Manolya Hotel Blog

Cyprus Turkish Weddings

admin — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:50:58 +0000

CYPRUS WEDDINGS:The traditional Turkish dances have been taken place in the Turkish weddings over the years, altough, this has changed a bir since but it’s still takes place in the village weddings.

The seeing of the bride and asking the hand of the bride from the parents.The weddings in the northern part of

Cyprus are still usually done in this way. The young man does a resarch about the girl and learns whether or not she wants to get married, if the girl wants to get married then the boy’s family goes to the girl’s house and asks for her hand in marriage to their son. While they are there, they are served with Turkish coffee and if they don’t want to give their daughter away the coffees are served with no sugar, but if they are willing coffee ceremony then a spokesman from the boy’s side says these words:“We have almonds in our garden, And our feet carry luck, We are asking for jewel from you, Are you going to give it to us?”The girl’s side says:“If everyone agrees with this, Then ı have nothing to say, But if the girl’s side doesn’t want to give her away “I am cooking weeds, I won’t eat it because I’m full,”And that way they have answered the request. Then the boy’s side angry and dillusioned they leave. While the guests are still at the girl’s house they are looking at her and surveying everything she is doing, how she serves the coffees, how she is dressed, and what her face is like and how she does the serving. One of the guests finds an excuse and goes to look at the rest of the house if it is clean and tidy. If everthing is to their satisfaction and they get a “yes” answer from the girl’s parents then the news is told to all the family. The second time the families get together and have dinner. Both sides tell the bride and groom what they are going to give them as present. When the promises are kept then the wedding date is established. The quilt man comes to the house and starts to make the young couples quilts (whisch are made from fine satin and stuffed with cotton wool).

The quilt man is chosen by his respectibility and honesty and should have a smiling face so that he can bring luck to the cuple. While the quilts are being made everyone sings songs and prayers. Sor the couple to have their first baby as a healty boy they bring a healthy boy baby and roll him over the quilts, and also the women to come to the house should be married.

The meat which will be served at he wedding is made ready by cutting chickens, lamb, goat etc. The neighbors of the bride give the family chickens, potatoes and fruits as a gift. The family cooks dolma (stuffes vine leafs) kofte (mincemeat rolls ), handmade pasta, and homemade bread etc. In the old days the Muslim weddings always took place on Fridays, after the lunch time mass and by night time the prepared meals are eaten. The bride gets to be prepared by the lady called ‘yenge’, her eyebrows are plucked, and she is given a bath and her makeup is put on , then they practiceputting on her veil and wedding dress. The bridegroom is enjoying his last hours with his friends. Bride Hamam, does not necessrily mean the ‘hamam’ as we know it (Turkish baths), it means the bride is made ready for her walk through the village wearing green, blue or golden coloured material evening gown which usually is of chiffon or lace. The rest of the young unmarried girls of the family join her in their evening gown which will have pearls or flowers stitched on the dresses, and they will

cary white and red candles in their hands and all this is done accompaid with music. ‘kına’ Night for the bride (kına is obtained from a certain tree which is called kına tree) The next night the bride one groom sit seperately in the garden. The musicians sit in the middle of the garden. The background of where the bride is sitting is decorated with a velvent designed material. As the bride makes her way accros the garden to her place, she gets incensed to keep the evil eyes off her. Everyone eats and drinks and everyone enjoys the ‘kına’ night. During this celebrations night, usually the men dance with water jugs place upside-down on their heads and other kitchen gadgets and they make everyone laugh. While all this is going on the guests are being served with traditional made ‘’Meze’’ kind of food like: hellim, bread, çikoeas, dried fruit, corn and different coloured sweets. Also at this point a lady appears with ‘’kına’’ on her right hand and a candle in the left, and she turns in circles as she makes her way to the bride. The lady places the candle in the middle of the kına and then she puts some on the bride, firstly on the right hand then left, and right foot then left foot then the hands and feet are wrapped up with a piece of cloth. After saying some rhyming words

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Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas

admin — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 06:42:09 +0000

Saint Paul and Saint Barnabas

Salamis

In 45 A. D. Paul and Barnabas visited the city of Salamis on the eastern coast of Cyprus during the First Missionary journey. Salamis was a major commercial harbour for principle exports of the island such as copper and timber.

