of Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. SCOPE OF THIS PRIVAC Y POLICY Please read this policy carefully. It explains the types of Information we may collect about you, the purposes for and methods by which we collect it, and (where applicable) the lawful basis on which we do so, as well as information about data retention, your rights and how to contact us. This Privacy Policy covers both our online and offline data processing activities, including Information that we collect through our various Offerings such as those set out below: Digital Services: Our websites, including activities run through our websites; Mobile apps, including activities run through our apps, such as those listed for our websites; Subscription services or other streaming services offered by us to consumers and services where you receive our audio-visual content through our websites, mobile apps and/or via a service provided by a third party, such as an internet service provider, pay TV platform or mobile phone operator; Console games; and Our pages/channels/accounts on third party social networks. Events you attend as a consumer or guest (as opposed to in a business capacity), marketing and influencer events, focus group or user tests and private events held at our premises or studios under hire. Please note that we may combine Information that we collect via one source with Information we collect via another source (e.g., a mobile app, one of our different companies or a third party (as further described below. Certain of our Offerings may not be operated by us but by a third-party licensee or app store; any processing of your personal information by such a licensee or app store is not subject to this Privacy Policy, so please check carefully whether the relevant terms and conditions refer to one of our companies or not. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT We collect, use, share and otherwise process the following categories of Information: 1) Information we may collect from you: Registration, account, and sign-up Information, including information about you when you register or sign up with us for one of our Offerings (e.g., name, username, password, email, contact details, date of birth or age, interest in our content, etc.). Information about your purchase of an Offering, including relevant payment information (e.g., credit card information). We may also process Information about trial periods, redemptions of rewards or promotions, periods without an active subscription, payment history and any missed payments. Information about your use of, or participation in an Offering, including information about whether you have opened an email we have sent you, how you (including any account you use) interact with a Digital Service, content that you have viewed or posted, advertisements you have interacted with, games you have played and the level you reached, your preferences and interest in and use of various features, programs, services and content available on a Digital Service. This may also include demographic information, including at an individual or household level. Information you provide when participating in consumer surveys, research studies or focus group tests, including online or written replies and where applicable the recording of your audio or video interviews. Entries to promotions, competitions, prize-draws or calls to action, including images, videos and text. Camera access, including where for some Digital Services, we ask for permission to access your device's camera. If you grant permission, you may be able to take pictures or video within the app experience, to send them to us, or to access certain augmented reality ("AR") features. Some of these features may rely on camera systems to track movements of your eyes and other facial features or your immediate surroundings to apply AR effects. Sensitive data, including where you choose to share Information as part of one of our Offerings, or where you provide Information during one of our surveys or feedback sessions, including, where permitted by applicable law, information relating to your physical or mental health, race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation, or your political beliefs. In some Offerings that include dynamic entertainment features, we may with your consent and in accordance with applicable law, collect information such as via facial scanning, eye tracking, or skin response that may be considered biometric. Information about your social media engagement, including your interactions with our fan pages/channels/accounts in third party communities, forums, and social media sites, services, plug-ins, and applications ("Social Media Sites"). This may include posts, your 'likes' and other user-generated content that you may provide, as well as details about yourself such as your name, user ID, profile photo, birthday, and, where you allow us to, lists of friends and people you follow. For information about how you can customize your privacy settings on Social Media Sites, and how those Social Media Sites handle your personal information and content, please refer to their privacy help guides, privacy policies, and terms of use. Information shared on our public or community forums, including where you share photos, letters, videos or comments, while participating in online forums. Depending on your privacy settings, this Information or content and your username may become public on the Internet or within a community of users. We cannot prevent further use of this Information once you share it in a publicly available or community forum. Please refer to the specific forum's privacy policies for further information on how they handle your Information. Information about your location, including where it is derived from device information (such as an IP address or country code), your device's interactions with our Digital Services, or, with your consent, Information about your device's precise location (e.g. geolocation via mobile devices). Event Information, including images and clips, whether captured via a booth or by other means by us or a third party on our behalf, and other Information relating to the organisation and management of an event, such as food allergies and other individual requirements. Technical/usage Information from your device, including the type of device, browser, unique device identifier, operating system, internet provider, mobile device identifier and/or mobile advertising identifier, connected device identifier (including that of a connected television), IP address, network attributes, television device and application attributes and settings, and other device or browser attributes and settings. Information about your customer queries, including when you contact us through one of our customer helpdesks, email addresses, customer service chat boxes, forms or ticketing systems, Social Media Sites and customer call-centres, where calls may be recorded. 2) Information we may collect about you, from other sources, including friends: Information from other sources. On occasion, we combine Information with other online information we receive, including usage information about your interactions with other websites and with online advertising and media. We also supplement or combine Information with Information from a variety of other sources or outside records, including third-party data providers that provide us with Information such as demographics, transaction and purchase history; Information about the content and advertisements you interact with. We may also receive Information about you from your friends who invite you to interact with any of our Digital Services. We may receive Information from third parties with which you have a subscription agreement that includes access to our content or services. Information from friends. In certain situations, we may enable friends using our Offerings to provide Information about you. For example, someone can submit Information on our websites to invite you to participate in an Offering, make recommendations or share content through one of our apps, or have multiple players sharing the same game session. By processing these requests, we may receive your Information, including your name, contact details, or information about your interest in and use of our Offerings. HOW WE MAY USE THE INFORMATION We may use Information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as otherwise disclosed at the time of collection. Below, we explain our various purposes, any processing activities that we believe may need further explanation and, where necessary, the 'lawful basis' on which we rely to process your Information.Please note that while Information may be processed for more than one purpose (e.g., Information we obtain when Providing Our Offering may also be used for Improving and Developing Our Offering and/or for Marketing and Personalized Advertising), not all of the purposes or processing activities below will necessarily apply in every case. Our particular use of your Information will depend on the Offering you engage with and the manner in which you interact with us, including the permissions you give us (e.g., whether or not you consent to certain uses, such as direct marketing) and other controls you exercise regarding our processing of your Information (e.g., whether or not you choose to opt-out, where this is offered). Your ability to control some of the purposes for which your Information is processed is described in the INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS REQUEST and COOKIES AND OTHER TECHNICAL INFORMATION sections below. ​ Providing Our Offerings We may use your Information for the purpose of setting up your account with us, registering you for an Offering, enabling you to pay for it, providing the Offering, allowing you to participate in a promotion, competition, prize-draw or a call to action to submit UGC, or maintaining the Offering and resolving any issues. This may include enforcing applicable terms and conditions (e.g., for our subscription services, limitations on number of devices and displaying the right content based on location) and optimizing the delivery of the Offering to each specific device used to access it and to provide the "continue watching" feature on our subscription services.In countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: Much of our processing, such as providing, and maintaining our Offerings, is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, the contract we have with you, including enabling new customers to sign-up or register with us and existing customers to log-in to our Digital Services. Other types of processing are necessary for our 'legitimate interests' (and those of others), including: Running our business, providing our Offerings and serving our customers; Contacting customers with important notices or updates; Contacting customers about their transactions, purchases and competition wins; Personalizing content and making recommendations for other content; Exercising and/or enforcing the rights granted to us under the terms and conditions of the Offering; Facilitating payment for our Offerings. For other types of processing, we may rely on your consent (where given). Improving and Developing Our Offerings We may use your Information for the purpose of analyzing, improving, personalizing and evaluating our Offerings and your use of them, as well as to develop new Offerings. This may include analyzing your responses to consumer surveys.In countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: Some types of processing are necessary for our 'legitimate interests' (and those of others), including: Improving and developing our Offerings. Creating efficiencies in our business. Understanding consumer trends and interests, including through customer insights, market research, and measurement of content performance. Compiling statistics about the use of our Offerings. For other types of processing, we may rely on your consent (where given). Marketing and Personalized Advertising We may use your Information for the purpose of marketing and/or advertising our Offerings and those of our clients and partners. We may also aggregate information about users to create groups or categories of users, such as 'segments', to communicate with you about our offerings and let you know about our clients' and partners' offerings, including on Social Media Sites. While processing of your Information for this purpose may involve an algorithm automatically selecting advertising which is intended to be of interest to you, we do not make fully-automated decisions that may have a legal or significant effect on you without either your explicit consent, or where otherwise permitted by applicable law. We may also use UGC for marketing or advertising purposes, subject to the relevant terms and conditions of the Offering. n countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: To use UGC you have submitted, we will rely on the rights granted to us under the terms and conditions of the Offering and the performance of our contract with you. Other types of processing for Marketing and Personalized Advertising are necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of others), including: Furthering our commercial interests by marketing and advertising Our Offerings, including engaging in contextual (non-data driven) advertising, analytics, and measurement of ad performance; Expanding our customer base by deepening relationships with existing customers and developing new customers; Using UGC you have submitted (unless it is not necessary for the performance of a contract with you or we are able to ask for your consent); and, Promoting our brand both online and offline. In certain jurisdictions, for certain types of processing, such as interest-based advertising or where we send direct marketing communications by email, text message or SMS, messages on Social Media Sites, we rely on your consent (where given). Providing Customer Services We may use your Information for the purpose of providing Customer Services, including dealing with your queries and complaints (including troubleshooting), whether you contact us by telephone, email, chat boxes, forms or ticketing services, letter, website or via a Social Media Site. In countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: Some types of processing activities will be necessary for us to perform our contract with you to provide an Offering. Some types of processing activities will be necessary to comply with our legal obligations. Some types of processing will be necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of others), including: Responding to our customer queries and complaints; Tracking the progress and effectiveness of our response; and Improving our Customer Services. Detecting, preventing and investigating criminal and other illegal activities We may use your Information for the purpose of detecting, preventing or investigating criminal activities (including fraud and copyright infringement), protecting user safety and enforcing our civil rights in the courts. For example, where necessary, we may share your Information with law enforcement bodies or use it to take legal action against you to enforce our rights. In countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: Some types of processing activities will be necessary to comply with our legal obligations. Some types of processing will be necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of others), including: Protecting our business interests and rights, privacy, safety and property, or that of our customers and users; Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims; Sharing your Information with third parties in order to permit us to pursue available remedies or limit damage that we may sustain. Compliance with legal obligations We may use your Information for the purpose of complying with our legal obligations, including accounting rules, responding to Individual Rights Requests and responding to requests from regulators, judicial authorities and law enforcement or governmental bodies. In countries where our processing of Information requires a lawful basis, we rely upon the following: These types of activities are necessary to comply with our legal obligations. INFORMATION SHARING AND DISCLOSURE We share Information with and disclose it to the following parties, for the purposes set out below: Within our group of companies Our companies support and interact with each other to run their businesses. As a result, our companies may receive your Information to process for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, where there is a legal basis for them to do so and consistent with any permissions you have given (e.g. whether or not you wish to receive marketing communications) and any other controls you exercise regarding our processing of your Information (e.g. where you have chosen to opt-out of certain processing), as described in the INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS REQUEST and COOKIES AND OTHER TECHNICAL INFORMATION sections below. Outside our group of companies Third Party Service Providers. Our agents and contractors have access to Information to help carry out the services they are performing for us, such as, but not limited to, fulfilment, creation, maintenance, hosting, and delivery of our Offerings, conducting marketing, providing IT services and security, handling payments, email and order fulfillment, administering promotions, competitions and prize-draws, conducting research, measurement and analytics, deriving insights, or customer service. Linked Third Party Social Media Sites. Some of our Digital Services may contain links to other sites, including Social Media Sites, for the purposes of customer interaction and marketing. The information practices of the Social Media Sites can be different from ours so you should consult their privacy policy and terms before submitting your personal information, as we have no control over personal information that is submitted to or collected by these third parties. Third Party Partners. We may offer Digital Services and Offline Services that are sponsored by or co-branded with identified third parties. By virtue of these relationships, the third parties collect or obtain personal information from you during the activity. We do not control these third parties' use of personal information. We encourage you to read their privacy policies to learn about their data practices. AdTech Providers. We may share certain Information with third parties (e.g. other companies, retailers, research organizations, advertisers, ad agencies, advertising networks and platforms, participatory databases, publishers, and non-profit organizations) for processing generally in a hashed or de-identified form, to provide advertising to you based on your interests. Other third parties. In the event of a likely change of control of the business (or a part of the business) such as a transaction or reorganization, we may share your Information with interested parties, including a new business owner, and their respective professional advisers. Law enforcement bodies, the authorities and courts. We disclose Information where necessary for the prevention, investigation or prosecution of criminal activities, and also in response to legal process, e.g., in response to a court order or a subpoena, or in response to a regulator, government authority or law enforcement body's request. Public forums. If you post or share Information while interacting with one of our Digital Services, or through a Social Media Site, depending on the nature of the service or your privacy settings this Information can become public, after which, we cannot prevent further use or sharing of this Information. For information about how you can customize your privacy settings on Social Media Sites, please refer to their privacy help guides and terms of use. DATA RETENTION In broad terms, we will only retain your Information for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. This means that the retention periods will vary according to the type of Information and the reason that we have collected the Information in the first place. For example, some Information related to the provision of our Offerings to you will be kept for a number of years in order to comply with various finance and tax related legal obligations. We have detailed internal retention policies that set out the various retention periods for different categories of Information, depending on our legal obligations and whether there is a commercial need to retain the Information. After a retention period has lapsed, the Information is securely deleted, unless it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. For further information regarding applicable retention periods, you should contact us using the contact methods set out below. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS REQUESTS Under certain conditions, you have the right to ask us to fulfil one or more of the following requests. We may ask you for proof of identity or other additional information before doing so. Right to access and rectification: You can request details of the Information we hold, along with a copy of your Information, and the correction of any errors in your Information. Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): The right, in certain circumstances, to ask for your Information to be deleted. In specific cases, we may not be able to delete some types of Information, in particular, where we have a legal obligation to keep that Information (e.g. for regulatory reporting purposes) or, for example, where you want us to continue to provide you with an Offering and the processing of the Information is necessary for the provision of that Offering. Marketing communications and sharing with third parties. We provide you with an opportunity to express your preferences with respect to receiving certain marketing communications from us, and our sharing of Information with trusted partners for their direct marketing purposes. Please see the "Ad Choices" section below for more information. Right to portability: The right in some cases to receive your Information in a digital format or to have it transmitted directly to another controller (where technically feasible). Right to object: The right to object (on grounds relating to your particular situation) to the processing of your Information on the basis of our legitimate interests, including for direct marketing purposes. Right to withdraw consent: You can withdraw your consent at any time in respect of any processing of Information which is based upon a consent. We will assess any request to exercise these rights on a case-by-case basis. There may be circumstances in which we are not legally required to comply with a request because of relevant exemptions provided for in applicable data protection legislation. In some instances, this may mean that we are able to retain your Information even if you withdraw your consent. To exercise these rights, or to contact our Data Protection Officer, please submit a request through our individual rights request portal. COOKIES AND OTHER TECHNICAL INFORMATION When you visit our Digital Services, we, third party service providers, and partners may use "cookies" or similar technologies, such as pixels and SDKs to (i) provide, develop, maintain, personalize, protect, and improve our Digital Services and their content (ii) perform analytics, including to analyse and report on usage and performance of our Digital Services and any advertisements displayed on or delivered by or through them (iii) protect against, identify, and prevent fraud and other unlawful activity (iv) create aggregate data about groups or categories of our users (including advertising audiences), and (v) for us, our partners and third party service providers to deliver, target, offer, market, or personalise advertising relating to our Offerings or the offerings of our clients and partners (including limiting how often you see an advertisement). Cookie Description Website Preferences Details Required cookies These cookies are required to enable core website functionality Strictly necessary cookies or similar technologies: They are essential in order to enable you to move around our Digital Services and use their features, such as accessing secure areas. If you disable these cookies, some or all of the Digital Services' features may not work. Performance cookies These cookies allow us to analyze usage of our Digital Services so we can measure and improve performance Performance cookies or similar technologies: They collect information about how you use our Digital Services, so that we can analyze traffic, understand users' interactions, and improve the relevant Digital Service. Our emails and newsletters may contain a 'web pixel' to let us know how you have interacted with what we have sent you. For games, these technologies collect information about your gameplay, including accomplishments, use of features and other in-game activities. We may use third party service providers for this purpose who may use their own cookies or similar technologies. Functionality cookies Functionality cookies or similar technologies: These allow our Digital Services to remember choices you make (such as your user name or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personalized features, including personalized content. They may also be used to provide Digital Services you have asked for, such as watching a video or commenting on a blog. Advertising cookies These cookies are used by advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests Social media cookies or similar technologies: These are used when you share Information using a social media sharing button or 'like' button via our Digital Services, or when you link your account or engage with our content on or through a Social Media Site, such as Facebook or Twitter. The Social Media Site will record that you have done this, and this Information may be linked to targeting/advertising activities, including building custom audiences. Advertising cookies or similar technologies: Some of our Digital Services may use a third-party advertising network, or another of our companies, to deliver targeted advertising. They may also have the capability to track your browsing or usage across our Digital Services and Social Media Sites. Marketing communications. We may provide you with an opportunity to express your preferences with respect to receiving certain marketing communications from us. If you would like to update these preferences, you can (i) log in to an account you may have created with us to adjust your settings (where the feature is available). You can also follow the 'unsubscribe' instructions provided in any marketing email you receive. Ad choices. On our own or working with affiliates or third parties, we may present advertisements and engage in data collection, reporting, ad response measurement, and site analytics on our Digital Services and on third party websites across the Internet and applications over time. We, our affiliates, or third parties may use cookies, web beacons, pixels, SDKs, or similar technologies to perform this activity. They obtain information about applications you use, websites you visit, and other information from across your devices and browsers and across websites, services, and apps over time, in order to help serve advertising that will be more relevant to your interests on and off our Digital Services and across your devices and browsers. This type of advertising is known as 'interest-based advertising'. We, our affiliates, or third parties may also use this information to associate your different browsers and devices together for interest-based advertising and for other purposes like research, analytics, internal operations, fraud prevention, and enhancing consumer experiences. In addition to managing your preferences through our own consent management platform, for more information about interest-based advertising on your desktop or mobile browser, and to opt out of this type of advertising by third parties that participate in self-regulatory programs by visiting Your Online Choices if in the EEA, which is hosted by the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA); if in Australia to the Australian Advertising Alliance (ADAA); and if in Canada, to the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC). To learn more about interest-based advertising on mobile apps in Canada and to opt out of this type of advertising by third parties that participate in the DAAC's AppChoices program, please visit the DAAC tools page to download the version of AppChoices for your device. Please note that any opt-out choice you exercise through these programs will apply to interest-based advertising by the third parties you select, but will still allow the collection of Information for other purposes, including research, analytics, and internal operations. You can therefore continue to receive advertising, but that advertising may be less relevant to your interests. You may have more options depending on your mobile device and operating system. For example, most device operating systems (e.g., iOS for Apple phones, Android for Android devices, and Windows for Microsoft devices) provide their own instructions on how to limit or prevent the delivery of tailored in-application advertisements. You may review the support materials and/or the privacy settings for the respective operating systems to learn more about these features and how they apply to tailored in-app advertisements. Precise location information. To enable or disable the collection of precise location information from your mobile device through our mobile apps, you can access your mobile device settings and choose to limit that collection. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS We operate internationally, and some of the processes involved in our use of your Information will require your Information to be stored or processed in countries outside the country where you are located, including countries where the level of legal protection for your Information may be different and where you may have fewer legal rights in relation to it. In particular, your Information may be transferred to, and processed in the United States, where some of our systems are located. However, whenever we transfer your Information outside of a country or region, we will make sure that we take steps necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements. Therefore, where required, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place by using appropriate contractual mechanisms or by relying upon the service providers participating in an approved international data transfer mechanism, including the adoption of Binding Corporate Rules. NOTIFICATION REGARDING UPDATES From time to time, we may update this Privacy Policy. We will notify you about any material changes by placing a notice on our sites. We encourage you to periodically check back and review this policy so that you are up to date. COMPLAINTS If you are unhappy with how we have dealt with your query you may have the right to complain to your Data Protection Authority. This Privacy Policy was last updated on July 31, 2023. © Whatsonintrnc.com. All Rights Reserved. Top

Guides >- Vacations Flights Tours & Excursions Hotels Transfers Car Hire Guides > Vacations > Flights > Airlines that fly to North Cyprus Turkish Airlines Corendon Pegasus Tailwind Andalou Jet Freebird Top Guides > Vacations > Hotels in North Cyprus Name Location Phone Acapulco Holiday Village Catalkoy +90 392 650 4555 Ada Hotel Alsancak +90 392 821 8236 Alda Hotel Lapta +90 392 821 8780 Alkan Holiday Village Esentepe +90 392 823 6280 Almond Holiday Village Alsancak +90 392 821 2887 Altinkaya Holiday Complex Girne +90 392 815 5001 Ambelia Village Bellapais +90 392 815 3655 Anadolu Hotel Girne +90 392 815 1174 Atlantis Hotel Girne +90 392 815 2505 Avenue Hotel Girne +90 392 815 4049 Babayigit Hotel Zeytinlik +90 392 822 3939 Bare Hill Holiday Village Alsancak +90 392 821 2609 Bella View Hotel Bellapais +90 533 852 1155 Bellapais Gardens Hotel Bellapais +90 392 815 6066 Bellapais Monastery Village Hotel Bellapais +90 392 815 9171 Bristol Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6570 Bristol Hotel Girne +90 392 815 2240 Citrus Tree Gardens Alsancak +90 392 821 2872 Colony Hotel Girne +90 392 815 1518 Cratos Premium Hotel Catalkoy +90 392 444 4242 Crystal Bay View Apartments Bahceli +90 533 836 6650 Denix Konak Butil Otek Girne +90 392 815 0541 Denizkizi Hotel Alsancak +90 392 821 2676 Dome Hotel Girne +90 392 815 2453 Dorana Hotel Girne +90 392 815 3521 Elexus Hotel Girne +90 392 650 1000 Fez Boutique Hotel & Restaurant Catalkoy +90 533 867 1781 Five Ginger Holiday Village Ozankoy +90 392 815 4096 Flippers Holiday Village Lapta +90 392 821 2729 Glaro Garden Hotel Dip Karpaz Girne +90 392 372 2410 Golden Bay Hotel Alsancak +90 392 821 8540 Golden Palms Gazimagusa +90 392 366 2277 Grand Centre Boutique Hotel Girne +90 392 816 0183 Grand Pasha Hotel Girne +90 392 650 6600 Green Holiday Village Girne +90 392 821 3300 Harbour Scene Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6855 High Life Holiday Village Karakum +90 392 815 3383 Hilarion Holiday Village Karmi +90 392 822 2563 Jasmine Court Hotel Girne +90 392 815 1450 Kaan Hotel Girne +90 392 815 4515 Kaplica Hotel Karpaz +90 533 852 1361 Kaya Palazzo Hotels & Resort Karaoglanoglu +90 392 444 5292 Kyrenia Palace Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6008 LA Holiday Centre Lapta +90 392 821 8981 Lapethos Resort Hotel Lapta +90 392 821 8961 Le Chateau Lambousa Hotel Lapta +90 392 815 3535 Life Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6521 Light House Hotel Girne +90 392 815 9665 Liman Hotel Girne +90 392 815 2001 Lord's Palace Hotel Girne +90 533 650 3500 Lord's Residence Boutique Hotel Girne +90 392 820 0404 MC Palace Hotel Catalkoy +90 533 856 9552 Malpas Hotel Catalkoy +90 392 650 3000 Marmaris Hotel Lapta +90 392 821 8575 Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Alsancak +90 392 650 2000 Merit Park Hotel Kervansary +90 392 650 2500 Merit Royal Hotel Alsancak +90 392 650 4000 Meryem's Hotel Catalkoy +90 392 824 5073 Mountain View Hotel Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 3453 Nostalgia Hotel Girne +90 392 815 3079 Olive Paradise Holiday Village Lapta +90 392 821 3390 Olive Tree Catalkoy +90 392 824 4200 Olivia Palm Boutique Hotel Girne +90 539 104 0999 Onar Holiday Village Girne +90 392 815 5850 Oscars Resort Girne +90 392 815 4801 Palm Beach Hotel Gazimagusa +90 392 366 2000 Pia Bella Hotel Girne +90 392 815 5321 Pine Bay Holiday Village Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 3035 Riverside Holiday Complex Alsancak +90 392 821 8906 Riviera Hotel Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 2877 Rocks Hotel & Casino Girne +90 392 650 0400 Royal Marina Hotel Girne +90 392 650 3388 Sammy's Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6279 Sempati Hotel Alsancak +90 392 821 2770 Ship Hotel Girne +90 392 815 6701 Silver Waves Hotel Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 3208 Simena Hotel Karsiyaka +90 392 825 2476 Sofia Boutique Hotel Girne +90 392 815 2132 Tervetuloa Hotel Alsancak +90 533 863 2394 The Courtyard Karakum +90 392 815 3343 The Hideaway Karmi +90 392 822 2620 Top Set Hotel Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 2204 Watermill Hotel Girne +90 392 815 1741 White Pearl Hotel Girne +90 533 870 9141 Book a Hotel Top Guides > Vacations > North Cyprus Transfer Services Go North Cyprus Ercan Airport Taxis Transfer N. Cyprus Sun Transers Cyprus Paradise Get Transfer North Cy Transfer Welcome Taxi A1 Cyprus Holidays in N. Cyprus Pickup North Cyprus Cyprustaxi.net Top Guides > Vacations > Flights > Car Hire in North Cyprus IHiring a car is undoubtedly the best way to see all that Northern Cyprus has to offer. It allows you to set your own timetable and go exactly where you want and when you want. Travel the scenic coastal routes from the farthest point west, all the way to the tip of the Karpaz Peninsula in the east. A journey that isn’t possible on public transport. Drive the mountain routes, take in the spectacular scenery or have a picnic under scented pines. See all the ancient sites and ramble through crusader castles with no rush to move on. Driving in Northern Cyprus is much like driving in the UK; the same side of the road, signs that are for the most part international and well-placed speed limit notices and direction signs. Pre-book in high season as demand, especially for vehicles with air-conditioning, is high. ​ ​North Cyprus car hire specifications and regulations: Rght-hand drive unless a left-hand drive car is specifically requested Manual and automatic available, state preference Cars may be calibrated in MPH or KPH Speed limits on all roads are posted in KPH Full current driving licence is required Hirers must be over 21 years of age​ Hire a Car Terms and Conditions of renting a car in Northern Cyprus: Prices do not normally include collision damage waiver (CDW) Additional drivers are not normally included Minimum booking is usually 3 days for pickup and drop off at apartments Minimum booking is usually 7 days for pickup and drop off at the Car hire is billed in 24 hour periods If you arrive at night, book your car from 10 am the following morning Cars are generally picked up and dropped off at around 10 am Driving in North Cyprus is similar to driving in the UK in as much as speed limits are approximately the same on conversion - 100KPH on the motorway; 50KPH in town; 65KPH limit on the approach to junctions; and the use of speed cameras is countrywide. Speeding fines are heavy. Drunken driving is not tolerated and anyone failing a breath test may well spend the night in the local police station. Seat belts are compulsory for drivers and front-seat passengers. Car Hire Companies in North Cyprus Name Location Phone A-One Rent a Car Girne +90 542 852 3006 Abant Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 4524 Acmenya Car Rentals Alsancak +90 392 821 2736 Ada Rent a Car Girne +90 533 849 6303 Akman's Rent a Car Girne +90 533 822 4165 Arizona Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 1355 Atakara Rent a Car Alsancak +90 392 821 8184 Atlantic Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 3053 Autumn Rent a Car Kervansaray +90 533 866 6383 Baag Rent a Car Catalkoy +90 533 854 3040 Baspinar Rent a Car Girne +90 542 888 4888 Bellapais Rent a Car Girne +90 392 444 0131 Belvu Car Rentals Alsancak +90 392 821 8306 Bikers Club Girne +90 392 815 9245 Bird Rent a Car Karaoglanoglu +90 392 822 2379 Brisk Rent a Car Esentepe +90 533 834 2188 British Rent a Car Girne +90 533 851 7348 Carrington Cars Girne +90 533 840 0070 Cyprent Rent a Car Girne +90 533 840 0070 Cyprus Pines Rent a Car Esentepe +90 533 866 5237 Cyprus Pines Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 0291 Dark & Blue Car Rental Girne +90 542 854 7708 Driver Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 8851 EVA Rent a Car Girne +90 392 444 7171 Easy Quick Car Rental Girne +90 542 855 1176 GM Cyprus Rent a Car Girne +90 533 859 2159 Grandeur Rent a Car Ozankoy +90 533 873 6289 Green Valley Car Hire Alsancak +90 392 821 3107 Gsmart Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 7850 Gunray Rent a Car Girne +90 533 868 8317 Inter Car Rental Girne +90 533 840 0410 Jeep Safari Girne +90 533 881 8993 Kyrenia Castle Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 8970 Kyrenia Motorbike & Scooter Rental Girne +90 533 845 6019 Le Chateau Lambouse Hotel Rent a Car Lapta +90 392 821 3535 Mustafa Transfer Alsancak +90 533 877 6378 Olive Paradise Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 4937 Oscar Car Rentals Girne +90 392 815 2272 Ozy's (Ibo's) Car & Bicycle Hire Girne +90 533 865 6305 Pacific Rent a Car Girne +90 542 852 1920 Pine Bay Club Rent a Car Alsancak +90 392 822 3032 Riverside Rent a Car Girne +90 392 821 2211 Sam's Place Rent a Car Alsancak +90 542 857 4720 Sevener Rent a Car Girne +90 392 821 2606 Soydan Car Rentals Karakum +90 392 444 1011 Sun Rent a Car Girne +90 392 815 4979 Top Guides > Vacations > Tours & Excursions Kültur Türlari Sidetour Tour with me Go North Cyprus Private Tours Tour Plus T Zone Cyprus Cyprus Paradide Puzzle Travel Tours by Locals wizygbe Tours Top

Sightseeing > A View from above Bandabulya Büyükkonuk Dervis Pasha Mansion George VI Monument Iskele Museum Kyrenia Castle & Harbour Martinengo Bastion Nicosia Venetian Walls Railway History Seyyed Efendi Cistern The Royal Tombs Salamis Vouni Palace Acendu Fountain Bedesten Cafer Pasha Hamam Enkomi Village Greco-Roman Tombs Kantara Castle Kyrenia Gate Mevlevi Tekki Museum Othello's Tower Rivettina Bastion Soli Ruins Varosha Ghost Town Arsenal Bastion Buffavento Castle Cengiz Topel Monument Gambler's Inn Güzelyurt Museum Karaoğlanoğlu Memorial Lapidary Museum Minia Cyprus Museum Petra tou Limnidi Round Tower St Hilarion Castle Venetian Column Baldoken Graveyard Büyük Hamam Chain Tower Geçitköy Dam Hz. Omer Tomb Karmi Village Lefke Aqueduct Namik Kemal Dungeon Porta Del Mare Gate Salamis Ruins The Great Inn Venetian Palace Guides > Sightseeing > A view from above Top Sightseeing > Acendu Fountain The Acendu Fountain is in Lefke, in an area which it takes its name from. At the foot of the Troodos mountains, Lefke was served by aqueducts and springs to provide its water supply and this fountain was one of them. It was thought to have been built during the 15th or 16th centuries by the Venetians between the Lefke River and Laguna Mountain skirts. ​ Prior to being built, there wasn't a water supply to the town. The Venetian ruler was named Cento, so the water became known as Aqua de Cento and over time was truncated to Cento. Today, it still provides water for orange groves surrounding it. Top Sightseeing > Arsenal Bastion Historically part of the Famagusta Walls, this bastion has been renamed and now houses a tomb and museum open to the public. When the Ottomans decided to conquer Cyprus, Canbulat Bey of Kilis, a provincial governor of the Empire, joined the invading forces. Successful during the capture of Nicosia, he was promoted to become commander of the right wing of the Ottoman army to the south of Famagusta, along with Iskender Pasha and Deniz Pasha. From here, the Ottomans bombarded the town, which is why most damage to the taller buildings within the old city walls is on the southeast side. The Ottomans initially tried to dig under the overwhelming walls, but the Venetians blasted the tunnels, and collapsed them. They then placed sharp blades on a turning wheel at the entrance of the bastion to cut any enemy into pieces. The siege lasted for months and popular folklore recounts that to obstruct the bladed turning wheel and allow the Ottomans passage through the city entrance, Canbulat decided to ride his horse into it. ​ His head was cut off , but undeterred he picked his head up, mounted his horse, and continued to fight for several days with his skull under his arm. This motivated the Ottoman soldiers to continue the onslaught and eventually led the Venetians to surrender and the Arsenal Bastion was renamed the Canbulat Bastion. Canbulat's entombed remains are located at the Bastion which is also a place of pilgrimage for modern-day Turks visiting North Cyprus. Legend also maintains that a fig tree grew up over the tomb, the fruits of which promoted fertility in women who visited. The bastion also houses the ethnographic and archaeological Canbulat Museum, displaying artillery, uniforms, antiques and Venetian pottery. After the destruction of the Arsenal Bastion , the city rapidly began work to rebuild the parapets. Traces of the repairs of the Arsenal and Ravelin Bastions as well as the walls between the two can easily be seen by visitors. The Famagusta Lighthouse also stands on this historic location. Top Sightseeing > Baldoken Graveyard At the top of Kyrenia, lies Baldöken Graveyard , also known as the Islam Graveyard or Graveyard of Forlorn. When the Ottomans conquered Cyprus in 1571, this area outside Kyrenia Castle was reserved as a cemetery for soldiers until the end of the 17th century. When it began to accept non-soldiers, the name was changed to Islam Graveyard. In the 19th century, it was also used to bury the homeless and destitute. It once covered a large area but today only the remains of a small part exist. It's still an intriguing place to visit with its' cisterns, water canals and architectural tombs. Located next to the Anglican St Andrew’s Church , it was restored in 1995. A ‘Turbe ’ (mausoleum) of the Garrison Commander of the Ottomans is located in the graveyard that has adopted its present name. Top Sightseeing > Bandabulya The yard of St Sophia (Selimiye) and St Nicolas church (Bedesten) in Nicosia was used as the main trading place in the city during Venetian rule (1489-1570) in Cyprus. People entered the walled city to sell their products and textiles, using the area for their weekly local market. Due to population growth and rising popularity, the market became a permanent fixture and people from all around Cyprus came to buyand sell sell goods at the Bandabulya market. Also known as the Municipal Bazaar , it's the first indoor vegetable market, dating back to Lusignan times as an open market area with shops and stalls for trade, and rooms to accommodate traders. The bazaar, which was completely open when it was first built, was established in 1932, and quickly became the most crowded and significant market in the city. It’s an historical place where food, beverages, spices, vegetables and fruits unique to Cyprus are sold. It was also a public space where locals could gather and take their kids for ice cream on the weekends. In addition, there are cafes, restaurants, clubs and shops used as entertainment. Bandabulya covers an area of 4500 square meters, contains 77 shops and is one of the popular bazaars of the region. ​ Etymological origin and tradition Bandabuliya is a word of Greek origin. "Banda" means continuous and "buliya" means sale. It’s the name given to the municipal markets brought to local culture by the British. It means gathering place, meeting place, shopping place, socializing place among the people. In bandabuliyas, which serve every day except Sundays, traders pay rent to the municipality they’re affiliated with. In the past, producers preferred to sell their wares in bandabuliya because sales there were in cash, whereas credit was common for sales in village squares. Bandabuliyas are found in Famagusta, Güzelyurt, Kyrenia, Lefke, Nicosia and Iskele. Some are market places, while others are used for different purposes. ​ History Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus for about 800 years. Austrian Archduke Ludwig Salvator, who visited Cyprus in 1872, writes in his book "Levkosia" that he found 23 bazaars performing different professions between the gates of Famagusta and Paphos, and describes the "Meat and Fish Bazaar" where all kinds of food are sold in the place of current Bandabuliya. Esme Scot Stevenson , in her 1880 book "Our Home in Cyprus ", describes the Nicosia bazaar as follows: "A little further, when we turned right, passing the coppersmiths and bell makers, which were ringing in the ears, we found ourselves in the vegetable market full of large melons, watermelons, pumpkins, strings of onions, figs and grapes. One street away, in the butchers' street, we found ourselves in the vegetable market. and other kinds of meat… Beyond a narrow street, there is the Women's Bazaar. The white-veiled women were sitting cross-legged next to the piles of local fabrics in front of them." On the Kitchener map published in 1881, where the current Bandabuliya area is located, the name "Market Place" is mentioned and it's open. Again, on land registry maps of Nicosia Surlariçi (1912-1915), there is a record of "Municipial Market" in the same place. In a 1950 watercolor painting by British painter Arthur J. Legge (1859-1942), you can see greengrocers in the Nicosia bazaar selling in covered places, and the streets where the people walk are open. ​ Foundation of Bandabuliya In 1929 the city council decided to demolish the old bazaar and build a new Bandabuliya in its place. It was planned that 12 of the 132 small shops to be built would be used as fish shops, 80 as vegetable shops, 40 as wholesale warehouses, fruit shops, butcher's and pig shops. The £20,000 required for the construction was borrowed from the Bank of Cyprus at 6% interest for 30 years and shopkeepers temporarily moved to Misirli Han. The inscription "Belediye Pazarı" ("ΔHMOTΙKH AΓOPA"), in Turkish and Greek, was hung on the entrance door to the northwest of the bazaar, which was completed in 1932. ​ Extension and restoration work of Bandabuliya When Bandabuliya couldn’t keep up with demand in 1940, an adjoining garden and property were purchased and the building was expanded and completed on 14 September 1940. In 2004, restoration turned the wholesale market into an entertainment centre, while the retailers area was retained. In the early 1970s new residential areas started to be built outside the city, and gradually the market started to be neglected by locals. Over the years, the shops closed down, the building became unsafe and finally closed in 2010. With the support of the United Nations Development Program, it was renovated and re-opened in June 2012 with 77 stalls for sellers, a café, bookshops and a small theatre for performances. Top Sightseeing > Bedesten Bedesten is a historical building in the Selimiye quarter of North Nicosia, located beside the Selimiye Mosque. The structure’s history spans more than 1,000 years. Originally built as a church, expanded and rebuilt, it was converted to a Bedesten, a type of covered market, during the period of Ottoman rule and is currently