Lefke

A visit to the oasis-like town of Lefke, with it is date palms and citrus orchards, is a must for those who  wish to view some excellent examples of Ottoman architecture . lefke has  been predominantly  inhabited by Ottomans since 1571, and possesses some of most fertile soil on the island, giving it is fruit the reputation of being  the best in Cyprus. Running through the town are remains of ancient Roman aqueducts used for irrigation. There are also two sites of particular interest. One is the piri Osman Pasha  mosque in the upper part of the town. The other is the tombs of the Wesir Osman Pasha with it is highly decorative sarcophagus.

Soli Ruins

The ruins of the ancient city of Soli with their amphitheatre, mosaics,basilica and columns are a highly popular destination for tourists who visit the Guzelyurt area. The city is said to have beeb established at nit is coastal location on the advice  of Solon the philosopher during the 7^th century B.C. and for several  centuries thrived  on wealth generated by the nearby copper mines and it is  harbour .in 498B.C. Soli Joined the league  of Greek coastal cites, but was then  captured by the pro-persian  King Doxandros of Marion. Doxandros,in order to better keep a watchful eye on the pro-Greek population of the city,built his palace at Vouni. During Roman times the city continued to thrive on wealth from copper mining, but in the fourth century A.D. the mines closed, the harbour silted up and Soli fell into decline. 

St. Mamas Monastery and Church

This lovely building,located in the centre of Guzelyurt was originally a Byzantine church. During Lusignan times Gothic features were added and in  1725 the whole structure was rebuilt and a dome erected.

St. Mamas is the patron saint of tax-dodgers and is said to have been a hermit who lived near Guzelyurt in Byzantine times. On failing to pay his taxes he was summoned to appear before the governor in Lefkosa. Apparently, on the way to Nicosia he came across a lion, which was about to attack a lamb. He managed to apprehend the lion, climb on its back and ride to Nicosia with the lamb in his arms. The governor, on seeing Mamas arrive in such an interesting manner, declared that he was henceforth exempt from all taxes.

Vouni Place 

The ruins of Vouni Palace are located on a hilltop offering fantastic panoramic views of the Trodos mountain range, the GirneMountains and the central plain of Cyprus. The palace was built by the pro-Persian Pheonician King Doxandros of Marion as a vantage point from which to keep a watchful eye on his potentially rebellious pro-Greek subjects in Soil, and probably dates back to the fifth century B.C. All that you see of the palace today are the foundations. This is partly due to natural erosion, but also because the inhabitants of Soli, having grown weary of being watched from on highy by their rulers, attacked and burned down the palace.

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The town of Guzelyurt is the regional capital of the Guzelyurt district and  is known as the fruit –bowl

Of  Northern Cyprus.  The town, located in the west , is surrounded by extensive citrus groves , which makes this area the greenest on the island. The reason for this is the abundance of water running down from the Trodos Mountains, which lie, to the south.

Guzelyurt is not a typical tourist destination, but interesting to those who want to see parts of Northern Cyprus not in the least affected by tourism. Besides , Guzelyurt houses a history and archaeology museum, a covered market and some rather beautiful  Orthodox churches. Also within the Guzelyurt district is the picturesque town  of Lefke (the site of Cyprus’ now defunct copper mines), the Roman ruins at Soli and the hilltop palace of Vouni.

 Guzelyurt’s Past

Settlement in this area dates back to the Early Bronze Age when settlers from Anatolia arrived in the part of the island.

The growth and development of the town and surrounding areas owe much to the copper mines on the lower slopes of the Trodos mountains from which are  has been extracted since antiquity.

Archeological and Natural History Museum

Here you will find an interesting collection  of archeological exhibits dating from the early Stone Age to Romans times. The natural history section of the museum has a collection of birds, mammals and reptiles of Cyprus. The museum is located in the centre of Guzelyurt and is open during working hours and also on Saturday until 1pm.

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Kumarcilar Hani(the Gamblers’Inn)

This inn is a simpler version of the Buyuk Han but does not have a mosque in the courtyard. Open during working hours Monday to Friday. Closed at weekends and on public holidays.