Paphos

Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel as they crossed the island to Paphos, which was the capital city of Roman rule. In Paphos they met Roman Proconsul Sergius Paulos who wanted to hear the word of God. Paul and Barnabas succeeded in converting the Roman Proconsul in Paphos to the Christian faith, making Cyprus the first country ever to be governed by a Christin leader

admin — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:07:13 +0000

FREE AND EASY:It takes time to get to know a foreign country and its ways, and a holiday there, whrever it might be, is often not enough time to do this. Here are some reflections that might be of interest to tourists in

North Cyprus.

One of the great pleasures of being privlegend of live in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, this achingly beautiful part of the Eastern Medeterranean, is that live can be a joy and a celebration at all times of the year, regardless of the season. Brief spring brings its green and colorful freshness to the coastal meadows, the vast Mesaoria plain and the Mesparmak mountain range alike, high summer more than satisfies the sun-sorshippers upon the baking hot and golden beaches, whilst autmn and winter bring a time of calm and coolness, sometimes a refreshing and very welcome shower of rain and occasionally a stunning son et lumiére at night, or even by day, when a violent storm shimmers , flashes and flares and explodes with reverberating rumbles over this ancient soil. Like many visitors to this little country, my first couple of eccursions here occured about twelve years ago durings a july or August, prompted by the absolutley guaranteed sunny weather, the equally certain prospect of warm and cheerful home from home hospitality with my sister- and brother in- law who had already settled here- and not least because it was the only time of year when a UK schoolteacher could get away for more than three weeks. That was not really so long ago, and it’s hard to credit that even in those days there was barely a single flashy BMW, mercedes or Cherokee Jeep on the road, hardly any new cars in fact. I felt as if ı’d walked into a large showground for classic cars because at every turn there seemed to be an old Ford Anglia, an Austin Cambridge or a Morris Oxford.

KISS THAT FROG:

admin — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:01:24 +0000

KISS THAT FROG:The frog is an amphibian classified as a member of the Anura family.(meaning “tail-less in Greek) Adult frogs are characterized by long hind legs, a short body, webbed digits, protuding eyes and the absence of a tail. The lakes of North Cyprus serve as a home for three different species of frogs. Meets the Frogs of North Cyprus. Frog are portrayed as ugly and useless creatures by some, while others connects them to hedeen talents and many cultures see them as magical creatures. They take part in lots of fairy tales, such as “the story of the frog prince”. The modern- day media and film indutry also use them as characters like Michigan J. Frog, Slippy Toad or Kermit the frog. Michigan J. Frog, featured in a caroon, will only perfom his singing and dancing routine for his owner. When another person looked at him, he would change back into a frog, and begin croaking. Slippy Toad, form the Star Fox series of computer games, is a talented mechanic, but mediocre pilot ,who often ends up needing to be rescued by his team mates . Kermits the forg, on the other hand, is a conscientious and discliplined character of Sesame Street and the Muppet Show; while openly friendly and greatly talented, he is often portrayed as cringing at the fanciful behaviour of more flamboynat characters. Nowadays, in Shrek, which is a very popular series of flims among children; Shrek’s father- in-law ia King who used to be a Frog, amphitibian in the order Anura. Adult frogs are characterised by long hind legs, a short body, webbed digits, prtruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Most frogs have a semi-aquatic liftyle, but move easily on land by jumping or climbing. They typically lay their aggs in puddles, ponds or lakes; and their larves, called tadpoles, have gills and develops in water . adult frogs follow a carnivoruos diet, ostly noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season. Frogs also have a place in history too. To the Egyptians, the frog was a symbol of life and fertility, since millions of them were born after the annual inundation of the