used as a cultural centre. ​ Byzantine period The earliest history of the Bedesten is documented archaeologically by a Byzantine Basilica, fragments of which are preserved inside the current building. These remains possibly date to the 6th century, and marked the site of the first cathedral of Saint Sophia in Nicosia. ​ Lusignan period After the fall of Acre in the late 12th century, English monks who were followers of Thomas Becket established a new Latin church on this site and dedicated it to Saint Nicholas. With the adjacent cathedral dedicated to the Latin rite (catholic), the Bedesten probably continued to serve an Orthodox role. The church was expanded several times and rebuilt during the 14th and 15th centuries, but the old Byzantine apse was retained. ​ Venetian period During Venetian rule, the Bedesten was used as the metropolitan bishopric building by the Orthodox church and dedicated to Mary as Panagia Hodegetria. It was under the Venetians that the north façade was constructed. Patrons were noble Cypriot families, their identity documented in part by coats of arms carved above the main entrance. In the same period, the dome and large central apse were constructed, replacing the original of the Byzantine period. ​ Ottoman period In 1573, the building was given by the Ottomans to Haramayn (Mecca and Medina) to be used as a bedesten (a covered textile market). It was later used as a market for food, and by the 1760s it was a food trading centre for Turkish, Greek and Armenian merchants. By 1873, it had been converted into a flour depot. It was then used as a wheat depot in the 1870s and a generic storage place for the Evkaf Administration in the 1930s. ​ British period In the 1880s, Lord Kitchener and other prominent British men in Cyprus wanted to buy or rent the building to convert it back to a church, and use it as the Church of St Nicholas again. This wasn’t allowed as the property of a foundation couldn’t be sold, and a shrine of another religion couldn’t be opened within 100 yards of a mosque. The British undertook renovation of the building, but it didn’t reflect some of the original architecture. With the opening of the new municipal market, Bandabulya, in 1932, it fell into disuse. In the 1930s, it was used for storage by the Evkaf Administration and in 1935, the Department of Antiquities brought medieval tombstones to it from the Ömerge Mosque, and were displayed for some time in a room along with the room's ornate Ottoman-era ceiling. ​ Architecture The Bedesten of Nicosia is stylistically very different from other bedestens in the Ottoman Empire. It consists mainly of a mix of Byzantine and Gothic architecture, but also incorporates elements of Renaissance French, Venetian and probably Spanish architectural styles. It uses a cross-shaped structural style and layout that belongs to the Byzantine style, but incorporates a nave with a high ceiling that belongs to the Gothic style. The southern double nave is a remnant of the Byzantine church and its middle section is the oldest part of the building. The exterior of the nave in the north has the most ornate decorations and stonework in the building. This façade is across the front arches of the Selimiye Mosque and is the side where the entrance is located. The entrance is through a very ornate Gothic-style gate, with elements of the Italian Renaissance architecture added later and a statuette of St Nicholas. Coats of arms are located on both sides of the entrance. This façade also has numerous animal statuettes and gargoyles. ​ Renovation and current use Between June 2004 and 2009, renovation was undertaken and the walls of the building were cleansed and the vaults strengthened using traditional building materials and techniques. It was then reopened as a cultural centre. In 2009, the renovation was awarded the Europa Nostra Award. Among the activities hosted are weekly sufi dance shows and the Nicosia Walled City Jazz Festival. Top Sightseeing > Buffavento Castle At 3,100 feet, this is the highest and most inaccessible of the three famous castles in the Five Finger mountains. To get there, head out of Kyrenia towards the East and continue in the direction of Famagusta. Go through Catalkoy past the turn-off for Arapkoy and at the brow of the hill, at the Besparmak pass, turn right just after the Buffavento Restauant on the left. This leads you onto a narrow, single-track road along the southern slopes of the mountain. Drive slowly and carefully along this road and for sure don't do it if it's raining. There are a few passing places, steep drops and magnificent views over the Mesaoria Plain, Lefkosa and goats.The route twists and turns so the castle will disappear and reappear several times, but after about 4 slow miles, you’ll eventually arrive at the car park, with its’ solitary olive tree and a memorial to the crew of an aircraft that perished in a mountain top crash in 1988. Be aware that there's no toilets or facilities of any sort up here, so take a leak before you set off and bring some water with you, especially in hot weather. Now start the 30 minutes or so zig-zag path to get to just the first level of the castle. There are gently graded concrete steps with low walls for you to rest from the climb and wonderful views in every direction. Be aware that the steps don't have any hand rails. If you visit in Spring, your walk is covered in flowers that grow on the hillside. The trek up to the very top is pretty strenuous and in total may take up to an hour for the average person but it is worth it as the views over the sea to the North and the Masaoria Plain to the South are simply spectacular. ​ Inside The castle is built on two levels or wards, and the main gate at the first level is more or less intact. The lower level has the most complete rooms, possibly royal apartments, where there’s evidence of cisterns beneath the floors with some still containing water. Winter rains were the only supply of water for drinking and cooking and it was stored in deep underground reservoirs were it stayed fresh for many years. Climb the steps built into the rock face for another 75 feet to get to the upper level and the final few steps lead you into a completely waterproof barrel-vaulted room. From this there’s a passage with ruined rooms on both sides and a splendid view at the far end. If you return to the entrance, you can climb to where the lightning conductor marks the highest point. Looking down to the south west you’ll see the huge flag of the TRNC that’s painted on the hillside. Just to stand at 3,100ft and feel the wind blowing off the sea; to watch mares-tail clouds drifting across the sky; to turn 360 degrees and gaze at the spectacular panorama; and maybe hear the call of buzzards and ravens in flight as they circle the castle top, will make the climb completely rewarding. ​ History Originally built in the 11th century and rebuilt by the Lusignans in the 14th century, Buffavento is thought to have been built with St Hilarion castle as part of a major programme of works after the Seljuk advance, although it was also used as a prison and lookout post, and it’s easy to see why. The name may have been borrowed from a monastery in the Koutzoventi village. It was certainly visited by Richard the Lionheart in 1191, and one theory suggests it was built as a countermeasure for the spread of Crusader states. In medieval chronicles it was called the “Castle of the Lion ” and a Lusignan period legend claims that the castle was built by a Cypriot noblewoman who was seeking shelter from the Knights Templar and that’s why the castle was known as Leonne (Lion's Castle) or Queen's Castle. The castle saw next to no fighting. In 1191, it was surrendered to Richard the Lionheart after Kantara and St Hilarion fell. Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar then resold it to Guy of Lusignan, of the House of Lusignan. The Lusignans continued their reign interrupted only by occasional palace coups and was used as a prison. In 1308, a knight named Anseau of Brie was imprisoned at the castle when he heard of the accusations levelled against the Knights Templar in their trial. In the 14th century, the island came under the control of the Republic of Venice, at which time it fell into disuse. Architecture Buffavento has approximately 600 steps leading up to it and steep crags surrounding it, making it inaccessible from west, east and north. Many of the castle's buildings are irregular in shape, as the limited available space forced its builders to economize space. The main building material was dressed limestone from the island's coasts and stones taken directly from the mountain on which it stands. The architecture carries no signs of decoration. The upper level faces the sea (north) and the lower one the plain (south). The levels were connected by a long staircase, which was later destroyed by the Venetians who deemed the fortifications redundant. Outbuildings consist of a water cistern and a stable, which would have been useless in the event of a siege. The castle's gates were located inside a 2-storey rectangular tower with a Frankish style pointed arch. 3-barrel vaulted buildings and recess are again Frankish in origin. The main stairway leads to a 2-storey, unvaulted Byzantine building, which is divided into 3 large chambers, interconnected with water pipes. The eastern side was guarded by a short, Frankish, groin vaulted tower with a cistern and a building that may have served as a church. At the extreme west of the castle stands a ruined, isolated tower. The lack of a kitchen or a food storage, points to the fact that rooms were multi-functional in their nature. Top Sightseeing > Büyük Hamam From olden days, Hamam’s have played a definitive role in the structure of cultures, a meeting place for social gatherings, body and soul purification and general relaxation. The first buildings that Ottoman Turks built in any city were the baths, a prime facility used in the everyday life of its inhabitants, also serving as a practical sanitary service for the many that didn't have the same comfort in their homes. Buyuk Hamam is the oldest Turkish bathhouse in the city, in the Iplik Bazaar quarter, erected on the Lusignan site of the 14th century St George de Poulains Church. The only real identifiable element that remains from the former Latin church is the main entrance, which also bears similarities to the porch of the Bedesten. As the new city was built on the ruins of the former, with the rise of the ground of surrounding areas over time, the Hamam’s door is now about 2 metres below ground level with the bathrooms further below. Buyuk Hamam is one of the most stunning remains of the Ottoman period in Nicosia. The building was rebuilt as a Turkish bath between 1571 and 1590 during the first years of Ottoman rule, and belonged to the Pious Foundation of Lala Mustafa Pasha, generating a healthy income to this institution. The venue was a popular public centre, where women especially would meet to socialise and exchange gossip. It was renovated in 2008 all while the original qualities of the bathhouse were maintained, and today consists of three sections: ‘Soyunmalik’ which is the changing room, ‘Iliklik’ where visitors warm up or warm down and the ‘Sicaklik’ being the main hot feature, exhibiting a large cupola (dome) with glass-covered holes inviting sunlight over the central massage podium. The changing room also bears the original remnants of the Latin church, especially that of the large windowsills. The Buyuk Hamam is the only original Turkish bath still active in North Cyprus and an important attraction for tourists, who use it to experience hundreds of years of traditional methods of peeling and massage with aromatic oils and foam. The baths are generally open daily, and arrangements can usually be made for sex segregated and/or family sessions. Top Sightseeing > Büyükkonuk Village Formerly called Komi Kebir, Büyükkonuk nestles on the foothills of the Five Finger Mountain Range and is the gateway to Karpaz. The geography here is a combination of hilly terrain and fertile flat lands, close to seashores north and south, as here Northern Cyprus narrows to less than 10 miles. The northern coast is rocky with pebbled beaches, while the southern shoreline boasts some of the best sandy beaches in the Mediterranean. This part of Northern Cyprus is famous for its natural and man-made landscapes, the biodiversity of the plants and wildlife and its rich cultural heritage. Traditional crops include carob, olive, wheat, barley and some vegetable farming. Dairy cows, sheep and goats are kept. Forested hills border the village, filling the air with scented pine and wild herbs. Many species of trees, including Cypress, juniper and almond, as well as ancient olive groves, dot the landscape. Orchids and other wild flowers abound in season. Plenty of field roads and narrow tracks are found on the hills and flats areas, and as there's a conspicuous absence of fences, the surrounding area is attractive for walking and cycling. At the borders of the village, there are the churches of Saint George, Saint Afksentios and Saint Loukas. There are also the ancient churches of Panagia Kira, Saint George Parouzos, Saint Vasilios (in ruins), Saint Photiou (in ruins) and Saint Katherine (in ruins). Buyukkonuk was selected as a pilot village in the Karpaz for the development of eco tourism. It started with a craft shop for locally made handicrafts, then expanded to B&B, activity centre, meeting place and a start for tours, with the aim of saving traditional village life as part of the cultural heritage. Village activity tours and employing local traditions of food and crafts encourage sustainable development, letting visitors have a unique insight into village life while traditional culture is reinforced and maintained. The European Union and United States Agency for International Development (USAID ) assisted in the enlargement and refurbishment of facilities. Now there are 10 beds available in the B&B in 4 different self-contained, air-conditioned rooms, some with disabled access. ​ Activities that you can join in: Walk with shepherds behind their flocks of fat tailed sheep. Take joy in gambolling Try milking a goat, filling a bucket with warm frothy milk. Collecting eggs fresh from the nest for your breakfast. Firing a large village oven to bake sesame covered breads filled with cheese and olives. Harvest olives & pour them into a milling trough under giant stones to extract the golden oil. Explore earthy tracts between stone walled fields. Walk through nature’s colourful pallet during the wild flower season. Enjoy the scent of pine and carob forested foothills, lush green valleys and chequered fields. See grass turn into "Van Gogh" yellow sheaves that have inspired artists for generations. Sample healthy village fare such as bread dipped in olive oil, fall-off-the-bone meats of "firin kebab" or the unique delicacy of pumpkin flowers filled with rice and herbs. Basket or broom making Spinning Brick making Top Sightseeing > Cafer Pasha Hammam Baths The main square in Famagusta, today known as Namik Kemal Square , was the busiest part of the city in Ottoman and Latin times. The most important mosque in the city, the Lala Mustafa Pasha , along with the historic medrese and the Cafer Pasha Fountain and Hammam (bath), comprised the buildings that surrounded this square. The fountain can be seen to the right of the entrance to the Venetian Palace. ​ It was built in 1597 and named after an Ottoman general. Across from the fountain is the Cafer Pasha Bath . Although the bath dates to 1605, the dressing rooms are much older, originally part of the 14th century St Francis Church. The rest of the baths are typically Ottoman Turkish, with domed hot and cold rooms. Top Sightseeing > Cengiz Topel Monument Towards the end of 1963, Greek Cypriots on the island initiated ethnic cleansing of Turkish Cypriots. Over the following months, 100+ villages were evacuated and the villagers moved into enclaves, including Erenkoy on the northwest coast of the island. In August 1964, the Greek Cypriot National Guard started action against Erenkoy. It was one of the last ports under Turkish Cypriot control and the Greeks believed that militia were landing supplies and weapons from Türkiye. A land and sea operation was carried out by thousands of professionally trained soldiers under the command of the retired Greek General and leader of EOKA, Georgios Grivas. EOKA was a Greek Cypriot organisation that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus, for the island’s self-determination and for eventual union with Greece. The defenders of Erenkoy, which mainly consisted of 750 university students, managed to hold their positions till the 8th August, when the Turkish Air Force intervened through its right as a Guarantor Power of Cyprus. Erenkoy Resistance Against this backdrop on August 8, 1964, Cengiz Topel, a fighter pilot of the Turkish Air Force, was part of a combat mission in what is known today as the “Erenkoy Resistance ”, which supported the besieged villagers. He led a four-fighter flight of the 112th Air Squadron but his Topel F-100 Super Sabre was hit by 40mm anti-aircraft fire from a Greek Cypriot gun emplacement and shot-down as he was strafing a Greek Cypriot patrol boat. Cengiz Topel managed to eject from his aircraft and made a safe parachute jump over land, but was promptly captured by Greek Cypriot villagers and taken to the British hospital. Members of the Cyprus National Guard removed Topel from his hospital bed and took him to their headquarters. An autopsy of his body showed that there he was heavily tortured and eventually murdered, his corpse shot at several times. The 29-year-old’s corpse was returned on August 12, 1964 to the Turkish authorities. On August 14, 1964, he was laid to rest at the Edirnekapı Martyr’s Cemetery in Istanbul. ​ Aftermath Topel’s bravery together with those of the outnumbered students saved the village and following the end of hostilities, UN forces returned to the area, bringing humanitarian aid to Turkish Cypriots. But the war for Erenkoy villagers, like Turkish Cypriots in other enclaves, wasn’t over. For over a decade, they continued to endure harsh conditions as they remained encircled by Greek Cypriots who would mount occasional attacks. It was not until 1974 that the conflict would finally end. ​ Legacy Cengiz Topel was the first Turkish pilot to die in action. To recognise his heroic efforts, a hospital in Yesilyurt, near Lefke, was renamed the Cengiz Topel Hospital in 1975. A monument was also erected on the coastal road in the village of Gemikonagi near Lefke, where he had landed by parachute, in commemoration of his heroics, and is open to the public. In Türkiye, a former Turkish Air Force base located near İzmit, currently in use as Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station, is named after him. A bronze statue erected in his honour in Eskisehir depicts him in flight suit. Several sites, schools and hospitals in Northern Cyprus and Türkiye are named after him. ​ Erenkoy Today, Erenkoy, also known by its Greek name Kokkina, is an exclave of Northern Cyprus. Greek Cypriot sanctions mean that the exclave can only be accessed from the rest of North Cyprus by sea, as the coastal road is impeded. Visitors to the now uninhabited village of Erenkoy, will find caves in the nearby mountains, which were dug during the conflict so Turkish Cypriots could escape fierce shelling they regularly had to endure during the conflict. Top Sightseeing > Chain Tower In the Middle Ages a chain suspended between two towers defended the entrance of Kyrenia’s harbour, like the chain across the Golden Horn in Constantinople. William de Oldenburg, who visited Cyprus in 1211 during the reign of King Hugh I, referred to Kyrenia as “a small town well-fortified, which has a castle with walls and towers”. He perceived the chain tower as part of Kyrenia’s fortification system in that time. The Byzantines had already fortified the city, but in the 13th century, during the Longobard war, before the siege of the city, Frederick II’s party, under the direction of Captain Philippo Genardo, improved the defences of the city. The chain tower is still visible today on the north side of the old Kyrenia harbour. It consists of an 8.15 m diameter cylindrical tower and a 1.5 m diameter pillar on top of it. Often mistaken for a lighthouse, the iron chain was stretched across the entrance of Kyrenia Harbour between two towers, the other being the old Customs House located at the urban entrance of the harbour. The chain was suspended across the harbour entrance to block hostile shipping and defend the city against threats. Top Sightseeing > Dervis Pasha Mansion Dervis Pasha Mansion (Derviş Paşa Konağı ) is an historical mansion and ethnographic museum in the Arab Ahmet quarter of Nicosia, and considered to be one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in Cyprus. It lies on Beliğ Paşa Street , has two floors, and was built on an earlier Gothic building on the same site. Built in 1801, it was repaired in 1869 with ornate wood carvings. It belonged at the end of the 19th century to Hacı Ahmet Derviş Efendi, who owned large swathes of land outside Nicosia and was the editor of Zaman newspaper, the first Turkish periodical in Cyprus published between 1891 – 1900. He was a leading figure in the Turkish Cypriot community and also a member of the assembly that ratified decisions of the British colonial administration. The lower floor is made of stone, while the upper floor is adobe (mud brick). Its architecture is heavily Ottoman and reflects the lifestyle of the time. It has two entrance doors, one for men (selamlik) and one for women (harem). It has a large inner courtyard, which was used by household members for relaxation without exposure to the outside. It's considered to be one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture with whitewashed walls, plain yellow-stoned arches, terracotta roof and blue woodwork. The main room, which is an extension expanding over the street, is ‘Baghdadi ’ style, timber-framed with stone filling and a roof displaying eaves, like a bay window. In 1979, the mansion was in the danger of collapse and was purchased by the Turkish Cypriot state in 1981. Following renovation, it opened to visitors as an ethnographic museum on 21 March 1988. It was notable as the first significant renovation project in Northern Cyprus. Inside, examples of traditional Cypriot lifestyle, such as kitchen utensils, instruments for needlework, as well as old swords and historical clothes, are on display, while the furnishings of the bridal room, dining hall and living area, illustrate the household rituals of the time. The large inner courtyard was once used by the household for private recreation. The inhabitants of the mansion lived on the upper floor whilst the ground floor was allocated as servants’ quarters and used for storage. Top Sightseeing > En komi Village This acient city is thought to have been the first capital of Cyprus and dates back over 4,000 years. Also referred to as Alasiya, it's located near to the present-day village of Tuzla, north of Famagusta. Excavations have revealed the city was initially under Egypt and later Mycenae influence. It was a large orderly city with a prosperous trade and surrounded by fortified walls. It was originally built on a rocky plateau west of Tuzla, on the river Pedieos, the longest waterway in Cyprus. Copper ore was transported to Enkomi, where it was smelted and shipped for export as the river was navigable and had an inland harbour. The metal trade continued into the Late Bronze Age and was recorded in correspondence between the Pharaoh and the King of Alasiya. It's unclear if "Alasiya" referred to just Enkomi, the region, or to Cyprus as a whole but the exchange confirms Alasiya as a major supplier of copper to Syria and Anatolia. Excavations have discovered several areas where metallurgy took place and the name is found on texts written in Egyptian, Hittite, Akkadian, Mycenean and Ugaritic. . Much of what you see today is the remains of reconstruction after it was devastated by the “Sea People ” who invaded eastern Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, and Egypt toward the end of the Bronze Age. around 1200 BCE. The earlier town was built ad hoc, but the new town was rebuilt on a grid system, with long east-west avenues and a north-south main street. In 1075 BCE, it was hit by an earthquake, then around 1000 BCE, the inland harbour silted up and decline set in. As Enkomi declined, nearby Salamis began to thrive, and the last inhabitants of Enkomi migrated there. Most of today's ruins are from the rebuilt city, which never recovered its ancient grandeur. In 1896 as part of the Turner Bequest expedition to Cyprus, the first excavations on the island were conducted by the British Museum. Two bronze statues of gods were found on what was thought to be ceremonial buildings. The “horned god ” is