Kyrenia Gate

This is the  enterance to the walled city from the Girne direction. The fortified walls were built by the Venetians to keep out the (eventually successful) Ottoman invaders. Today roads, built by the British, run through the gate.

Lapidary Museum

In this old Venetian building , stones and other fragments from destroyed medieval buildings have been collected together to from this interesting museum. Open during working hours from Monday to Friday  closed at weekends and on public holidays.

Selmiye Mosque(St.Sofia Cathedral)

This is an outstanding examples of Gothic  architecture officially consecrated in 1326 and contains all the hallmarks of the great French cathedrals of the time. In 1571, following the Ottoman conquest of city , it was converted into a mosque . Open  Monday to Friday during working hours. Closed weekends and public holidays.

Sultan Mahmound II Library

The library was founded in 1829 by Sultan Mahmoud II  the second. The building is big, square and has a large dome on top, and inside can be found rare Turkish,  Arabic , and Persian texts.

Open during working hours from Monday to Saturday. Closed  on Sundays and public holidays.

The Bandabuliya(Covered Market)

Here you can find an interesting array of fresh food produce and other items. There are butcher, greengrocers, grocers, and fishmongers. There are also stalls selling anything from olive oil to plastic toys. The market was opened by British colonial administration in 1938. Open during working hours from Monday to Saturday.  Closed  Sundays and public holidays.

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Arab Ahmet Mosque

This mosque was constructed on the foundations of a medieval church in 1845. There are said to be tombstones from the 14^th century under it is stone floor.

Ataturk Square and Venetian Column

Ataturk square is an open area in the center of the old walled city and is surrounded by buildings of the British administration  on the island. In the center of the square is a twenty-foot  column originally erected by the Venetians upon which once stood the Lion of St.Mark. After the Ottoman   conquest place by the  of Lefkosa, the column was remowed only to be put back in it is  place by the British.  The British, however , were unable to locate the Lion, and so replaced it with a copper globe.

Buyuk Hamam(Big Turkish Bath)

The inn is thought to have been built by Muzaffer Pasha in 1572 and is typical of inns built in Anatolia around the same time. This example is a two story  building around a courtyard in which can be found small mosque and a fountain for absolutions.

Open during working hours Monday  to Friday. Closed at weekends and on public  holidays.

Dervish Pasha’s Mansion

Dervish Pasha was the first editor of a Turkish Cypriot newspaper. His house, built in the mid 19^th century, is typical of Turkish urban architecture.

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Lefkosa(Nicosia) is the commercial and political capital of Northern Cyprus and lies in the central plain of the island .it is not a large city with a population of around 70.000 which is more than doubled during the day by commuters.

The Venetian wall surrounding the old town creates an intriguing  atmosphere contrasting with other more modern building. The covered market or Bandabuliya, where the sellers and produce on offer never seen to change , stands next to the latin Cathedral which the kings of Cyprus used to be crowned  .Dotted  around the walled city are other places to visit and building, which have been restored to their former glory, notably the Buyuk Han, a Kervansaray.

Lefkosa(Nicisia) offers a number of good restaurants and cafes in the central area and a wide selection on jewellers, boutiques and shop selling  just about anything from bathroom fittings to musical instruments.

But despite being the capital city, Lefkosa still bears the same laidback  character as the rest of Northern Cyprus, only in an urban setting.

Lefkosa- Nicosia   Past

It is known that a city (at that time called Ledra)existed in the 7^th century B.C. much later , in the 3^rd century B.C. Soter the   first son of  Ptolemy founded the city of levkos.

The name Lefkosa appeared towards the end of the 12^th century A.D. when the city was owned and run by the Knights Templar. It is said that under the Frankish rule of that time Lefkosa flourished into a beautiful city of parks, places, squares, and some 250 churches.

During Venetian rule (1489-1570) the size of Lefkosa was deliberately reduced. The Venetians , fearing an Ottoman architecture, which can still be appreciated  today.

When the British took over the administration of the island in 1889 Lefkosa kept it is status as the islands capital and the British government  building of the central area of northern Lefkosa still stand as memorials to Lefkosa’s colonial past.

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