Nile,which brought fertility to the otherwise barren lands. Consequently, in Egyptian mythology, there began to be a frog- goddess, who represented ferility, named Heget,meaning frog’s head, or more rarely as a frog on the end of a phallus to explicity indicate her association with fertility. Frogs also take part in Greek Mythology: The Frogs who wanted a King is a fable, attributed to Aesop. The frogs prayed to Zeus asking they wanted a fierce and terrible king, not a mere figurhead. So Zeus sent them a Stork to be their king. The new king hunted and devoured his subjects (as many human kings also do). Frogs has served as important model organism throughout the history of science. Eighteenth- century biologist Lugi Galvani discovered the link between electricity and the nervous system through studying frogs. The Africans clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, was first widely used in laboratories in pregnancy assays in the first half of the 20^th century. In 1952 Robert Briggs and Thomas J. King cloned a frog by somatic cell nuclear transfer, the same technique that was later used to create Dolly the Sheep. Frogs are eaten, notably in France. One dish is know as cuises de grenouille, frogs’legs, and altought it is not especially common, it is taken as indicative of French cuisine. Thus frogs are sometimes used to represent French people. There three species of frogs in Cyprus. The green toad, Bufo viridis,is the most widespread as it is the hardiest of the three frogs can survive in fairly dry conditions for long periods. The small green tree frog, Hyla savignyi can be found, as is to be expected, in areas with fairly lush vegetation and fairly near water. Marsh areas are its main breeding areas which can often seen on the vegetation on the banks of the steams and other water-courses. The most aquatic of the Cyprus frogs is the marsh frog Rana awayfrom a permanent water body. All frogs together with many other aquatic animals and animals that have an aquatic stage in their life were pratically exterminated from the island by the use of DDT in the antimalaria campaign. Now less harmful chemicals are used. However, populations of frog species of Vyprus are significant declining because of habitat loss due to encontrolles urbanization.

CYPRUS THE ISLAND OF LEGENDS – THE MOTHER DAUGHTER LEGEND:

admin — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:32:32 +0000

CYPRUS THE ISLAND OF LEGENDS – THE MOTHER DAUGHTER LEGEND:

There once was a village called Atyaş Vasili in an epoch long ago. The gardens and land of the village belonged to one rich person that may people worked for. That rich landowner didn’t give his labourers bread and equally wasted bread and food. He would never give the food to any one else, claiming the ingredients were stale and he would throw them away. This person, who was so merciless with people and blessings they had , was in actual fact a mother and her daughter.

After some time her daughter gave birth. Naturally the squadering contiued. Because they had a lot of wheat and flour, their bread was plentiful. In those days villagers made pita bread to eat with their meals. The starving and improverished labourers who were close to dying from starvation continued to work. She would almost curse as she gave a small piece of bread to them. Because of the disposition she possessed, the labourers and the people that lived in the surrounding area would say, “one day God will replay her”. One day the rich woman, her daughter and her grandchild went to the labourers, to the legndary area where the rocks stand now. She began to shout again at the labrourers urging them to work harder. The small grandchild excreated faeces on himself. It was at that instant it all began to happen. On her daughter saying, “what are we to do? What are we going to use to wipe it with?” the rich woman pulls out a pita bread from her leather bag ad tries to stone on the disrespect they had shown to his blessings.”

Many people of the Alevkayası-Kalavaç area strongly believe in this legend. They belive that those who betray their blessings will be punished by the God. The children of this area are brought up according to this elief. If a child drop a piece of bread, they take the bread , kiss it and put it somewhere where it won’t be stepped upon. This is because they fear that God will “burn them and turn them into stone”.

Holy Site of Cornation Cermonis

admin — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 10:07:33 +0000

HOLY SITE OF CORNATION CEREMONIES:

St. Sophia Cathedral, nowadays called Selimiye Mosque, is one of the unique works of Gothic Architecture, has had two minarets added to it entrie magnificience, continues to create a contrast to the dullness of the contemporary times. This holy site, once used for coronation ceremonies of Lusignan Kings, has become one of the island’s chief mosques for Muslim gatherings and religious wrship. Lefkoşa, the capital city of Northern Cyprus, is home to many works remaining from various periods. Lefkoşa has been the capital of

Cyprus since the end of the Byzantine rule(X. Century), and according to historical researches, has developed most in the Lusignan period. One of the most important monuments of Lefkoşa is the Selimiye Mosque- for- merly a cathedral. The Latin Cathedral was consructed in the centre of Lefkoşa in the xxıı century, after the Lusignans had captured the island in 1192 A.D., as a symbol of theirr rule. It was built resembling the Notre Dame de Paris. Its blueprint was brought from Paris to

Cyprus by Archbishop Thierry and his famous stonecutters in 1209. The construction of St. Sophia Cathedral, the most important example of Gorhic architecture and a remnant of the French Middle Ages in