a bronze statuette which reveals the influence of Hittite art, depicting a God, possibly Apollo , wearing a horned helmet. The “ingot god ”, is wearing a horned conical hat and greaves, shield and spear, and stands on a miniature hide-shaped ingot. Other notable finds include the “Enkomi Cup” which used niello decoration making it one of the earliest uses of this technique – a black mix of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. Most of the discoveries are in a collection of 1,800 objects or fragments in the British Museum in London Top Sightseeing > Gambler's Inn The Kumarcilar Han, also called the Gambler’s Inn, is a caravansarai (an Inn with a central courtyard) located in Nicosia. Thought to be built around the end of the 17th century, it's much smaller and modest when compared with Büyük Han , but nonetheless typical of an Ottoman inner city commercial inn. In the middle ages, merchants used to group themselves together according to their trades. When travelling, merchants from the same town or trade would favour certain hans, which would tend to assume the name of that town or trade. The Gambler’s Inn was originally known as the Violinist’s or Fiddler’s Inn and it's not known when or why the name changed. Similar to all caravansarai, the entrance leads to an open-air courtyard, which is surrounded by a two-storey building, originally containing 56 rooms. Upper floors were used by travellers, ground floor for their animals and belongings. The ground floor rooms have stone floors and an external window. ​ A stair leads to the upper storey, where the floor is marble and some rooms contain fireplaces. A monumental carved gate at the entrance dates to before the Ottoman conquest, and experts believe the structure stands on a much earlier building, possibly the ruins of a monastery. This Han has been fully restored and is used as an attraction with cafes, restaurants, arts and craft shops. Top Sightseeing > Geçitköy Dam Geçitköy Dam is a rock-fill dam on the Mandara River about 5 miles west of Lapithos. It was originally completed as the Dağdere Dam in 1989, but between 2012 and 2014 it was raised and expanded from 1.8 million cubic metres to 35 million cubic metres. The dam receives water from the river and via an undersea pipeline from the Alaköprü Dam , in the Mersin Province of Türkiye, topped-up by by an underground aquifer and hundreds of small shallow wells. Water from Türkiye first entered the reservoir on 17 October 2015. From there it’s transferred via pumps to Girne which lies to the east. ​ Getting There To get there, follow the main coastal road towards Camlibel and Mavi Kosk house (The Blue House). You can view the dam from the road but probably the best place for a photo would be The Blue House . The Views You can’t go on top of the dam, but the view from the road above is still amazing and the panoramic view of the water reservoir is stunning. Picnic areas abound, as do car shade ports and viewing galleries. ​ The Walks If you fancy walking round the reservoir be aware it’s at least 3 or 4 hours and if you take your time for lots of photos, it could be more. The pathways have lots of trees and wild flowers beside them and there's a number of viewing towers along the way. You’ll even find some nice places to fish, if that takes your fancy. Top Sightseeing > George VI Monumnet This cylindrical monument is in the centre of Lefke . ​ It takes the form of a water storage tank, and was built to commemorate the coronation of George VI who was crowned in 1937 following the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII. Top Sightseeing > Greco-Roman Rock Tombs Kyrenia has around 70 known tombs, a few of which are especially distinctive. Romans built cemeteries outside towns. Kyrenia town was East of the Castle, which means graves were west. Nowadays, the modern town is further west than that of the Romans, so the area that was rich with catacombs has been largely built on in recent years, although some are still found in cellars of buildings. When one is found, it's excavated, and any finds removed for study. Some tombs were carved into rock face in the town centre and can be found within the car park on the ‘Turgut Tahsin ’ road. In the old part of town, opposite the Icon Museum, are the remains of catacombs dating to 400AD but they can sometimes be concealed beneath overgrown plants. Along from the Chrysopolitissa Church , you'll find the entrance to a steep passage taking you to an underground chamber. This tomb, unlike others is entirely subterranean and is only open by arrangement with the custodian of Kyrenia Castle. Top Sightseeing > Güzelyurt Archaeology & Nature Museum This petite site opened as a museum in 1979 after restoration. The building was originally the palace of the Bishop of the region and housed town offices up to 1974. It consists of a natural history section , where flora and fauna of North Cyprus are displayed, and an archaeological floor which exhibits the island’s rich historical past from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. A further room offers a display of finds from the Tumba Tou Skuru settlement. The courtyard serves as an open-air museum, exhibiting pieces from Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Since their discovery in 2005, the ‘Golden Leaves of Soli ’ have been on display at this museum and are of great archaeological importance and aesthetics. The most breath-taking of all artefacts are the ethereal tiara of gold leaves, artfully and delicately intertwined. Another important work is the 2nd century AD statue of the Anatolian Goddess Artemis of Ephesus , discovered at the Salamis ruins in 1980. This plain museum is around the corner from the major tourist attraction of St Mamas Church and Icon Museum. If you have some time, stroll over to this little museum and you’ll be richly rewarded. Top Sightseeing > Hz. Omer Tomb For centuries, tombs have held great significance for Turkish Muslims. They may visit tombs to pray for healing, or to seek relief for pain in their life, particularly during Ramadan. 6km east of Kyrenia, on the coast near Çatalköy , lies the tomb of Hazreti (Saint) Omer , a holy place according to Islamic belief. Completely out of sight, with spectacular views of the Five Finger Mountains and the Mediterranean, the tomb is an exquisite and peaceful location. It's the final resting place of Commander Omer, and 6 others. It dates from the Arab raids of the 7th century, although there was almost certainly a local pagan shrine before then. The small mosque and Mausoleum were built by the Ottomans and the bodies were exhumed and buried again. ​ In typical Cypriot fashion, the tekke or Dervish convent which grew up around the tombs was venerated by both Orthodox and Muslim communities over the years. It was also renovated in the 1950s, and today you'll find fascinating tapestries and rugs within the tomb. Top Sightseeing > Is kele Archaeology Museum After 18 months of work, this new building was completed and opened in Iskele in 2018. The Iskele-Karpaz region is where evidence of the first human settlements in Cyprus were discovered and this museum houses over 2,000 artefacts that were previously stored in St Barnabas museum. The exhibits are from 8 historical periods, from Neolithic through to the Roman era. ​ The cultural heritage of many civilisations has been carried through to this new gallery, displaying over 10,000 years of history. The artefacts on show have been collected, preserved and brought together from various local excavations. Modern as it is, this museum was designed to serve all ages. The relics and delicate pieces include jewellery, fine pottery, large sculptures and antiques. Top Sightseeing > Kantara Castle Of the 3 crusader castles on the Five Finger Mountains, Kantara is furthest east. At 700m, it’s the lowest of the 3 but commands the Mesaoria Plains and Karpaz Peninsula . The first time Kantara is mentioned in written records is when Richard the Lionheart conquered Cyprus in 1191. In 1391, the castle was re-fortified by King James, when it had extensive walls built around it. When the Venetians took over the island in 1489, the castle continued as an important garrison but gradually fell into ruin. A visit to Kantara today reveals the ruins of old defensive emplacements, soldiers accommodation, water cisterns, vaulted rooms, watch towers and breath-taking views. The documented history of Kantara coincides with that of St Hilarion and Buffavento . The castles were all built during the Byzantine period, after the coast was overrun by the Seljuk Empire or as a countermeasure to the First Crusade. The name of the castle apparently derives from the Cypriot Maronite Arabic word “kandak ” which means stone bridge. It saw military action when the Genoese attempted to take the island in 1372 and proved adamant in defence against the forces of James I King of Cyprus, as it had a birds eye view along the Karpaz peninsula, and an unequalled vantage point over opposing forces from Famagusta. In common with the other two castles. it was deemed of no further military use by the Venetians who partially dismantled it and it’s very much as it was hundreds of years ago. Getting to the highest point is not too strenuous a climb and only takes a few minutes. A gravel path winds upwards and passes a cistern on the right. The gate house that once was protected by a portcullis, has a guard house to the right, while the path continues up into the barbican of the lower ward. The north east and south east towers are evident, and a further short climb leads into the upper ward. At this level Kantara reveals its completeness. ​ Although the upper floors were removed hundreds of years ago, there’s still the lower rooms of the guard house, Castellan’s apartments, barrack rooms, vast storerooms and deep cisterns. Following the line of the perimeter walls will show remains of further dwellings and breath-taking views at every turn. The north east tower contains a long room, equipped with tall arrow slits that allowed archers to fire on the enemy below but remain protected. A walk around Kantara shouldn’t be hurried. This is the castle of 101 rooms and, according to legend, anyone who finds the 101st will enter Paradise! Serving as a watchtower for pirate raids, an administrative centre and a prison, the castle saw next to no fighting. In 1191, it was taken by Richard the Lionheart, who sold the island to the Knights Templar, then resold it to Guy of Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem, who became the first king of Cyprus in 1192. The Lusignans continued their reign interrupted only by occasional palace coups. In 1373, Cyprus was invaded by the Republic of Genoa, who imprisoned the local nobility. According to Philip of Novara's chronicle, Prince John of Antioch managed to escape from Famagusta after disguising himself as the valet of his cook. He fled to Kantara, from where he organised a successful counter offensive that expelled the Genoese. Recognizing the importance of the three Kyrenian castles, James I of Cyprus and Peter II of Cyprus vastly expanded their fortifications. During their reign Kantara was transformed into a garrison castle, barracks and an enormous cistern was erected. Another cistern located at the basement of the castle was converted into a prison and later made into rooms for the captain of garrison. In 1489, the Republic of Venice acquired the island, and by 1519 Italian engineers branded the castle as obsolete, which led to the Kyrenian mountain castles falling into disuse. In 1905, the castle was classified as historic heritage and in 1914, underwent restoration in an effort to attract sightseers. In 1939, the foundation of the horseshoe tower was refurbished in order to prevent it from collapsing. ​ Architecture Kantara is around 2,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by ridges of barren granite and sandstone bedrock which were used as the main building materials. Most of the buildings are coated with thick layers of plaster to cover the poor quality of the materials, while doors, windows and quoins were transported from elsewhere. Lack of water led to the collection of rainwater via flat roofs connected to cisterns through a drainage system. Among the six cisterns used, the largest stood outside the walls. Buildings contained bread ovens and perhaps even a mill. The surrounding 120 by 70 metres (390 ft × 230 ft) wall contained ten garrison rooms, which were constructed in the late 14th century, connected with a latrine. A concealed postern, guarded by two towers, lies on the south–west corner of the castle. To the south of the main gate, a rectangular, barrel vaulted keep was used as a prison but later converted into a cistern. The centre of its northern wall has a late 14th century Frankish window built from what once was an embrasure. The shape of the embrasures indicate they were mainly used by crossbowmen. At the top of the castle stand the ruins of "The Queen's Chamber ", an alleged fortified chapel destroyed in a Turkish naval bombardment in 1525 and looted in the 19th century. Top Sightseeing > Karaoğlanoğlu Memorial To understand the significance of this memorial site and museum, a brief overview of Cyprus history is required. When the Ottoman empire took control in 1461 of what we today know as Greece, the Greeks preserved their culture through the Orthodox church . When the Ottomans arrived in Cyprus in 1571, they freed the Orthodox church from Latin control, allowing Greeks to influence and control the Orthodox church to such an extent there was eventually little difference between religious activities and political activities. In 1832, after a long and bitter war, Greece was granted independence from the Ottomans although Cyprus wasn't part of the agreement. When the British arrived in 1878, Greek Cypriots hoped they'd grant Cyprus Enosis , union with Greece. That wasn't to be the case and from the 1930’s a gradual escalation of civil unrest was seen, largely instigated by the church. ​ In 1955, EOKA was formed as a terrorist organisation with the sole aim of getting the British out and absorbing Cyprus into Greece. Little thought was given to what Turkish Cypriots, living peacefully on the island, would think of this. EOKA violence escalated against not only the British, but anybody that didn't support Enosis, resulting in more frequent atacks against Turkish villages. In 1959, the London and Zurich agreements resulted in the independence of Cyprus , and Greek Cypriots saw this as a stepping stone to Enosis. In 1963, a secret plan was drawn up which discarded the 1960 constitution that had enshrined power sharing. As part of this plan, Turkish Cypriots were gradually displaced from their villages and placed in enclaves. In December 1963, violence against Turkish Cypriots erupted, and continued for several years, gradually separating the island into Greek and Turkish community areas. In 1974, a Greek sponsored coup overthrew Archbishop Makarios with the intention of forcing Enosis onto the island. To prevent this, Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit , invoked Turkey's rights to intervene under the Treaty of Guarantee, and on 20 July 1974 launched what is known as the 1st Peace Operation. ​ “We are actually going to the island for peace, not for war, and not just for the Turkish Cypriots but for the Greek Cypriots as well,” Mr Ecevit told reporters at the time. This operation came 5 days after the Greek junta-engineered coup saw EOKA terrorist Nicos Sampson installed as the island’s leader. Scores of Greek Cypriots were killed by fellow Greek Cypriots during the violence. Sampson would later say in an interview with a Greek newspaper, printed in 1981, that had Turkey not intervened “I would not only have proclaimed Enosis, I would have annihilated the Turks in Cyprus”. A ceasefire was agreed at 4pm on 22 July 1974, leaving the Turkish Army in control of land, including the main road between Kyrenia and Nicosia. Attacks on Turkish Cypriots continued and the precarious situation of its own troops prompted Turkey to launch the second phase of its operation in August of the same year, eventually extending the safe haven for Turkish Cypriots to today’s boundaries. Turkish Cyprus declared its independence on 15 November 1983 as the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. The Karaoğlanoğlu Memorial was built in memory of soldiers who gave their lives during the Peace Operations of 1974, and takes it name after the regiment Commander Colonel Halil İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu , one of the first casualties in the first hours of operations. The story of the conflict is represented at the memorial as a factual presentation, with displays in English and Turkish. English speaking servicemen from the Turkish Army are also on hand as guides. The two columns that greet visitors at the entrance symbolise the door to Türkiye. Further in, a small military graveyard holds remains of casualties, including Colonel Karaoglanoglu, whose name was also given to the nearby village in his memory. The group of statues symbolise the Republic of Turkey and Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, built on four columns, representing the four-day duration of the first Peace Operation. The Peace & Freedom Museum next to the memorial has an indoor and outdoor area. The open air part is a display of vehicles and arms left by fleeing Greek soldiers, while indoors there's a display of photographs of the military action, artillery, as well as possessions and uniforms of some of the combatants. A short distance from the museum is the Peace & Freedom Icon at the actual point of the landings of the Turkish Army. The memorial is on the main road a 15-minute drive from Kyrenia Town Centre and is a a sombre yet interesting experience. Top Sightseeing > Karmi Village Inhabited mostly by British and German expatriates, lies a village on the mountain slope west of Kyrenia. Karmi, also known as Karaman , was abandoned by its Greek-Cypriot inhabitants in 1974 and in time, the old houses became derelict and the area turned into almost a ghost town. In 1979, the Council of Ministers decided to rejuvenate this small scenic village, while developing resident tourism. Great importance was placed on keeping the character of the village, while catering for the needs of modern accommodations. Traditional constructions were kept alive by using wooden rafters and rush mats for ceilings, restrictions were placed on roof placements so as not to spoil the village atmosphere, and each house had its own name written at its entrance. Archaeological excavations carried out in the area produced chamber tombs from the Middle Bronze Age, including blue ceramic beads and pots from the Cretan Minoan civilisation. It’s believed these may be tombs of mariners who sailed ships from Lapithos, and the evidence and confirm the island's commercial relations with surrounding lands during that time. The village holds the church of Virgin Mary in the central square and hosts visitors throughout the year, who can stroll along picturesque winding lanes and relax in one of the pubs and bistros, admiring the seasonal floras and fresh aura surroundings. Top Sightseeing > Kyrenia Castle & Harbour Kyrenia Castle & Harbour Kyrenia Castle lies at the entrance to the town's famous harbour, and stands majestic guard over the port. The Castle and Harbour are the most visited place in Northern Cyprus due to a remarkable state of preservation and being fully accessible to the public. The horse-shoe shaped harbour is one of the prettiest to be seen in the whole of the Mediterranean. The Castle offers a fascinating glimpse into Cyprus history, provides stunning views to visitors and is home to a shipwreck museum, which is one of the world's most important and well-preserved pieces of marine history. ​ The Castle Kyrenia has existed since the 10th century BC, but the first evidence of the castle is from Roman times and was subsequently fortified by the Byzantines with four towers linked by walls. It provided refuge for the Isaac Comnenos family, then despotic ruler of Cyprus, against Richard the Lionheart. It was strengthened and enlarged by the French Lusignans, but the current appearance of the Castle mostly dates back to Venetian rule from around 1489. The Venetians were concerned about invasion by the Ottomans, so set about fortifying Cyprus. The walls of Kyrenia Castle were enlarged, thickened and reinforced to defeat artillery attacks and to resist any siege. The Venetians replaced the original drawbridge at the castle's entrance, with the protected gatehouse that still exists today. They also kept the 12th-century Byzantine church of St George the Castle, safely within the walls. When the Ottoman invasion finally occurred in 1571, the Venetians seem to have given up without a fight! Very Italian. The exterior fortifications are in remarkable condition and look like they were constructed fairly recently. The entrance leads you to a central parade ground area, on the way passing a tomb of an Ottoman admiral. The central area is lined with guardrooms, living quarters and stables and ramps leading to defences on the upper sections of the walls. You can climb steps that take you to the Lusignan royal apartments and the small Byzantine chapel. In the depths of the castle, you’ll discover dungeons, storage rooms and the all-important ' magazines', where gunpowder was stored clean and dry, ready for use. The battlements of Kyrenia Castle are worth the climb for the view alone, and you can walk around the whole extent of the castle's walls. The Castle is also home to one of the world's most important pieces of marine archaeology. In 1965, divers off the coast of Northern Cyprus discovered what has been found to be the oldest recorded shipwreck. Dating back to 300 BC it was a trade ship, carrying cargo that included jars of almonds and wine and sank in about 100 feet of water just offshore. It was brought to the surface and is kept in a specially-controlled atmosphere to ensure its continued preservation and is shown with part of its final cargo. The shipwreck features on 3 Cypriot euro coins. ​ The Harbour Kyrenia is now a major tourist attraction with a relaxed, inviting and calming atmosphere. Pleasure boats and luxury yachts crowd around the quayside and diners fill waterfront tables from which it takes only a moment to recognise that many of the older buildings surrounding the harbour were once warehouses. These now bustle with new life as shops, bars or restaurants, but they once stored carob beans and powder for export, a trade for which the island was famous until recent times. Due to its strategic location, Kyrenia has always been involved in commerce and maritime. Ships would ply their trade down the Aegean coast of Turkey, taking in islands like Samos and Rhodes, before calling in to Kyrenia on the way to Egypt. With commercial shipping confined to the new harbour further east, Kyrenia harbour is now left for pleasure and for the romantics. Top Sightseeing > K yrenia Gate One of the 3 gates in the Venetian wall that encircle old Nicosia, it provides access to the city from the north. For over 1,000 years, Nicosia was a walled city, from the Lusignans through to the Ottomans . During the Renaissance era, the Venetians reconstructed great walls around the capital, threatened by the Ottomans. The 3 original gates were the Famagusta Gate in the east, Paphos Gate in the west and the arched Kyrenia Gate which is one of the old city’s primary entrance points. Built by the Venetians in 1562, it used to be known as “Porta del Provveditore ”, after Italian governor Francesco Barbaro . It had a portcullis and a lion of St Mark which is still visible. The Ottomans added inscriptions to the north wall with verses of the Holy Quran , praising Allah as the “Opener of Gates”. The gate would open with the dawn call to prayer and close with the night prayer. In 1821, the Ottomans added a guard chamber with a domed roof and renamed it the “Edirne Gate ”. The south facing wall has a marble plaque bearing the tughra, a calligraphic monogram of Sultan Mahmut II also dated 1821. ​ Still in perfect condition it's one of the most attractive historic monuments in Nicosia. The roads on either side of the gate, built by the British in 1931, are still main entry points into the old walled city, maintaining its significance to this day. Top Sightseeing > Lapidary Museum To the east of the Selimiye Mosque , this gallery is housed in a Venetian style, stone-built two-story building dating back to the mid-15th century. Lapidary is the engraving, cutting, or polishing of stones and gems. Researchers believe it was originally built within the courtyard of St Sophia Cathedral and used as a guesthouse for pilgrims and travellers. During British colonial rule, many stone works and pieces from the medieval period were housed here which included insignias, tombs and columns, all under the supervision of George Everett Jeffery , the curator of ancient monuments in Cyprus. The collection was consequently catalogued and turned into a Lapidary museum which was refurbished and opened to visitors in 2003. Other notable features in this museum are a sarcophagus belonging to the Dampierre family, remote descendants of the celebrated Crusader John of Ibelin , the Old Lord of Beirut; the tombstone of Adam de Gaures of Antioch, Marshal of Cyprus dating to the 13th century; and a marble lion of St Mark, the symbol of the Venetians. A unique Gothic carved stone window with elegant tracery of a style common to cathedrals in the 15th century, now stands opposite the main entrance to the museum. This was moved from the Lusignan Palace in Sarayonu Square, when the British demolished it in 1901. Sadly, this is the only trace remaining of this Lusignan palace. Top Sightseeing > Lefke Aqueduct With long and hot summer periods, in the past Cyprus has always had a significant shortage of water. Clean water supply to urban residential areas was always one of the most important concerns of Cyprus governors. Throughout the centuries, water generally depended on rain fall, snow fall on the mountains and natural springs, the main one located in Lefke. Since the Roman era, water supply to cities was handled from the fresh springs via aqueducts, the water carrying systems consisting of chains of wells, underground water channels and bridges. During sieges however, most of the conduits were demolished which created more shortages. At the beginning of the Ottoman administration, the existing water systems were inspected and repaired, and new ones added. The Lefke aqueduct was built around 1609 . With its bridge of 10 arches , it's considered one of the best Ottoman monuments of Lefke and is still used today for irrigating orchards and fields. Lefke, which has fertile fields leading up to the sea, also produced grain during the Ottoman periods so mills and water stretches were built for grinding. English explorer Sir Samuel White Baker , commenting on Cyprus in 1879, wrote that the stonework in the waterways that pour water into the mills that returned with water in Lefke was "elegant and braided". 10 of these arches have survived to this day. Top Sightseeing > Martinengo Bastion Part of Famagusta City Walls, Martinengo is a superb example of renaissance military architecture. Also known as Tophane , it's in the north west corner of the walled city, in a peaceful and secluded setting. Cyprus was a Crusader state from 1192 to 1489 and ruled by the French Lusignans. Then it was ruled by Venice until 1571 when the Ottomans conquered. When the Venetians arrived they realised the walls of cities weren't capable of modern defence, so started modifications and renovations. In Famagusta, the weak spot was the north west corner so in 1550, Venetian architect Giovanni San Michelle arrived to redesign and strengthen this area. While works were still ongoing, he died in 1559 and was buried in St Nicholas Cathedral in the town centre. ​ Reconstruction was continued by Luigi Brugnoli and finished in 1562. The only arrowhead shaped bastion, pointing inland, it's one of the Middle Age’s great examples of military architecture. The arrowhead shape gave it a large field of fire away from the walls, as well as allowing it to cover any breach of the moat area. The design was inspired by fortifications in Florence designed by Michelangelo , and dominated battlefields for 300 years even taking into account cannons and artillery fire to improve both defence and offence. Walls were 6m thick in places and used Earth to absorb any impact. Surrounded by ditches, it covered a huge area allowing it to house the largest Venetian cannons, so that fire could be pointed pretty much anywhere. Some lower sections were built into the bedrock to prevent tunneling and Dual ramps provided quick access for horses and heavy munitions to supply the cannons. Covering one square mile, an internal curved passageway allowed movement from one side to the other, chimneys ventilated gunpowder smoke, and gunpowder barrels and cannon balls were stored. During the Ottoman siege, Venetians under the command of Hiernino Martinengo were despatched to help the city but he died on route, and his body was taken to Famagusta. A popular commander, the bastion was named after him. By any standard, the bastion is a formidable piece of construction with every stone corner, angle and tunnel crafted with smooth precision. It's easy to imagine the fire power it contained and see why it took Ottoman forces 10 months to conquer. The nearby churches of the Armenians and the Carmelites are also worth a visit. Top Sightseeing > Mevlevi Tekki Museum Sitting immediately inside the Girne Gate within the Ibrahimpasa quarter of Nicosia, the Mevlevi Tekke is one of the most important historical and religious buildings on the island. A building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood or Islamic mysticism, the Tekke was a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation. It has historically been used by the Mevlevi Order and now serves as a museum, distinguished by six grand domes surmounting a rectangular building. ​ Early History and Background A Sufi order that originated in Konya in modern day Türkiye, the Mevlevi Order was founded by the followers of the 13th-century Persian poet, Sufi mystic, and Islamic theologian known as Celaleddin Rumi, or more commonly Mevlana. The mystical philosophy that he expressed in his poetry and bequeathed to the Mevlevi order spread east from Konya, as far as India, ​ and then throughout the entire Islamic world. His teachings emphasised the individual soul’s separation from God during earthly existence, and the power of divine love to draw it back to the infinite on death. Rumi stressed music and dance as an expression of this mutual love and yearning, and so the Mevlevi followers became commonly known as the ‘whirling dervishes ’ due to their famous practice of continuously revolving as a form of remembrance of God. It's traditionally held that the present building or ‘mevlevihane’ is an enlarged continuation of previously established tekkes known as the Arab Ahmed Pasha and Ferhad Pasha Tekkes, constructed in 1593 and 1607. The Mevlevi Tekke was built in the early 17th century, on a piece of land donated by a landlady called Emine Hatun. When tekkes in Türkiye were closed as a part of Ataturk’s Reforms in 1925, some in the Turkish Cypriot community demanded the closure of the tekke. However this call was disregarded by the British administration of the time, and since the centre of the Mevlevi Order had moved from Konya to Aleppo, it decided to appoint a sheikh from Syria. The first such sheikh was Muhammed Selim Dede from Damascus, appointed in 1933 and who remained in position until his death in 1953. This however marked the beginning of the end of an era in which the whirling dervishes performed their sacred dance the “sema”, and the tekke finally ceased operation in 1954, the Mevlevi Order in Cyprus itself officially ceasing to exist from April 1956. After remaining closed for several years, the Tekke was reopened in 1963 as the ‘Turkish Cypriot Museum of Ethnography ”. On 17 December 2002, after extensive repairs, it became the Mevlana Museum, opened on the anniversary of his death, or “union with the beloved” as is the case in Sufi tradition. ​ Visit Today When it was first built, the Mevlevihane included a complex of buildings and extensive grounds. A kitchen provided food for the poor of the city, permanent accommodation was made available for dervishes and guest rooms for visitors. The inner courtyard was an area for contemplation, surrounded by an orchard in which almonds, pomegranates and figs offered fruit. An ancient well dated to the Venetians and a reservoir provided water to a fountain for ablutions. Today, the Mevlevihane has an arched doorway, above which an Ottoman inscription informs visitors they have arrived at the house of Mevlana. Behind the entrance is a courtyard with Ottoman tombstones collected from various locations in Cyprus, dating from the 18th century onwards. One of the buildings is the semahane, the auditorium used for the whirling sema rituals, the mihrapor niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca. Along the northern wall is a wooden balcony where accompanying musicians once performed. The beams of the wooden ceiling of the semahane rest on two square columns and a series of arches divide the room into two sections. The first contains an exhibition of Rumi’s greatest poem the Mesnevi, alongside a display of musical instruments, costumes worn by the dervishes when they danced, and various other reproductions and illustrations. The other is an exhibit of the only remaining dervish cell, in which cooking utensils, a table and other objects are displayed. The southwest doorway of the semahane next to the mihrab, leads to the chamber in which the sheiks of the Mevlevihane lie buried. A total of sixteen unmarked tombs rest beneath six glorious domes, extending south along Kyrenia Street. Photographs of some of the sheiks, manuscripts and various other items are displayed on the walls, while the tombs themselves are covered in embroidered textiles. Traditionally, as part of Turkish Cypriot heritage, a ceremony of the whirling dervishes is performed here around the 17th of December each year. Top Sightseeing > Minia Cyprus Museum Located in Tatlisu, about 50km/30 miles east of Kyrenia. in an archaeological area dating back over 1,000 years. It contains miniature models, usually on a scale of 1:25, of famous historical Cypriot monuments, displayed in the courtyard of a millennial church which belongs to the Byzantine period, with more artefacts planned. The miniatures include: ​ 18th Century Clock Tower 18th Century Ulu Mosque Apostolos Andreas Monastery Arab Ahmet Mosque Bekir Pasha Aqueduct Bellapais Monastery Büyük Han Carob Store Castle of Gaziantep Cyprus House Derviş Paşa Mansion Flour Mill Gönendere Mosque Hala Sultan Mosque Harnup Ambari Tatlisu Hatuniye Medresseh of Erzurum House of Veli Passa Hz. Omer Tomb Kyrenia Castle Kyrenia Gate Lefke CMC Bath Lusignan House Morphou Culture House Mosque of Hersekzade Ahmet Pasa Namik Kemal Dungeon Salamis Ruins Selimiye Mosque Sphink Gate St Hilarion Castle St Barnabas Monastery Statue of Artemis Tatlisu Settlement Venetian Column Yusuf bin Osman Mescit and Mosque The museum has been popular with tourists since it opened in 2015, and the number of models has consistently grown. It was inspired by the famous “Minia Turk” garden in Istanbul. Top Sightseeing > Namik Kemal Dungeon An historical building in Famagusta, famous for being the temporary abode of influential Turkish writer Namik Kemal. Known as the Shakespeare of Turkish literature, Kemal spent 38 months imprisoned here, between 1873 and 1876. Seen as a potential revolutionary and threat, he was exiled by Sultan Abdulaziz in 1873 after the first performance of his play ‘Vatan yahut Silistre ’ (Fatherland or Silistria) a drama centred on the Siege of Silistria. The play was considered dangerous by the government as it promoted nationalism and liberalism. The building Kemal was exiled to was originally part of the Venetian Palazzo del Proveditore but the jail building as it currently stands was built during the Ottoman era, in a corner of the ruined palace. The building has two floors. The lower displays pre-Ottoman Lusignan architecture and the upper is distinctly Ottoman in style. The building is L-shape with the lower floor made of ashlar stone, and the upper floor built using lath and plaster. The ground floor, with only one vaulted cell is rectangular shaped and has a low arched entrance door and barred window which opens onto the courtyard of the Venetian Palace. Although described as a dungeon, it's not underground. When Namik Kemal came to Famagusta, he first stayed on the ground floor. Notes found described his initial cell as too dark and unsuitable for living. It was just over 10 squares metres with no furnishings (where would you put them?!) . He was transferred to the floor above with permission of the Cyprus Governor, Veysi Pasha. Steep stone stairs at the side of the building lead to this storey which has two large windows, a landing at the front and marbled flooring. When Abdulaziz was dethroned, Namik Kemal was pardoned by Murad V and returned to Constantinople in 1876. He penned his plays ‘Gulnihal’ and ‘Akif Bey’ while imprisoned here. Restoration of the dungeon in the 1990's into a museum contains many of his belongings and documents. The same dungeon was also reportedly used by the British during the First World War. A bronze bust of Namik Kemal faces the square named after him, across from the dungeon. The founder of the Republic of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, referred to Namik Kemal’s works as a major source of inspiration, and today he still enjoys the status of a literary hero for many in Türkiye and North Cyprus alike. Top Sightseeing > Nicosia Venetian Walls During the Renaissance, Venetians constructed great walls around cities in Cyprus to protect against the Ottomans. Among the finest examples of these are the walled cities of Famagusta and Nicosia for which fortifications commenced in 1567. The Venetians commissioned military engineers Giulio Savorgnano and Francesco Barbaro to design the plans after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, by the Ottomans increased fear of them. New walls replaced medieval fortifications built by the Lusignans, which were demolished. The Venetians destroyed palaces, including the King’s Palace , churches and monasteries to acquire building materials and get a clearer perspective for the defence of the city. The Venetian fortifications had a circumference of 5km, with 11 pentagon-shaped bastions and 3 gates, all named after noblemen who sponsored the construction, including Rochas, Loredano and Barbaro. Nicosia, like Palmanova in Italy and Valletta in Malta, became a practical example of an ideal city of the Renaissance, with its fortifications and urban life inside city walls. Gates to the side of bastions allowed the city to be better protected from siege, while leaving the upper wall unlined with masonry increased its ability to absorb the impact from cannons. ​ Nonetheless, the Venetians surrendered to the Ottoman Admiral Lala Mustafa Pasha in 1570. The Ottomans captured the bastions almost intact and they remained pretty much unchanged until the British era. A major tourist attraction, the walls and gates have undergone restoration and are recognised among the best-preserved Renaissance fortifications in the Eastern Mediterranean. Of the 11 bastions, 5 remain in Northern Cyprus and one is under the control of the United Nations. Top Sightseeing > Othello's Tower Othello's Tower in Famagusta is the ancient fortress which guards the harbour, built during the Lusignan period in the 14th Century. It used to be called "impenetrable fortress" due to it being nearly impossible to attack because of very deep ditches surrounding it. Also known as the Harbour Citadel , members of the royal family and their servants are believed to have lived there during the Lusignan period. Later, the Venetians took over the tower and turned it into a fort, which then provided residence for soldiers. Christoforo Moro, the governor upon whom it is generally believed Shakespeare based his tragic hero Othello, would more likely have lived in the Palace of the Provveditore. The tower was constructed around a central oblong courtyard with a square tower at each corner. On the ground floor, the kitchens, great hall, storerooms and servants quarters were situated, whereas the reception rooms and bedrooms were situated on the second floor. After Cyprus was sold to the Republic of Venice, the castle's square towers were replaced with circular ones to suit more modern artillery. After these modifications, a relief of the Lion of St Mark was engraved above the castle's main entrance. The name of Captain Nicolo Foscari , who directed the alterations to the castle, and the date 1492 are inscribed near the relief. Apparently Leonardo da Vinci advised the refurbishment in 1481. The tower was renamed Othello's Tower after Giovanni San Michele, the Venetian civil engineer who was responsible for remodelling much of the city of Famagusta. You can still gain access to the round towers, with the gun ports and smoke holes still clearly visible. It contains a refectory and a dormitory, which were constructed during the Lusignan period. The castle's yard contains cannonballs left behind by the Spaniards and Ottomans, relics of its turbulent history. One of the larger parts of the tower is the Great Hall , measuring 92ft by 25ft, which in size, easily competes with the refectory at the Bellapais Abbey near Kyrenia. In 1900, the castle's ditch was drained of water to reduce the risk of malaria. The castle began to be restored in 2014 and reopened to the public on 3 July 2015. Othello's Tower is well worth a visit if you’re sightseeing in Famagusta, as apart from the architectural wonder of the tower itself, there’s magnificent views to be had from the top of the tower over the city of Famagusta, with clear views of the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque in the centre of the city. Top Sightseeing > Petra tou Limnidi From the Palace of Vouni in Lefke, you can see this small, yet immense, island. The Petra tou Limnidi, a small rock just across the water, is the site of the first settlement in Cyprus . This is one of the oldest places in Cyprus to be inhabited, and was excavated at the same time as Vouni, with artifacts found from the pre-pottery Neolithic Period. An excavation team swam to this small rocky island and excavated for 2 weeks in 1929. At the top of the island, which is only accessible from the east, remains were found of two rather primitive huts from the Neolithic period, one clearly divided into a living room and a kitchen with a hearth placed against the wall. Archaeologists revealed objects of flint, bone and stones including needles, utensils, farming tools as well as sculptures.​ Petra tou Limnidi is believed to have been an island even in those times, though the sea level was probably much lower than it is now, since no Neolithic remains have been found on the adjacent headland. It probably served as a very exposed temporary camp for fishermen from time to time. ​ The islet today is an important nesting place for the Yellow-Legged Gull and also used by the European Shag . If you’re visiting Lefke, the Palace of Vouni will be at the top of your list but you’ll have an opportunity to stare and just imagine the thousands of years of mankind this island has carried to this day. For the more curious, journey to the shoreline for a close up. Top Sightseeing > Porta Del Mare Gate One of two original entrances to the old walled city of Famagusta, this gate is remarkably well-preserved. When the Venetians took control of Famagusta in 1489, they started strengthening city walls in line with modern warfare and this program continued for over 70 years. The Sea Gate, or Porta del Mare, was one of the earliest projects to be completed, in 1496. Built in Italian Renaissance style by Venetian Commander Niccolo Prioli, it protected entrance to the city from the port. Built at an angle, enemies would see its superiority from far out at sea. Dominating the entrance is a large marble sculpture, sourced from the ancient ruins of Salamis, of the winged lion of St Mark , the patron saint of Venice. The lion has a book in one of its paws with the Latin inscription, “Peace to you Mark, the Evangelist ”. The iron portcullis that opens towards the sea is from the Venetian era, while the iron-clad wooden door that opens land side, was built by the Ottomans. On the land side, to the right of the Porta del Mare, you'll see another statue of a lion, again brought from Salamis . Legend has it this lion will open its mouth on one occasion only and anyone brave enough to put their hand inside will receive a very generous fortune, which may be a reference to treasures rumoured to be hidden by Venetian merchants below the Othello Citadel during the Ottoman Siege. To date, nobody has seen the lion open its mouth - yet. The port side of the gate is better seen from the Othello Tower, which you'll no doubt want to visit at the same time. Top Sightseeing > Railways of North Cyprus In Northern Cyprus you won't find any railway, metro or tram systems. You'll need to hire a car, get a dolmus (local small bus) or hire a taxi to get around. The only “train” is a distinctive yellow road train which runs from Oscar’s Resort to Kyrenia town centre. However, Cyprus did have an active railway for over 45 years. The Cyprus Railway was a narrow gauge (2’ 6”) railway network, which operated from October 1905 to December 1951 and was called the Cyprus Government Railway (CGR). It had 39 stations, stops and halts along the 37-mile route from Famagusta in the east to Evrychou in the west. It was built in 4 sections, with the original railway running from Famagusta Port to Nicosia, section II from Nicosia to Guzelyurt opening in 1907, and sections III and IV as an extension to the railway from Guzelyurt to Evrychou ​ opening in 1915 to serve the Cyprus Mining Corporation (CMC) . When the Cyprus Railway opened in 1905, there were 12 steam trains which used the line during its operational years, all of which were made in England by either the Hunslet Engine Company or Nasmyth Wilson and Company . ​ Some of these trains can still be seen scattered around the island, with the most well-preserved, Locomotive Number 1 , still standing outside Famagusta Station to this day. The trains travelled at 20-30 miles an hour and ran on coal brought in from England via Famagusta Port. The railway network was used for various operations, including passenger travel, with stations located every two miles along the route, with signs in Turkish, Greek and English. There were only two trains per day for passenger use, one in the morning and one in the evening. The government also used the railway for transporting mail, carrying timber from the Troodos Mountains and freight from Famagusta port. ​ The CMC used the railway for transporting freight, ore and minerals across Cyprus. Interestingly, some of the stations along the route also served as telephone exchanges and post offices/telegram offices as well as train stations. During both World Wars, the railway was also used to transport troops from Famagusta, Denizli and the airport. You can see the train as you go through Denizli by the old CMC Bar (now called Yakamoz Night Club ) as well as an old CMC steam tug and the abandoned jetty. Further up the road, again on the sea side, you'll find lots of mining equipment and conveyors used by the CMC Mining Corp. There’s also another abandoned CMC jetty called “CMC Maden Yükleme İskelesi” on Google maps. The ancient city of Soli nearby is also well worth a visit if you're in the area. The railway stations themselves were either knocked down or turned into Police Stations or warehouses, with the exception of Famagusta Station which is the Land Registry Office , and Evrychou which was turned into a dormitory for forest workers and which recently became the Cyprus Railway Museum . The museum is home to the restored Wagon 152 which sits under a shelter with the original hand-powered trolley, 100 metres of track and lots of information about the old railway. So next time you're driving from Famagusta to Nicosia along the motorway, spare a thought that you're actually driving on a large part of where the Cyprus railway tracks used to be all those years ago. Top Sightseeing > Rivettina Bastion Originally named the Ravelin by the Lusignans who built it to protect the main entry to the city, the name reflects its half-moon shape. Venetians took control of Cyprus in 1489 and decided they had to strengthen the walls of cities to withstand threats posed by the Ottomans and their large cannons. In 1492 they began 70 years of fortifications, some inspired by Michelangelo. The two gated entrances into the wall were the Land Gate and the Sea Gate or Porta del Mare. 3km of sea walls up to 18m high were built and the Martinengo Bastion and Land Gate, later known as Rivettina Bastion, were redesigned at great cost. Tours of the Famagusta Walls usually start at the southern end near the Rivettina Bastion which is the second oldest part of the walls after Othello’s Tower. It became part of huge defences laden with cannon, connected passages and chambers and configured to divide any assault force. In 1570-71, the Ottomans besieged the city. Although the walls were never breached, the Venetians surrendered after 10 months. The Ottomans renamed it Akkule, ("white tower"), after the white flag of surrender that was hoisted there. ​ Entrance to the city continued through Akkule, over a drawbridge and portcullis the Ottomans