Cyprus, was finished in 1326. St. Sophia Cathedral was consecrated and opened to religous service by the Roman Catholic Archbishop Eustorge de Monraigu. As it was the most important

church of

Cyprus at the time, Lusignan Cornation Ceremonies were conducted at St. Sophia Cathedral. It was plundered by the Genoese in 1373, by the Mamluks in 1426, and was severely damaged by a number of earthquakes in 1491. As it was being restored by the Venetians the grave of an old Lusignan king (Hugh II) was uncovered. The corpse was well preserved with a crown on its head, and items made of gold and documents with it. This monument- one of the most stunning historical buildings of Lefkoşa- astonishes with its ravishing beauty from the outside and amazes with its snow white ceiling inside. The cathedral has a monumental entertance and the carved windows above the entertance are example of unequalled Gothic art. The inside of the cathedral comprises of three aishles, six side sections, and little chapels. The chapel to the north was dedicated to St. Nicholas and the ones to the south to the Virgin Mary and St. Thomas Aquinas. The part of the mosque reserved for woman used to be the treasury.

TOMBS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY:Like many other Roman Catholic churches, St. Sophia Cathedral has countless tombs of Kings and their family members on its grounds. The marble grave stones of these still constitue part of the floor tiles. The inscriptions and drawing on them have been well preserved since they are covered with rush mats, and people are not allowed to enter with their shoes on. The cathedral, which was severlely damaged by Genoese looters in 1371 and by earthquakes in 1491 and 1547, was repaired and converted into a mosque in 1570 by the Ottomans during the rule of Selim II., and two 49- metres-high minarets were built over the two damaged belfries on either side of enterance. Thus, St. Sophia Cathedral was now “ Aya Sofya Mosque”, and in 1954 it was named “Selimiye Mosque”.

Cyprus Birds

admin — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 07:59:53 +0000

BIRDS

Life becomes a passion, if you tak off and go wherever you may please and freely live the way you heart desires. Whenever we think of freedom, we always seem to mention it together with birds, wishing and wanting to be as “free as the birds”. We have enviously watched them fly freely in the sky, diseppear again with the onset of spring.These are the reasons why we have studied and watched birds so closely for years, even thoug we have collected a great deal of data about them, we still find we haven’t been able to discover the magical characteristics which captive us. Today, we know that annually billions of birds begin to migrate thousands of kilometres commencing spring and autumn. Because of their migratory habits, birds stay active all year round sesonally feeding and taking advantage of nesting facilities in different regions of the world.In spite of this clear advantage, the price of migration can be dear, and the birds have to be physical strong in order to be able to cope with such long and tiring journeys. Most birds stock fat under their skin to facilitate the energy they need to make theri long trip. When the fat break up, it combines with the sama amount of carbonhydrates or protein, which provides the birds with twice the amount of energy and also produces water. It is because of this that the birds can complete their long journeys; even so the birds that are fortunate enougy to do this usually loose half of their average weight by the end of their journey. The less fortunate ones that are too weak to complete the journey, either end up as food for other birds of prey or die of diseases. Over half of the birds that migrate from the Northern hemisphere never return. But for whatever reason and risks there mya be, migration still continues to be part of their lives they cannot relinquish and hast its advantages. There is a clear difference in the migratory habits of birds that glide, and of those that actively flap their wings while flying. Because gliding birds rely on thermal informaiton to fly along the shorelines during the day and where land masses are closest to each other along the caostline. On the other hand, many songbirds and water birds do not rely on the geograhic structure of the land and migrate at night in wide g

Another phenomenon is that during migratory flight the birds from a V-shape. They benefit from flying in this orderly fashion because when each bird flaps its wings, it creates a current of air which lifts the bird behind it. A group of geese flyin in the V-formation increase their flight distance by using the air currents they create. By flying in this form a group, can double the maximum distance they can cover singularly . Migratin birds also tak weather conditions into consideration. They will not embark on a long journey if air pressure and wind conditions are not suitable. Anoteher factor that mystifies humans and is a great point of curisosity is their ability to find direction, which is till a mystery no one has been able to reaveal to date.Because of their many mysterious characteristics and dazzling colours, they are of great interest to scientists and bird watchers a like. As a branch of eco-tourisim, bird watching provides intersted tourists the opportuniyt of visiting these areas. Because Cyprus, which is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, is centrally positioned on the migratory paths between Africa andAsia, it has become a prime spot for tourists interested in bird watching. Becasuse the

island of

Cyprus is a place where varying types of unique migratory birds visit, it is the only countyr that has been included in

Europe’s Most Important Bird Areas List. In the spring days we are currently experiencing, we are lucky to live in a rare place of the world where we can see the beauty of it all. I wish for all the living creatures around the world, enjoy living with the spelendour of spring.