built. If you enter through this gate, you'll see frescoes and coats of arms dating to Venetian times and the Akkule mosque built by the Ottomans in 1619. Stairs lead to the top of the walls, from where you can walk across the Arsenal and continue until you reach the original Sea Gate, Porta del Mare. Top Sightseeing > Round Tower Kyrenia Castle was originally built in the 7th century by the Byzantines to protect the town from Arab raids. It was extended by the Lusignan’s and the round tower was built around 1300 using recycled Roman stones and was joined to other round towers by a curtain wall. The Venetians widened the original Byzantine walls making the Lusignan fortification largely redundant. The Lusignan walls gradually fell down, and by 1600 the Ottomans were so established they deemed it safe to build houses outside the walls. The round tower stood derelict for several hundred years becoming a roofless shell, until in 1987, a local businessman received permission to restore it. A fibre glass dome was added, a wooden gallery erected, and during excavation work a rough “shelf” was revealed. This and the floor were covered in natural stone flags. Since 1988, it's been open as a gift shop and art gallery displaying works by local painters. Although this round tower is the best preserved, there are remnants of others you can see. One is on the street leading from the Bandabuliya towards the harbour, and the another overlooks the harbour itself. Top Guides > Sightseeing > Salamis Ruins Salamis is an ancient Greek city-state, 6 km north of Famagusta. According to tradition, the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon , king of the Greek island of Salamis, who couldn’t return home after the Trojan war because he’d failed to avenge his brother Ajax. Earliest archaeological finds go back to 11th century BC, when copper made Cyprus an important trading partner. Children's burials in Canaanite jars indicate a Phoenician presence, and a harbour and cemetery from this period have also been excavated. The town is mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions as one of the kingdoms of Cyprus. Although under Assyrian control, city-states enjoyed relative independence provided they paid their tribute to the Assyrian king. This allowed kings of the various cities to accumulate wealth and power. Certain burial customs observed in the "royal tombs" of Salamis relate directly to Homeric rites, such as the sacrifice of horses in honour of the dead and the offering of jars of olive oil. Most of the grave goods come from the Levant or Egypt. Originally, the town was confined to a small area around the harbour but expanded west to occupy an area which is now forest. The cemetery of Salamis extends from the western limits of the forest to the Monastery of St Barnabas to the west, to the outskirts of the village of Ayios Serghios to the north, and to the outskirts of Enkomi village to the south. It contains tombs dating from the 9th century BC down to the Early Christian period. The earlier tombs are within the forest area, near the boundary of the early town. Salamis had links with the Near East and the Aegean during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. One royal tomb contained a large amount of Greek Geometric pottery, the dowry of a Greek princess who married into the royal family of Salamis. In 450 BC, Salamis was the site of a simultaneous land and sea battle between Athens and the Persians. Under King Evagoras I (411-374 BC) Greek culture and art flourished in the city. A monument which illustrates the end of the Classical period in Salamis is the tumulus, which covered the cenotaph of Nicocreon, one of the last kings of Salamis, who died in 311 BC. On its monumental platform were several clay heads, some of which are portraits, perhaps members of the royal family who were honoured after their death on the pyre. ​ After Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire, Ptolemy I of Egypt ruled Cyprus. He forced Nicocreon, the Ptolemaic governor, to commit suicide in 311 BC, because he didn’t trust him anymore. In his place came King Menelaus, who was the brother of the first Ptolemy. Nicocreon is supposed to be buried in one of the big tumuli near Enkomi. Salamis remained the seat of the governor. In 306 BC, It was the site of a naval battle between the fleets of Demetrius I of Macedon and Ptolemy I of Egypt won by Demetrius who captured the island. In 58 BC, the Roman Republic annexed Cyprus and Ptolemy of Cyprus, the last Cypriotic king, committed suicide rather than surrender to Rome. Salamis became part of the Roman province of Cilicia governed from Paphos. Salamis suffered heavily during the Jewish rising of AD 116–117. Although itt ceased to be the capital of Cyprus from the Hellenistic period onwards when it was replaced by Paphos, its wealth and importance didn’t diminish. The city was particularly favoured by the Roman emperors Trajan and Hadrian, who restored and established public buildings. The "cultural centre" of Salamis during the Roman period was situated at the northernmost part of the city, where a gymnasium, theatre, amphitheatre, stadium and public baths have been revealed. There are baths, public latrines (for 44 users), various bits of mosaic, a harbour wall, a Hellenistic and Roman agora. and a temple of Zeus that had the right to grant asylum. Byzantine remains include the basilica of Bishop Epiphanos (AD 367–403). It served as the metropolitan church of Salamis. St Epiphanios is buried at the southern apse. The church contains a baptistry heated by hypocausts. The church was destroyed in the 7th century and replaced by a smaller building to the south. ​ There are very extensive ruins, with the theatre and gymnasium extensively restored. Numerous statues are displayed in the central court of the gymnasium, most of which are headless. A statue of Augustus originally belonged here. The theatre is of Augustean date and could house up to 15.000 spectators before it was destroyed in the 4th century. Water came via an aqueduct from Kythrea, destroyed in the 7th century. The water was collected in a large cistern near the Agora. The necropolis of Salamis is west of the town and contains a museum showing some of the finds. The best-known burials are the so-called Royal-Tombs , containing chariots and extremely rich grave gifts, including imports from Egypt and Syria. A tomb excavated in 1965 brought to light an extraordinary wealth of tomb-gifts, which show trade relations with the Near East. The "First Missionary Journey", was made by Paul the apostle and the Cypriot-born Barnabas, landing in Salamis after heading out from Antioch of Syria. There they proclaimed Christ in the Jewish synagogues before proceeding through the rest of the island (Acts 13:1-5). Tradition says that Barnabas preached in Alexandria and Rome , and was stoned to death at Salamis in about 61 CE. He is considered the founder of the Church of Cyprus. His bones are believed to be located in the nearby monastery named after him. Several earthquakes led to the destruction of Salamis at the beginning of the 4th century. The town was rebuilt and became an Episcopal seat, the most famous occupant of which was Saint Epiphanius. Emperor Constantius II helped Salamis with reconstruction and tax exemptions, and the town was named Constantia after him. The silting of the harbour led to a gradual decline of the town. Salamis was finally abandoned during the Arab invasions of the 7th century. Archaeological excavations began in the late 19th century and are now in the British Museum in London. Excavations started again in 1952 and were in progress until 1974 when international embargo prevented continuation. The site and the museums are maintained by the antiquities service, with important archaeological collections kept in the St Barnabas monastery. In the District Archaeological Museum there are marble statues from the gymnasium and the theatre of Salamis, Mycenaean pottery and jewellery from Enkomi. Several of the statues and sculptures from antiquity are disfigured, headless or mutilated, likely by Christian zealots in late antiquity, during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire. Buildings uncovered show The Temple of Zeus Salaminios must have existed since the foundation of the city. Early excavators discovered in the esplanade of the Temple of Zeus an enormous marble capital carved on each side with a caryatid figure standing between the foreparts of winged bulls. Now in the British Museum's collection, the function of the capital remains unclear, although it does indicate influence from Achaemenid art and is consequently dated to between 300 and 250 BC. Top Sightseeing > Seyyid Emin Efendi Water Cistern You'll probably come across this site if you're heading to Kyrenia Harbour. It dates back to Ottoman rule, who built public water taps for passer-by’s. Made of hewn stone and with an arched roof, it's located northeast of St Andrew’s Church . A marble inscription written in old Turkish reveals the water cistern was constructed by Es-Seyid Mehmed Emin Efendi , who was a clerk to the tax collector between 1816 and 1821 and later Governor of Cyprus in 1834. Collect it then spend it, so to speak. He also initiated the building in 1817 of one of the holiest places for Muslims in the world, Hala Sultan Tekke which is in Larnaca and is a listed Ancient Monument with thousands of pilgrims visiting each year. Top Sightseeing > Soli Ruins Soli is one of the ten ancient kingdoms of Cyprus dating to the 6th century BC. Near Lefke and southwest of Guzelyurt, what remains today at the coastal site of Soli dates mainly to the Roman era. It’s believed to have been founded by the Athenians returning from the Trojan Wars in the 13th century BCE and the region was first known as ‘Aipeia ’. A Greek statesman, Solon, advised that the city be moved nearer the shore to facilitate export of copper ore. The ruler of the town King Philocypros, who was also a pupil of Solon, duly obliged and the relocated city was renamed Soli. Rich in copper deposits, Soli had a good water supply, fertile soil and a protected harbour, making it one of the most important capitals of Cyprus. The city fell under the successive influence of the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods. In 498 BC, the people of Soli joined the other kingdoms in the Ionian Revolution against the Persians, who took the city. It was only in 449 BC and during the Roman period, that Soli became a prosperous city. By the 4th century AD, the copper mines were almost exhausted and its harbour silted up, leading to a period of stagnation for the city which gradually lost its importance. The city was destroyed during Arab raids of the 7th century and later by earthquakes and was finally left abandoned after a millennium of continuous occupation. What remains today is an impressive collection of structures and findings. ​ Roman Theatre Excavations in 1929 discovered The Roman Theatre, which dates to the 2nd century AD. It occupies the site of the original Greek amphitheatre, on the northern slope of a hill overlooking the sea below. It holds an auditorium of 17 rows of seats, carved in a semicircle out of the hillside rocks with some 4,000 capacity, restored though to only half of its original height. After the theatres of Salamis and Kurion, it is the third largest theatre in Cyprus. A grand semi-circular orchestra with great acoustics has also since been restored. the theatre consists of the skene (stage building), orchestra (middle section) and auditorium, The stage building is comprised of a number of rooms and corridors and would have provided space for the performers to get changed as wellas providing a backdrop for their performances.The middle semi-circular section, the orchestra, is the section wehre religious celebrations and plays would have taken place. The seats at the bottom of the theatre are made from carved rocks from the hillside, covered with cut stone. The upper tiers of seats have not survived. Admission to this area alongside the auditorium was gained through two side entrances, the audience separated from the orchestra through a limestone wall. As with many ancient ruins, the stones of Soli were recycled, those of the theatre used by the British for the construction of Port Said in Egypt in the second half of the 19th century. The former limestone wall is now part of this harbour. The original stage was made up of two levels, covered with marble panelling and decorated with statues. Some of the original masonry can be seen in the orchestra section. The theatre today is occasionally used for atmospheric concerts and plays. ​ St Auxibus Basilica An ancient coin found during excavations dates the basilica to the latter part of the 4th century AD, one of the first Christian churches on the island. According to Christian tradition, Soli is believed to be the place where Saint Mark baptised St Auxibus, a Roman Christian who later became the first bishop of the Church of Soli. When the first basilica was destroyed in the 6th century, a new basilica was built with two rows of columns. The mosaics in the narthex of the basilica date from this time. Built over several different stages, the initial build was a five-naved church, later modified into a three aisled structure in the 6th century near to 200 metres in length, separated by twelve columns some of which are still standing today. The small church has three doors and a courtyard that boasts a fountain ringed with further columns. ​ Mosaics One of the most prestigious finds at the basilica are its’ mosaics, found in the flooring, most of which have survived to the present day. Cyprus church mosaics were originally of geometric design, and gradually animal figures such as birds and bulls were incorporated and decoration from small coloured stone tiles were later created. The goose-like swan mosaic in the floor of the nave, surrounded by floral and four small dolphins, is the most recognisable and immediately catches visitor’s attention. The inscription in the mosaic set reads, “Christ! Mercy to those who have created this mosaic”. The narthex and the northern part of the basilica floor is decorated in art opus sectile mosaic, a type using geometrically tailored stones which originate from the 6th century. ​ Temples After the excavation of the theatre building, the Isis, Aphrodite and Serapis temples were unearthed. The Aphrodite temple is situated on a hill above the theatre but not accessible to the public. A famous sculpture of Aphrodite dating back to the 1st century was also discovered at this site, and the palace buildings from the Hellenistic period are also on this hill. ​ Tombs Recent excavations by archaeologists have unearthed many tombs from Geometric and Roman periods. One which was carved into the rocks is of a majestic three-tomb structure and is believed to have belonged to a noble. Valuable artifacts discovered include a golden throne, diadem and gold jewellery, as well as other metal cups, which are today exhibited at the Guzelyurt Museum of Archaeology and Natural History. The findings indicate a high level of wealth and power. Excavations have also uncovered a Hellenistic Period colonnaded avenue leading to the Agora, the local public gathering and market space, which holds the remains of a monumental marble fountain or nymphaeum which dates to the 3rd century. Corinthian pillars were used in its building. AN inscription records that it was dedicated to the Roman Emperor Caracalla. Generally, such buildings have a façade decorated with statues with the cistern behind. The traces of the ancient city stretch over a wide area and have still not been fully uncovered which just adds to the mystery when discovering this archaic site. Top Sightseeing > St Hilarion Castle St Hilarion Castle (Girne) To reach St Hilarion castle from Kyrenia, drive south toward Nicosia. As the road climbs into the mountains, and just before it gets to the top of the pass and begins it’s descent, follow the signpost off to the right. A side road snakes up through a military camp for about 3km past a large statue of a soldier in battledress at its entrance. The firing range on the left was once the site for medieval tournaments. Go up the sharp hill and you arrive at a small car park outside the castle gate. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from Kyrenia, but remember you’re in a restricted military area so don’t stop or take photos. ​ Setting Of the three magnificent castles in the Kyrenia mountains, by far the most accessible, popular and most complete is St Hilarion, one of the best- preserved Crusader Castles. Dramatically sited on a rocky crag with elegantly ruined turrets, towers and windows, writer Dame Rose Macaulay described it as a “picture-book castle for elf kings” and it inspired the fairy-tale castles of King Ludwig in Bavaria and Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom . In spring when the wild flowers bloom, the views from the snack bar are to die for. St Hilarion appeals to those with an interest in history and those seeking spectacular views, because on a clear day you can see all the way to the Turkish mainland. Stout shoes and refreshments are definitely required. ​ Brief history The castle was named after St Hilarion, an obscure 4th century Syrian hermit monk, who fled from persecution in the Holy Land and lived and died in a cave on Mount Didymus (“Twin peaks”). Extremely self-disciplined, Hilarion reputedly never washed and built a following by banishing demons and performing miracles. The monastery’s strategic position, commanding the pass through the Kyrenia mountains and overlooking the northern coastal plain, was not lost on the Byzantines, who built a church and monastery here. Facing repeated Arab raids, they converted it into a castle, probably sometime in the 8th century AD and The French Lusignans improved and strengthened it in the 13th century. Along with Kantara and Buffavento castles, it was built as a watchtower to warn of pirates who raided Cyprus and the coasts of Anatolia. The first references to the castle are found in 1191 records and it remained strategically important for a while. until it became the summer resort of the French Lusignan nobility. Most of what you see today was built in 1228 by John d’Ibelin and it became not only a military stronghold but also a palace for the Lusignans nicknamed “Dieu d’Amour ”, loosely translated as Cupid’s Castle. This was the castle’s heyday with tournaments, knights and courtly intrigue, especially under the rule of King Peter I and Queen Eleanor of Aragon. It continued to be a castle of importance during the latter Lusignan period, but when the Venetians took over in 1489 it fell into disrepair and became the ruin it is now. ​ The Castle The castle has three parts. Parapets for the defence of the main entrance were fortified by the Byzantines in the 11th century; the lower section of the castle was used to billet soldiers and their horses; and the middle section contained the royal palace, kitchen, church and a big cistern. At the entrance to the castle in the upper section, there’s a Lusignan Gate with a courtyard in the middle. The panoramic view of Northern Cyprus from the Queen’s Gothic style window on the second floor of the royal apartments is superb and well worth the climb. ​ Inside The castle entrance includes a barbican leading to a large outer bailey, originally built by the Byzantines. Go right for the first of the spectacular views, then continue upwards along the “Main Road” . You’ll see as you climb a watchtower and to your left an impressive curtain wall that rises steeply to the upper parts of the castle. This outer bailey was where peasants and livestock could be withdrawn when the castle was under attack. The castle stables are now used as a small visitor centre, offering sketches and information about the Lusignans. Beyond the stables, the path winds steeply upwards to the tunnel-like gate of what is described as the “second section”. It’s a warren of alleys, buildings and rooms opening off a central tunnel, some of which were part of the original 10th century monastery. To the right is the monastery church now open to the elements, but with a well-preserved apse. North of here is the Great Hall, now home to the Café Lusignan. Along one side of the hall is a wooden balcony hanging over a staggering view of the coast below. On a clear day you can see Turkey, some 100km away. Beyond the hall are a group of rooms which serviced it – kitchen, buttery and privies – and a belvedere, a shaded vaulted terrace with picnic tables and arches and more of those superb views. Left of the hall are more workaday rooms and the castle governor’s quarters, which contain displays with mannequins, illustrating medieval life. Continuing along the path which tunnels through these rooms, right takes you to the barracks and Royal Apartments and left goes up to the third section. A very large cistern appears to have been built rather than carved out of the rock and then a path, partly steps, partly rock-strewn tracks, soars upwards. Just before you reach the top, a left fork leads to the isolated Prince John’s Tower, where several of John’s Bulgarian mercenaries were murdered. Turning right instead of following the path to Prince John’s Tower brings you to the main gate of the Upper Ward. Through the gate are a Byzantine tower, a kitchen, a cistern and a group of subsidiary buildings. Beyond them are a further set of Royal Apartments and the famous Queen’s Window, at which Queen Eleanor is said to have sat. From here glorious views to the west open out, with, in the foreground, the village of Karmi. All that remains to be seen is the Western Tower and the Zirve (summit) of the mountain, marked with a sign: “732m – Congratulations! You are at the peak”. ​ Prince John On January 17, 1369, Peter I, King of Cyprus was stabbed to death as he slept in his palace in Nicosia, supposedly by three of his own knights. He was succeeded by his son, Peter II. Queen Eleanor, now the Queen Mother, became convinced that her husband had been killed on the orders of Peter’s brother, Prince John. Despite rumours of her infidelity in the king’s absence, she vowed to avenge his murder. John had taken up residence in St Hilarion Castle, which he held with a force of Bulgarian mercenaries, while Peter’s other brother James, held Kyrenia. A Genoese invasion, possibly at Eleanor’s instigation, led, in 1374, to the surrender of Kyrenia, and James ended up as a prisoner in Genoa. Eleanor now turned her attention to John. Having persuaded him that all was forgiven, she warned the prince that his Bulgarian forces were planning to overthrow him. John responded by throwing several of them to their deaths from Prince John’s Tower. Eleanor’s accusations were almost certainly untrue and a Machiavellian-type plan aimed at bringing him closer and weakening him. The drama concluded when Eleanor invited John to dine with her and the young king in Nicosia. They ate in the very room where Peter I was murdered and, when the final dish arrived, she dramatically flung back the cloth to reveal her dead husband’s blood-stained shirt. This was the signal for retainers to appear and stab Prince John to death in his turn. ​ Unmissable St Hilarion Castle often features in publicity for North Cyprus and it’s really easy to see why. As you wind your way up the mountain pass, the castle stays hidden but as you approach the car park the castle suddenly reveals itself, merged almost impossibly into the side of the mountain in the most dramatic fashion. Visiting St Hilarion is absolutely unmissable. Despite the best efforts of the Venetians, much of the castle is intact and it is a truly breath-taking sight to behold from every single angle. Thanks to its mountaintop location, the views of the Mediterranean coastline, Kyrenia, and beyond, are jaw-dropping. Top Sightseeing > The Great Inn (Büyük Han) The Great Inn is considered to be one of the finest buildings on the island. Known locally as Büyük Han , it's the best-preserved example of Ottoman caravanserai (an inn with a central courtyard) architecture, and the largest in Cyprus. Located in the traditional market centre within the City Walls of Nicosia, it was built by the Ottomans in 1572, the year after they had seized Cyprus from the Venetians. Under the guidance and patronage of Muzaffer Pasha, the first Ottoman governor of Cyprus, Büyük Han was modelled after the Koza Han in Bursa. It was built to provide accommodation for travellers from Anatolia and other parts of Cyprus and originally named “Alanyalilar’s Han ”. Later when a new inn, the Kumarcilar Han was built nearby in the 17th century, as a result of the comparison made by the public between the two Hans, it was referred to as the Büyük Han (Big Inn or Great Inn). Square shaped, with 68 rooms over two floors, the ground floor rooms rimming the courtyard functioned as stables for horses, storage areas and shops, where