Major Cities and Historical places

admin — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:31:46 +0000

LEFKOŞA / NICOSIA

It’s claimed in Assyrian sources that date back to the 7th century BC that the city that was called Ledra is the origin of Nicosia. During the old Egyptian period on the island, in the years around 300 BC, the son of Ptolemy 1, Lefkos, rebyilt the city and gave it his name. The name Lefkoşa derived from this. Some also say that it derives from the white poplar trees, called Lefki, that grew in abundance in its river beds. The name

Nicosia was first used in the 12th C when the native people rebelled against the Knights Templar. From this date onwards the island was ruled from Nicosia and it was accepted as the capital city of

Cyprus.The city which was developed during the Lusignan period and continued until the Venetians conquered the island in 1489. During the Venetian administration, in order to strengten the walls, many chruches and palaces were demolished and the materials were used in the consturction.

Nicosia, conquered by the Ottomans in 1570, was ornamented with mosques, Turkish baths, moslem theological schools and inns which were Works of art of the Otoman culture… Selimiye Mosque (Cathedral of St. Sophia):Built by the Lusignans between 1208 and 1326. selimiye is accepted to be the most important example of Gothic art. After the Ottoman conquest of Nicosia in 1570, a minaret was added to the cathedral and thus it was transformed into Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was renamed in 1954 as selimiye Mosque.

Armenian Church(Notre Dame de Tyre):The church on Sehit Salahi Sevket Streetwas built in the 8th cebtury, probably by refugees from Jerusalem.

The Great Inn:It’s constuction was ordered by the first Ottoman goverment of

Cyprus, Muzaffer Pasha, in 1572. ıt’s architecture resembles the many other inns of this period in

Anatolia. Araound the inner courtyard of the stone inn are 68 rooms and in 2002. ıts souvenir shops, restaurants and Cypriots wine bar attract locals and tourists alike. On certain afternoons and evenings live musics can be heard filling the inner courtyard.

Kyrenia Gate:The Kyrenia Gate is the arched northern entry into

Nicosia, through the old walls which surround the city. It was built by the Venetians in 1567. The gate used to be called “Porta

Del Proveditre” named after the Venetian engineer Proveditore Francesco. On the walls of the gate inscriptions from Venetian and Ottoman times can be seen by sharp eyed visitors. GIRNE / KYRENIA:Settlement in the Kyrenia area goes back to Neolitic times, and under the influence of the Anatolian coastel civisations during the Bronze Age, the population of the region grew. Until 312 BC Kyrenia was an independent city kingdom but was then taken over by Salamis. The name is thought to date back to that time when Ptolemy1, King of Salamis, referred the town as “Keravnia” which means Aphrodite with the Thunderbolt. During Roman times, Kyrenia was a Christian city even before it had become the offical religion of the

Roman Empire. In 1571 the Ottomans conquered Kyrenia without firing a sinhle shot.

Old

Kyrenia
Harbour:The horseshoe shaped harbour is the focal point of the town. The historical Kyrenia harbour, with its colorful fishing boats and yatchts and its lively bars and cafes is the heart of Kyrenia, both for locals and tourists. Bellapais Abbey:The remains of an exquiste Gothic bulding in the beautiful mountain village of Bellapais are what are left of the building built by Augustinian monks in 1025 AC. Orginally known as the “Abbey of Our Lady of the Mountains” , the Franks renamed it is now the scene of many wonderful concerts and ventage point to view countless beautiful sunsets.

Buffavento
Castle:At an altitude of 954 metres, Buffavento, meaning wind defying, was originally built as a watchtower against Arab raids by the Byzantines. It was later converted into castle by the Lusignans, who more generally used it as a prison rather than a military stronghold. Althougt little of the original building remains, a visit is worth it if only for the magnificent vistas from the site.

Antiphonitis Monastery:The fresccovered walls of the Antiphonitis Monastery, located in the middle of the forest, are very interesting. The church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built in the 12^th C, however the nartex to its west and and the gallery to its south were added later by the Lusignans. A sturudy vehicle is needed in order to visit this outlying Monastery, but it is well the visit.