traders could carry out their business, and the floor above was for accommodation. The rooms on the ground floor each have a low-arched door, arched window and a hearth. The windows of Hans were always high up, partially to deter thieves who saw rich merchants staying as a source of easy riches, and also because glass was very expensive at the time. In the centre of the inner courtyard is a mescit (Muslim prayer room), built with stones from other buildings and balanced on six pillars over a şadırvan (Ablution fountain). A grave that lies to the southwest of the masjid is thought to belong to a high-standing person who died while worshipping in the masjid. With two entrances to the Han, this design is rare and similar only to two others located in Turkey. Externally, the Han resembles a fortress, and when the British took over in 1878, the inn was restored for use as the Central Prison of Nicosia. Between 1903 and 1947, the building was used as an inn, after which it became a refuge for poor families where they could rent rooms cheaply until 1962. After spending most of the 1990s being restored, the inn has been revived as a thriving arts centre, consisting of several galleries and workshops, and has once again become the hub of North Nicosia’s Old City bustle . Folklore dance shows, piano recitals, drama displays are common nowadays. Top Sightseeing > The Royal Tombs The Royal Tombs, sometimes called the Kings Tombs given their scale and splendour, are located between Tuzla and Salamis, with the entrance to the complex close to St Barnabas' Monastery . It’s divided into two sections, yet has never been fully excavated since its exact boundaries are still unknown. One area contains high-ranking inhabitants of Salamis, and a second was for ordinary citizens. This site became famous in the 1950s because of the rich finds here. Treasure hunters did cause damage previously but entrances (dromos) were undisturbed, and it was in this area the richest discoveries were made. The tombs date to the 8th and 7th centuries BC. Some go back to the 11th century BC , suggesting that for some time, Salamis coexisted with Enkomi. In all, at least one pair of yoked horses has been sacrificed in the dromos, with or without a chariot. The wooden parts of these chariots had decayed, but left impressions in the soil with the metal parts still in place. The horses were likely to have been sacrificed as grave goods, to ensure their owners were able to ride their favourite mount in the afterlife. There were also human sacrifices, most likely servants, who could continue to serve their masters in the afterlife. The burial customs evident from these tombs are similar to those described by Homer in The Iliad . The horse-drawn hearse would be driven down the sloping dromos (ramp) to the entrance, along with other horse-drawn chariots, before the body was raised onto a funeral pyre and cremated. The ashes were then stored in a bronze cauldron inside the chamber, along with other grave goods, and horses and servants would be sacrificed. ​ Tomb 1 Two burials from different periods. The first had a bronze cauldron containing the cremated bones of a dead woman wrapped in cloth, with a necklace of gold, rock crystal beads and several thin sheets of gold. The shape of the tomb and the richness of the material suggests it belonged to a noble lady or princess. The skeletons of two horses were found on the floor of the dromos, with traces of the wooden parts of a chariot. These date to middle of the 8th century BC. The second burial, around 100 years later, was disturbed badly, but four horses' skeletons, traces of a two-poled chariot, as well as some metal parts of horses' gear and a chariot's metal parts were found. Tomb 3 This wonderfully impressive tomb, which contained only a single burial, is marked by a tumulus (man-made hill) which reaches a height of around 10 metres, although it's thought to have been even higher originally. It's now protected by a modern roof, and it's possible to see how the hill was constructed, with walls of rubble, supported by mud bricks. It contains one chariot with armour; a silver studied sword; bronze and iron-headed arrows; bronze shield; iron-headed spear and offerings of food and honey placed in amphora. The weapons and richly decorated tack suggest this was the burial site of a rich and important warrior around 600 BC, based on pottery found buried in the floor of the dromos. Looking down the dromos (sloping ramp approaching the tomb) towards the entrance, the construction of the overlying tumulus can clearly be seen. ​ Tomb 47 The largest tomb, alongside the Royal Tombs Museum. It has a spacious cemented dromos leading to a monumental temple in front of a chamber built of enormous well-dressed stones. This tomb was used twice for burials. In the first, two horses of a hearse were sacrificed. One of the horses had tried to escape when its companion was killed, but had twisted round the chariot pole and was found with its neck broken. The iron bits of the horses were still in their mouths, and the remains of leather frontlets and blinkers covered with sheets of gold on their heads. There was no trace of the chariot in this burial, and it was probably used as a hearse and placed with the body. At a later burial, six horses were sacrificed, yoked in pairs, with ornamental coverings, iron bits and blinkers and frontlets of ivory and bronze with relief decorations of lotus flowers. ​ Tomb 50 - St Catherine’s Prison This is perhaps both the most interesting and also the least typical of the Royal Tombs, with a domed roof that can be seen from the road as you approach the site. Originally the site of a tomb dating to the same period as the other tombs on site, around the 8th or 7th century BCE. A small chapel was built above this tomb in Roman times, and dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria who, according to legend, was imprisoned here. As a result, its appearance differs significantly from the other tombs, although it does have a characteristic dromos leading down to it and the skeletal remains of two sacrificed horses were found during excavation. Some of the stones used in its construction were taken from other tombs, and a section of cornice used in the chapel matches that in nearby Tomb 47. It has two chambers, a large vaulted chamber, which was added in Roman times, and a smaller chamber, lying to the west, which is much older. It was used as a chapel from approximately the 14th century onwards with an altar in the smaller chamber, and an ikon of St Catherine in the larger chamber. ​ Tomb 79 Houses many of the richest finds. Had two burials in a short space of time towards the end of the 8th century BC. A four-horse chariot had its wheels held by magnificent lynch pins nearly 2 ft long, with a bronze sphinx head at one end, and a hollow bronze figure of a warrior at the other, wearing a crested helmet, body armour inlaid with blue glass, and a long sword hanging from a baldric. A two-horse hearse had bronze lion heads on the corners and on the front. The bronze gear of the horses lay piled in a corner, including breast plates with embossed designs of oriental animals and myths, and two side pendants showing the goddess Ishtar as mistress of the wild beasts. Also of oriental design was a bronze tripod cauldron, decorated with illustrations of griffins and bird-men round the rim. The principal find at this tomb was a number of ivories, including a gold and ivory throne and an ivory-veneered bed. Of the ornaments discovered, the finest was probably an openwork, two-sided plaque of a winged sphinx wearing the crowns of Egypt. Some of the horse skeletons have been left in situ, and there is a small museum on site showing some of the finds, although most are now elsewhere, the bed for example being in the Cyprus Museum in south Nicosia. When the second burial took place, it seems that the remains from the first were simply pushed further back in the burial chamber to allow the later, richer burial to take place. It was later re-used for burials during the Roman period, with niches for sarcophagi being carved into its walls during this time. When Tomb 79 was excavated, Roman pottery, lamps and the remains of clay sarcophagi were found inside the chamber. ​ There’s no evidence to show that the Royal Tombs belonged to the Kings of Salamis, but with the precious death gifts, and the monumental architecture of the tombs, there's no doubt they belonged to noble or rich persons. And the less noble or rich? They were buried at the Necropolis of Cellarka, which is to be found within this complex, as is Tomb 50 - St Catherine's prison. ​ Necropolis of Cellarka About 400 metres away from the Royal Tombs, and was used to bury common town people. A set of much smaller tombs, these were cut into rock with staircase access. Finds here indicate that sacrifices and feast ceremonies also took place in the dromos before the burials, however revealing more modest grave goods. Top Sightseeing > Varosha Ghost Town Varosha is 6.19 square kilometres in the southern quarter of Famagusta. It gets its name from the Turkish word varoş meaning 'suburb '. The place where Varosha is located now was originally empty fields where animals grazed. In the early 1970s, Famagusta was the top tourist destination in Cyprus with new high-rise buildings and hotels and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole world, attracting celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, and Brigitte Bardot. In 1974 Varosha came under Turkish control, and has remained abandoned ever since. In 2004, The Annan Plan to reunify the island provided for the return of Varosha to the original residents, but this was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a referendum. ​ Buildings continue to decay with parts of the city have being reclaimed by nature as metal corrodes, windows are broken, and plants work their roots into the walls and pavements, and grow wild in old window boxes. ​ In 2014, the BBC reported that sea turtles were observed nesting on the beaches in the city. The main features of Varosha included John F. Kennedy Avenue , a street which ran from close to the port of Famagusta, through Varosha and parallel to Glossa beach . Along JFK Avenue, there were many well-known high-rise hotels including the King George Hotel, The Asterias Hotel, The Grecian Hotel, The Florida Hotel, and The Argo Hotel, which was the favourite hotel of Elizabeth Taylor . The Argo Hotel is located near the end of JFK Avenue, looking towards Protaras and Fig Tree Bay. Another major street in Varosha was Leonidas , that came off JFK Avenue and headed west towards Vienna Corner . Leonidas was a major shopping and leisure street in Varosha, consisting of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and a Toyota car dealership. In a show of good faith, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) recently opened two of Varosha's streets to visitors. It has become a tourist attraction, with bike rentals, cafes, playgrounds and a beach volley court at the foot of empty buildings on the verge of collapse. Since the partial reopening of Varosha, apparently more than 400,000 visitors have walked its streets. On 19 May 2022, Northern Cyprus opened a 600m long X 400m wide stretch of beach on the Golden Sands beach (from the King George Hotel to the Oceania Building) in Varosha for commercial use . Sun beds and umbrellas were installed. Top Sightseeing > Venetian Column In the centre of Ataturk square in Lefkosa is the Venetian Column, locally known as Sarayonu . The granite column was originally at the temple of Zeus in Salamis, but was moved in 1489 to Nicosia, as a tribute to Venetian rule, which is why many think it was built by the Venetians although it wasn't. On top was the Lion of St Mark to symbolise Venetian dominance, and at the bottom, coats of arms of 6 noble Venetian families. The Ottomans removed the lion and toppled the column in 1550, leaving it in the courtyard of the Sarayonu Mosque. In 1915 it was re-erected by the British who replaced the lost St. Mark lion with a bronze orb and decorated the plinth with the dates of the demolishing and re-erection, 1550 and 1915. Where it stands today was occupied by raspberry trees when the Lusignan Palace was constructed. If you visit the walled city you'll pass this column. ​ In the same square, at the corner of the Law Courts, there's also a fountain built during the Ottoman period and a platform built by the British to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 , the announcement of which was made to Cyprus from this platform. Top Sightseeing > Venetian Palace Commonly known as the Venetian Palace, it was a royal palace in Famagusta built around 1300 by the Lusignan Kings of Cyprus across from St Nicholas Cathedral. It was used as living accommodation until the reign of Peter II in 1369, when it was partially destroyed by earthquakes, the central sections of the palace completely demolished, and only its grand façade and back courtyard walls surviving. The Venetians moved the capital of Cyprus from Nicosia to Famagusta and greatly renovated the palace ruins in 1552 – 1554, transforming the Gothic style features and replacing them with Italian Renaissance architecture. It was then used as the residence of the Venetian Military Governor, the Proveditore . The palace was an immense building and stood to remind the population of Venetian power and influence. The door to the palace opened up onto what was once the largest central square in all of Europe. ​ The final inhabitant of the Palazzo del Proveditore in 1569 was the appointed Captain General of Famagusta, Marco Antonio Bragadin , who led the Venetian resistance to the Ottoman conquest that began in 1570. He was famously killed in August 1571, enduring a slow death, starting with the carving of his ears, after the Ottomans took the city, the fall of which signalled the end of Western presence in Cyprus for the next 300 years. During Ottoman rule, structures of the palace were used as military barracks, a prison and as a site for military drills. Under British rule, the building was used for similar policing purposes. Amongst the Ottoman prisoners was Namik Kemal , the Shakespeare of Turkish literature, who was held here between 1873 and 1876, having been exiled to Cyprus after criticising the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. There is a bronze bust of the novelist facing the square named after him, by the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque across from the Palazzo. In mid-20th century, the remaining structures from the palace were evacuate,d and parts were moved into the Namik Kemal Dungeon Museum, displaying the late writer’s life and works. ​ Architecture The Venetian Palace was largely destroyed by the Ottomans, but what little remains is impressive, and is a rare example of Renaissance architecture in Cyprus, at the time of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci . The most noticeable surviving parts are the front façade, with its three arches, mirroring the triumphal archways of ancient Rome, supported by four genuine Roman columns raided from the ruins of the old nearby city of Salamis. Behind the façade are several arches that run parallel, much plainer in comparison, potential remnants of the original Lusignan palace. Above the central arch a coat of arms can be seen, those of Giovanni Renier , the Italian Governor of Cyprus at the time in 1557. Further in you’ll find a chapel and L-shaped wall that dates to the Venetian era. Small rooms facing the courtyard have been used as prisons or arsenals. The courtyard exhibits military equipment including modern cannons and cannonballs as well as ancient columns and sculptures, a delightful scenic spot to have a break when touring Famagusta. Top Sightseeing > Vouni Palace Vouni Palace is 9 kilometres west of Gemikonagi , past the town of Lefke. The site is reached by taking the signposted turn from the main road and following a narrow, steeply winding road all the way up the hill. The ruins may seem sparse, but the 360° views from the hilltop are glorious, and well worth the trip as they're some of the best in Northern Cyprus. Visitors during late winter and early spring will be met by orchids and other rare flowers that bloom and bathe the palace surroundings with colour. ​ History Located on steep slopes of a conical hill, Vouni Palace overlooked the city kingdom of Soli for over a century. In 500 BC, Phoenician and Greek city kingdoms were warring with battles on land and sea. Marion , a pro-Persian city of the kingdom, besieged the city of Soli and established a guarding settlement on an overlooking nearby hill. King Doxandros of Marion built Vouni Palace 250m above sea level, towering over the city of Soli, allowing both sea traffic and the city’s activities to be monitored without hindrance from afar. The structure was a military settlement until 449 BC, when Greek rule was established and the ruler of Marion was replaced by a pro-Greek prince making Vouni a Royal Palace . In 380 BC the palace, which had been a continuous threat to Soli, was mysteriously destroyed by a fire, so the history of Vouni Palace only lasted for over a century. Later documents reveal its foundations were further destroyed by Soli inhabitants. The palace resembles a typical Hellenic house, but with qualities and features which connect it to the more oriental middle eastern world. ​ Structure and Architecture Excavations have shown different construction periods. In 500 BC the core of the palace was built with strong eastern features, such as the tripartite division of official buildings into living quarters, large storage rooms and bathrooms. During the Persian period, further modifications were made to the structure and the number of rooms increased. During Greek rule, eastern architectural features were replaced, major alterations were made and the palace adopted its final character. The tripartite division was altered, the central area resembled a Mycenaean megaron (central hall), and a second floor was added. What you see today is made up of three terraces. The highest holds the remains of the Athena shrine . The middle terrace holds the palace which is believed to have had 137 rooms in total, surrounded by smaller religious buildings. The lower terrace faces the sea and contains housing with stone foundations and mud brick upper storeys which housed most of the residents. The site consists of the megaron , a large rectangular room with a central throne, rooms mainly on the eastern wing and a 7-step stairway leading down to the courtyard and cistern. These steps, at 16 metres, are the widest of their kind on the whole island. Column heads in the courtyard made of limestone, show the face of the ancient Egyptian goddess Hathor , although natural erosion has meant the facial features of the goddess of the sky, fertility and love have not made it prominently to the present day. The palace and the smaller surrounding buildings mainly comprised of temples, were surrounded by a wall, creating the impression of a fort. ​ Temple of Athena Outside the Palace there were several temples which were simple rectangular buildings with open yards and a variety of altars. The most important shrine is the one devoted to Athena , who was the goddess allied with wisdom, handicraft and warfare. Greek mythology says she was born from the head of her father Zeus , the first of the Gods. The temple is dated 5th century BC and has a courtyard, forecourt, and a large two storey rectangular enclosure built to hold two main entrances. Sculptures stood in the forecourt and a semi-circular altar was to the right of the entrance. The Temple’s main room was behind the enclosure and held a statuette of the goddess. ​ Water Works Vouni had a really sophisticated plumbing system. Cisterns were vital since Vouni had no natural water sources, so storage was created by digging out rocks to create natural wells. The large stone standing by the cistern in the courtyard was designed to hold a windlass which would have been used to lift water from the cistern. This stone has become the symbol of Vouni. If you look closely at the centre of the stone, you’ll see an unfinished carved face, thought to be a goddess. Channels were also made to link rooms to a constant supply of water. You can see remains of an elaborate bathhouse with evidence of a furnace below – one of the earliest examples of a fully equipped Roman hot tub. ​ Excavations The palace was evidently a building of great wealth and luxury, containing sculptures, works of art, and ‘Vouni Treasures’. Excavations in the 1920’s unearthed a baked clay cup, blackened by the fire, which destroyed the palace. Ornamented silver cups and bowls, as well as two magnificent gold bracelets, rank among the finest known examples of Persian gold work. Hundreds of coins bearing the stamps of the City Kingdoms of Cyprus including Marion, are also among the valuable findings. The temple has unearthed various offerings and several bronze statues, one of a cow and two identical groups in relief, each with two lions attacking a bull. ​ Soli & Petra Tou Limnidi Because Soli is so close, you may want to visit it on the same day, considering Vouni’s sole reason for being built in the first place was to spy on Soli. From the palace you can also see the small island of Petra Tou Limnidi, which was the first settlement in Cyprus. It was excavated at the same time as Vouni and where Archaeologists discovered Neolithic findings. These excavations were together described as the “Awakening of the Island ”. Visitors during the late winter and early spring months will be met by a rich array of orchids and other rare flowers that bloom and adorn the palace surroundings with colour. Top

Real Estate > Property For Sale Commercial Property Virtual Tours Service Bathrooms & Kitchens Forbes Endorsement Property Developers Property For Rent Land For Sale Drone Service Buying Land Interior Designers Property Loans Property Projects Estate Agents Video Marketing Service Buying Property Investing Renting Out Holiday Rentals Construction Companies Apartment Cleaning Cities Maintenance & Mgment Title Deeds Guides > Property > Apartment Cleaning A clean environment is essential to your well-being which is why we assist you to help create a home you love spending time in. In addition to arranging routine cleaning of houses, apartments, condos and townhouses, our services include post construction cleaning; move in and move out cleaning; seasonal cleaning (e.g. spring cleaning); deep cleaning; and special occasions cleaning. We offer one-time, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly cleaning. We're always professional and courteous and always go the extra mile for our customers. . We'll work closely with you to know exactly what your needs are and ensure every request is delivered. Environmentally friendly cleaning products provide you and your family with a healthy living environment. We're professional. We do it right. Throu ghout Your Home… Mirrors cleaned Cobwebs removed All surfaces dusted Window sills dusted Wastebaskets emptied Hardwood floors cleaned Baseboards dusted Picture frames dusted Ceiling fans & vents dusted Baseboards damp wipe Woodwork dusted and polished All surfaces dusted & polished Light switches cleaned Door frames dusted Bedrooms… Night stands & dressers dusted Beds made (you provide linens) Carpets vacuumed & floors mopped Night stands & dressers polished Underneath bed cleaned Vacuum inside closets Bathrooms… Tub & shower cleaned Toilets cleaned inside/out Exterior cabinets wiped down Sink, taps & fixtures cleaned Backsplashes wiped down Tub & showers scrubbed Inside of empty cabinets cleaned​ Kitche n … Inside microwave cleaned Exterior cabinets wiped down Sinks and faucets cleaned Backsplash wiped down Exterior range hood cleaned Exterior appliances cleaned Exterior cabinets polished Furniture and tables wiped Exterior and top of fridge dusted and cleaned ​ What's not included … Moving heavy items (>12kg) Any exterior home cleaning Carpet cleaning Steam cleaning Polishing/buffing hardwood floors Removal of pets & bodily fluids Mold or infestation emoval Wet-wiping light bulbs (high breakage risk) Chandelier cleaning Putting way dishes Balconies, decks, gardens & stairwells Exterior windows Areas outside of normal reach For further details of North Cyprus cleaning services Tel: +90 539 104 7435 Top Guides > Property > Bathrooms & Kitchens Seastone Aleko Prestige Pakdus Mepas Direm Tescomar Sydney Construction Top Guides > Property > Buying Land Foreign citizens have the right to acquire any desired property in North Cyprus and there are no limitation s whether buying land, villa, apartment, commercial or Investment property. Landowners or developers may also take out mortgages on land. If you sign a contract and there’s already a mortgage, loan or claim on the land, you’re likely to become liable for that mortgage should the landowner declare bankruptcy. Ask a lawyer to check for mortgages placed on the land through the Land Registry . If you’re made aware of a mortgage before signing a contract, it’s unlikely you’ll obtain deeds in your name until the mortgage is paid off. ​ Land Measurements When you’re buying land you won’t see the size in acres or hectares. In Northern Cyprus, land is usually advertised in Donum, or sometimes Evleks . 1 Donum = one third of an acre 1 Donum = 1,338 square metres 1 Donum = 14,400 square feet 1 Donum = 120 feet x 120 feet 1 Donum = 40 yards x 40 yards 1 Donum = 4 Evleks 1 Evlek = 3,600 square feet 1 Evlek = 60 feet x 60 feet 1 Evlek = 20 yards x 20 yards Freehold and Leasehold All properties in Northern Cyprus hold a freehold title deed. There is no leasehold. ​ Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) If you want to buy land in the SBAs you need consent of the Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas to purchase, even if it’s owned by someone who has previously obtained consent. Without this consent the acquisition and registration is null and void. The Administrator only gives consent in exceptional circumstances. In other words, overseas buyers probably wouldn’t want to do this. Top Guides > Property > Buying Property Issues to watch out for: Lawyers acting for both buyer and seller , therefore not independent Lack of planning permission or building permits Fluctuations in currency and interest rates affecting prices/charges Payment plans or fees not being included in the initial contract Ability to obtain certificates of final completion (deeds cannot be issued without this) Ability to obtain title deeds What redress is there if problems are identified With all property purchases, we strongly recommend you seek your own independent legal advice. ​ Lawyers First meetings with lawyers are normally free , so it’s worth having a meeting before selecting a property, to make sure you’re happy with the legalities of owning a home in Northern Cyprus. Provide your lawyer with full information about the property plus details of any informal or verbal agreements you’ve made with the vendor regarding price, payment schedule and included items . Your lawyer can also give you advice about setting up a business, residency, taxation, or drawing up a new will . Legal firms increasingly offer multi-lingual services , advice and property contracts in English, Turkish, Russian and German . Their websites will give you more information. ​ Power of Attorney (POA) Unless you speak Turkish and live in North Cyprus full time, you need a lawyer. Setting up a limited POA with a certified legal advisor in the TRNC is a free and very quick process. It’s ONLY for the process of buying property and is without risk to yourself. Proof of identify required is your passport plus recent bank or utility bill. You can do this during a visit giving you the option to still buy after you leave. A POA enables the lawyer to sign documents on your behalf if you’re away from Northern Cyprus for periods of time. Giving this POA is usually without charge, and enables all the important buying processes from the contract registration, to putting the deeds into your name, to be done without you having to return. ​ Number of properties Non-TRNC citizens are allowed to hold one property of up to 5 donums, or just over 1.5 acres . Husband and wife qualify for one property each, as the restriction is one property per person. Multiple properties can be purchased by setting up a company or TRNC trust , or finding a trusted nominee to hold title for you. Properties can be registered in the name of an individual or a company . Setting up a TRNC company to hold the property title may have tax benefits. Consult a lawyer for advice. ​ Taxes There are four main taxes involved in any property sale and purchase transaction. These taxes are: Capital Gains Tax - (Stopaj). Payable to the Tax Office by the seller unless varied by an express clause in the Contract of Sale. The Tax Office requires a copy of the Contract of Sale prior to transfer of title. Currently 4% of the assessed value of the property. VA.T. – Payable to the Tax Office by the seller if they’re deemed by the Tax Office to be a ‘Professional Vendor’ (i.e. whether the transaction is of a commercial nature or for profit). The Tax Office requires a copy of the Contract of Sale presented prior to transfer of title. Currently 5% of the Contract value. Transfer Fee - Payable to the Land Registry Office just before transfer of title takes place. Usually paid by the buyer and is currently 3% of the assessed value of the property for locals and 12% for foreigners. Stamp Duty - Payable to the Tax Office by the buyer unless varied by an express clause in the Contract of Sale. All Contracts of Sale must be registered at the District Lands Office within 21 days of being signed. Stamp Duty of 0.5% of the contract value must be paid before registration can take place. Obtaining permission to purchase The obtaining of permission to purchase is protracted and can take anywhere from 1 month to one year , but this doesn’t mean you’ll be unable to take possession. Once contracts have been exchanged and registered at the Land Registry, you’ll acquire beneficial interest and contractual rights of the property. Not only can you take possession, but your rights on the property are protected at the Land Registry Office, therefore no third party can buy, sell, or claim your property until permission is granted and deeds are transferred. ​ Can I sell my property before I obtain my purchase permission? Yes - if you’ve negotiated with the seller to insert a clause allowing you to sell the property before taking title. Your lawyer would then prepare an assignment of contract to be signed between you, the seller, and the new buyer, assigning all of your rights and obligations under the contract to the new buyer. ​ Property Prices Up to date information on housing prices is available from 101evler . Top Guides > Property > Cities Kyrenia A coastal town that’s developing rapidly. If you love the mountains as much as the beach, this is the place to be, as the magnificent Five-Finger Mountains are located here. Local legend says these mountains got their shape after two men fell in love with the same girl in Kyrenia and settled the disagreement with a duel. One threw his opponent into a swamp who could do nothing but ask for help by outstretching his hand. When the swamp dried out, the mountains took the shape they have today. St Hilarion Castle also located on Kyrenia Mountains, is said to be Walt Disney’s inspiration for Snow White’s castle. Very close to the castle, there’s Karmi village, with picturesque white houses, pubs, restaurants, and a church right in the canter. Bellapais, another village in Kyrenia, has a beautiful 13th-century abbey right next to Kybele Restaurant, which has amazing views of the city. It’s also where the famous British author Lawrence Durrell wrote his masterpiece, “Bitter Lemons of Cyprus.” Kyrenia has great restaurants and cafés where you can enjoy the view of the Kyrenia mountains and the sea at the same time. The two most popular towns for expats in the Kyrenia area are Alsancak and Esentepe. Both have big expat communities and many facilities. Alsancak In Alsancak , there’s a national park with walking and running paths. It’s a great place for a relaxed morning walk. The town also has an amazing vineyard , popular among expats as well as locals, for wine tastings and tours. Winemaking has a long history in Cyprus with the traditional Cypriot wine commandaria served at the wedding of King Richard the Lionheart and Berengaria of Navarre. ​ Esentepe Home to Alagadi Turtle Beach , where the endemic caretta carettas and green turtles come to hatch every year between May and October. A local organisation works for the protection of the turtles, and arranges public sessions where residents and tourists can see baby turtles hatching from their eggs and taking their first steps towards the sea. The famous Korineum Golf & Beach Resort , is also located in Esentepe . ​ Iskele With sandy beaches, local taverns, and many all-inclusive hotels and resorts, Iskele is also popular among expats. Long Beach , the main beach in Iskele, is 1.5 miles long and the longest beach in Northern Cyprus. Golden Beach , the most beautiful beach on the whole island, is on the Karpaz Peninsula, connected to the Iskele area. Apostolos Andreas Monastery is on the Karpaz Peninsula as well. According to legend, during a journey to the Holy Land, St Andrew’s ship stopped here. He hit the rocks with his staff, and when water sprang out of the land, it healed the captain’s eye, who had been blind for years. Between the central area of Iskele and Karpaz Peninsula, there's Boğaz, , which is a stronghold of seafood restaurants. These are traditional Cypriot taverns where you can have fish and meze at very affordable prices. In Bafra , there's hotels and resorts where you can indulge in spas, massages, traditional Turkish hammams, sauna, open buffet restaurants, bars, private pools, and beach clubs. Famagusta Famagusta is a vibrant town with a lot of history. It’s a good mix between city life and beach life, as the city centre is close to the beach. If you need a balance between both, it’s definitely the place to be. There are many cafés, restaurants, bars and patisseries in the centre. The oldest, and arguably the best, university in Northern Cyprus, Eastern Mediterranean University , is also located in Famagusta and is close to the city centre - another reason the city is as lively as it is. Also here is Othello's Castle, which takes its name from Shakespeare’s “Othello.” Just like Karpaz Peninsula, Famagusta is rich in religious history. St Barnabas Monastery is here. It’s dedicated to Barnabas, the patron saint of Cyprus. There is also an iconography museum next to the monastery. The beaches in Famagusta are gorgeous, with golden sand similar to the beaches in Iskele. In the Maras area, you can find Palm Beach, a relaxed place full of palm trees. For a livelier atmosphere, there’s Bedi’s Beach , which has been completely renovated by young Cypriots to be turned into a beach bar. During summer, they organize themed music events. Bedi’s Beach is next to the ruins of Salamis , the remains of an ancient Greek city. The theatre of the Salamis Ruins is still used for concerts and cultural events. Salamis has hosted the local symphony orchestra of Northern Cyprus as well as international stars such as Lara Fabian, Julian Marley, The Wailers, and Boney M. Top Guides > Property > Forbes Endorsement North Cyprus has been a hidden gem for years. A small Mediterranean country, home to those that know, then Forbes gets in on the act and the whole world is given an insight into how it becomes the No 1 place to invest! Forbes is a well respected and widely read media giant, which focuses on business, lifestyle and investment , so to have North Cyprus noticed and listed as a great place to invest is significant. We may want it to remain a secret unnoticed by the rest of the world, but the fact that one of the world’s most respected organisations has ranked it No.1 has really made people sit up and take notice. ​ The article itself focuses on the average cost of buying property in North Cyprus, as well the cost of living, noting that a beachfront property would cost you a fraction of that found in European destinations. Very true. It mentions, in particular, Iskele, which has the best beaches in Northern Cyprus for sure. They also point out finance options from developers that allow investors to buy even if they don't have funds for a full cash purchase. So, thank you Forbes, for such a great plug for North Cyprus, not that we haven’t been aware that it is, and has been, a really great place to live for some time already! ​ You can read the FULL ARTICLE Top Guides > Property > Interior Designers Beyler Elena Anoniou Doka 511 D N D R Miro Nohrara Estates Fuga Ice Blue Top Guides > Property > Investing A Non-EU country, located in the Mediterranean, with property prices in sterling and far cheaper than many popular European destinations. Following Brexit, relocating to popular European destinations, such as Spain, has become more complicated, making North Cyprus a very attractive alternative. ​ Healthcare standards in North Cyprus are impressive and affordable. Where you might have to wait over a year to see a consultant in some countries, you may well find that going private in North Cyprus is not such an expensive nor time-heavy proposition. Consultations are quick, diagnoses are thorough and, should an operation be needed, you'll be on the schedule within the week. ​ Education options are plentiful, offering all age groups a good standard of learning across the board. University education in particular is booming. ​ Residency is easier than ever with online systems. The cost is not prohibitive and cheaper and easier to get than many other relocation destinations. The cost of living is a fraction of that in Europe, utilities are cheaper and property is plentiful and competitively priced. Eating out can be extremely cheap compared to oter European countries. Weekly shopping costs, whilst on the rise like anywhere else, are much more affordable. ​ Finance – Interest on deposit accounts for £GBP and $US are much higher than elsewhere. Relocating savings could help your ability to live, with many retirees on decent pensions being able to live entirely off the interest from their savings. All those benefits and we didn’t even mention the beaches ! Top Guides > Property > Property Maintenance & Management Beyler Tescomar H P M Best Dreams Esentepe Property Service Property Stop Busy Bees C D S N C E A Seastone Top Guides > Property > Property Developers Ian Smith Kensington Carrington Noyanlar Alliance Estate Coast & Country Homes Kibris Evergreen Cyprus Construction North Power Property Top Guides > Property > Property Loans Nowadays, many home buyers, even the ones who don't have difficulty with funds, understand the benefits of credit plans. The way property loans or mortgages are provided in Northern Cyprus is achieved simply buying it on credit . Lack of formalities related to the provision of documents, favourable credit conditions, and favourable interest rates, are just some of the features which make credit plans increasingly popular. When buyers purchase property using credit plans, they still become owners of the property immediately after registration of the contract , not after the credit is paid off. For a foreign citizen, receiving a bank loan in Northern Cyprus can be a complicated process, so developers attract foreign buyers by offering flexible payment plans and credit loans themselves . In short, property loans are provided by developers in the form of credit, not by banks or mortgage providers. Foreign citizens are very active property buyers in Northern Cyprus, therefore even small developers take loans from banks themselves and use that to supply credit plans for buyers. Credit for 10-15 years can be obtained in Northern Cyprus with just a valid ​ passport and a down payment for the property, so the process is really easy. Property that's being purchased using a credit plan is still transferred into the buyer’s name immediately after signing the contract. The conditions of the Credit Plan are written into the contract of sale and the property becomes the security for the loan . Obtaining full ownership of the property (receiving title deeds in owner’s name) is done after full repayment of the loan . Even though your credit plan may be over, for example, 15 years, you're still the owners and can still rent or sell the property. With proper management of acquired property, if it'll be used for rental, not only does it cover all the costs of the loan, but can also bring profit. If you sell the property before you've repaid in full, the oustanding amount is simply settled from the proceeds of the sale, just like any other mortgage. Since the loan in North Cyprus is provided directly by developers, credit conditions offered are different. Terms of the acquisition of real estate loans vary depending on the project, payment terms and the market situation, but they share the following rules: ​ - To obtain a loan, only avalid passport is needed - A down payment for the property ranges from 10% to 50% (average is 35%) - The interest rate varies from 5% to 13% per annum , depending on the builder ​ It's not hard to obtain a loan in Cyprus from the development company for new properties (not resale properties or properties being sold by private individuals). You can even arrange the purchase of property in Northern Cyprus with a credit plan without coming to the island to process the transaction. Top Guides > Property > Property Tours A New Vision Fancy starting your life in North Cyprus attracted by a great choice of properties; a low Crime Rate; a beautiful, peaceful, natural environment in the Mediterranean sun and easy travel to your new property via Larnaca or Ercan Airports? Then join those who’ve achieved their vision with a North Cyprus property tour. Property agents have been helping visitors achieve a new life in Northern Cyprus for almost 20 years and want you to have the best choice. To achieve this they’ll ask questions before your Property Tour or day viewing such as: ​ What’s your personal vision of life in North Cyprus? Do you want to resell soon? Do you want to rent out your property? What’s realistic for you financially? Do you want to view more expensive new build properties (with developer loans) or do you wish to also view resale properties? Questionnaire After completing a questionnaire, the agent will send you property matches tailored to you. A typical testimonial is as follows: ”good sound advice on a large selection of properties available to suit all tastes coupled with no pressure selling”. John and Geraldine N. Tours can be spread over several days or a few hours. Some focus on more expensive new builds, as they offer very high quality and usually come with a developer loan or rental assistance. To get the best choice you need also to view resale properties. New build isn’t best if you want lower cost property. Resale properties can be way less expensive and with a little “TLC” resale can offer huge lifestyle and rental potential. In Northern Cyprus you have the freedom to choose what’s best for your own vision. Typical Itinerary Viewings over several days or just for a few hours - the choice is yours. Free visit to meet a lawyer Transportation from the airport Hotel accommodation advice if needed and hotel refunds if you purchase Resale properties and New build properties Developer payment plans Bank Mortgage advice for resale properties with individual deeds. Online Property Tours If you can’t make a visit to the island in person, many agents will arrange property tours via the internet. Agents are happy to work with people from all over the world, with Turkish, English, German and Russian commonly spoken. Top Guides > Property > Title Deeds There have been 3 types of freehold title in Northern Cyprus. ​ Pre-1974 Turkish Title or British Title refers to land, or property built on land, which was always part of North Cyprus and never owned by Greek Cypriots TRNC Esdeger Title . Also referred to as Exchange Title, this is where aTurkish Cypriot owner has been given this land by the TRNC government in exchange for an equivalent piece of land, which they previously owned, in the South of the island. Esdeger land is increasingly hard to find. TRNC TMD Title . This is land where no exchange has taken place, and theoretically there may be some compensation payable as part of a future political settlement of the Cyprus issue. These now fall into two main categories: Pre-74 and TRNC Title which includes Esdeger Title and TMD Title. Pre-74 Title Deed land only makes up around 10% of Northern Cyprus land. TRNC title refers to the other 90% of land, or new property built on land, which is a new title deed issued by the North Cyprus government since 1974. In March 2010, the European Courts of Justice gave official recognition to the North Cyprus Immovable Property Commission , which fully recognises that any theoretical compensation due to a possible original pre-74 Cypriot landowner (if they’re still alive) is, since 2010, now paid by the Commission upon application. Since March 2010, consensus amongst international investors is that both types of title deed in North Cyprus are equally safe . There’s probably more risk buying from an unverified small developer who has an unpaid debt on his land, than you are by buying a TRNC title deed from a reputable developer. Buying a TRNC title deed, or looking at both types, will generally give you better range, types and prices to consider buying, including land near to sought after facilities like the Karpaz Gate Marina or Korineum Golf and Beach Resort. When you’re looking to buy any property, it’s a good idea to use agents who make sure that correct land titles are in place, and every individual property has the correct individual title deeds either ready to pass to the new owner, or likely to be forthcoming soon, or once the new-build site is completed. Top

Experiences > Below are some of the fabulous experiences North Cyprus offers. How to Make Cypriot Coffee / Kibris kahvesi / κυπριακο καφέ Play Video Easiest Flaouna, Pilavuna bread (Cyprus Cheese, Halloumi / Hellim & Eggs Savoury Snack) Play Video How To Drink Yeni Raki Play Video How to peel and eat Prickly Pear or Cactus Fruit in Cyprus. The Art of Peeling Prickly Pear Play Video Circassian Chicken Recipe - Traditional Turkish Recipes Play Video Cyprus Famous Potato Meatballs Recipe | How to make Cypriot Kofta, Keftedes Play Video My Turkey: The quest for the best Turkish delight Play Video Turkish Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe | How to make the Best Sarma Play Video Foodie Watch Now Easiest Flaouna, Pilavuna bread (Cyprus Cheese, Halloumi / Hellim & Eggs Savoury Snack) Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close Discover Buyuk Han, Cyprus Play Video Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Saint Nicholas's Cathedral), Famagusta, Northern Cyprus Play Video Porta Del Mare (Sea Gate) Famagusta, Gazimagusa Play Video Varosha,Ghost town, Famagusta by drone Phantom 3 Play Video Let's Explore #OurSharedHeritage - Nicosia Walls Play Video The Round Tower, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus Play Video Amazing 4K walking tour around Famagusta Walled City in summer 2023! Play Video OTHELLO TOWER BRINGS CYPRIOTS TOGETHER Play Video Sightseeing Watch Now Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque (Saint Nicholas's Cathedral), Famagusta, Northern Cyprus Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close We are the champions ! Ranch Riders celebrate victory ! Play Video North Cyprus Wedding short film Play Video 3 STUNNING Hikes in Northern Cyprus! Play Video FISHING in NORTH CYPRUS with LADYBOSS Play Video North Cyprus ATV Riders Club - Video no.1 Play Video Kyrenia Wednesday market, North Cyprus walking tour 4k 60fps Play Video Kaplica Beach | Zipline Adventures | Short Version | Flor Daza Play Video Travel North Cyprus with Cansu - My Favorite Sports In North Cyprus Play Video Things To Do Watch Now North Cyprus Wedding short film Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close Travel North Cyprus with Cansu - Orange Festival Play Video Fazıl Say Concert Play Video WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EVIL EYE |GOOD LUCK CHARM Play Video Cittaslow North Cyprus Play Video Documentary The Noble Peasant Play Video Culture Watch Now Fazıl Say Concert Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close North Cyprus Health System Episode 3 Play Video North Cyprus Health System Episode 4 Play Video North Cyprus - Carrington's Spa full movie Play Video North Cyprus Health System Episode 5 Play Video North Cyprus Health System Episode 1 Play Video YogaKioo Institute Türkiye Play Video Health Watch Now North Cyprus Health System Episode 4 Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close The sunset View, From Besparmak Mountains, Northern Cyprus Play Video Tulipa cypria - Cyprus tulip, Τουλίπα η κυπρία - Κορμακίτης - Endemic to Cyprus - 19/3/2023 Play Video Cypriot blunt-nosed viper Play Video North Cyprus Water Project Play Video Incirli Cave in North Cyprus(Turkey side) Play Video Wild donkeys in Karpaz, North Cyprus Play Video Travel North Cyprus with Cansu - Spot Turtle Organisation Play Video Flora of Cyprus Play Video Nature Watch Now Tulipa cypria - Cyprus tulip, Τουλίπα η κυπρία - Κορμακίτης - Endemic to Cyprus - 19/3/2023 Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close Interview with an investor in North Cyprus | Elections in Turkey | Earthquakes Play Video Visit Thalassa Beach Resort & Spa in Virtual Reality! 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