St. Hilarion Castle:Rumoured to be the inspiration for the Disney film “fantasia”, this castle sits atop the mountains overlooking Kyrenia. The site was originally the home of the hermit “Hilarion”, upon which a monastery was built in his honour. The castle , the third in a protective line, was built on the mountain tops to protect against attacks from the seafaring Arabs.

The

Shipwreck
Museum:The shipwreck, 14.75 metres long and 4.4 metres wide and displayed in one of the rooms of the

Kyrenia

Castle , is the oldest shipwreck ever discovered. The findings suggest that the ship was a Syrian comercial ship which sank off the coast of Kyrenia in the 3^rd

C BC with a cardo of nearly 400 amphorae of supplies and foodstuffs. GAZIMAGUSA / FAMAGUSTA:Famagusta is thougt to have been established by King Ptolemy Philadelphus 2 (285247 BC) around the lagoon near the coast of what are now the

Salamis ruins. The modern town is built on the remains of the ancient city of Arsenoe, named after the ife of the king, which was built to replace

Salamis after its sacking by Arab raiders in 648AD. The name of the

new city, Ammkhostos, means “hidden in the sand” , and residents hoped not to attract the raiders. The city developed after conquest by the Crusaders in 1291. From this date onwards, Famagusta soon became a sropping off point for pilgrims on their way to

Jerusalem and it grew in both polotical strength and material wealth.In 1571 the Ottoman took the city and it soon reverted to the inignificant port city it had been in early times. During British rule much of the arthitectural hertiga of the city was lost when stone was taken from many of the historical sites to aid in the building of the

Suez Canal.

The Kertikli Baths:A building to te north of the city constructed by the Ottomans, these baths are notable for the domes. The building is comprised of six domed rooms, a reservior converted with a vaulted ceiling and a section belived to be the dressing room, the ceiling of which has collapsed. Ravelin:Ravelin is one of the two arched entries into the walled city of

famagusta. When the Venetians were surrounded by the Ottomans in 1571, the white flag was hoisted here. For this reason, the Ravelin Gate was called “Akkule”(white tower) by the Ottomans.

St. George of

Latins
Church:A beautiful example of Gothic architecture, said to be based on St. Chapelle in

Paris, was built towards the end of the 13^th C.

St. Barnabas Monastery:St. Barnabas of Cyprus, was killed by his compatriots and corpse was hidden in a underground cave to the west of

Salamis. The corpse remainded hidden for many years, its whereabouts unknown. 432 years later, Bishop Anthemios saw the grave in a dream and has the place excavated. Informed about this, the Emperor of Byzantium made a donation for a monastery to be built on the location of the grave, and bestowed autonomy on the

Church of

Cyprus. The monastery, built in 477 AD, houses an icon museum today.

The Twin Churches:The larger of the two churches built in the 14^th C belonged to the Knighs Templar. When the last grandmaster and their other leaders were burned as heretics in 1313, the order came to an end and the church was left to Knights Hospitalers who owened the adjoring building. The building has been restored and is now being used by the Cyprus Art Society. GUZELYURT / MORPHOU:Situated in the north-west of Cyprus, Morphou is a town probably founded by the Spartants. In the Middle Ages, the city was referred to as Morphou but also Theomorhou. The morphou area grew more than half of

Cyprus citrus fruits, most of them are exported. Surrounded by citrus gardens, Morphou also supplies watermelon, melon and vegetable varieties blossoming from its fertile bosom. Morphou contains one of the many churches in the country dedicated to St. Mamas, popularly belived to have lived as a hermit in a cave near Morphou. Dating back to Byzantine times , the church earns the town a reputation and importance among Orthodox Christians.

Housing

Middle East

Technical

University’s North Cyprus Campus, Morphou is rich in cultural heritage.

Güzelyurt
Museum of Archeology & Natural History:The ground floor of the museum is devoted to natural history and holds cabinets of geological samples, stuffed fish, mammals , and birds ntive to

Cyprus. Upstairs there is a small archeological collection with the isand’s best display of Late Bronze Age and the recently discovered Ephesian Artemis.

St. Mamas Church:A famous saint of

Cyprus, St.Mamas lived as a hermit in a cave near Morphou. A church must have been established in the Byzantine times, yet nothing survived today. The church we see today is a complete reconstruction dating back to 1725. Soli Antik Kenti:One of the Nine Cyprus Kingdoms, Soli rebelled against the Persians, who were in power in 498 BC, and faced a severe defeat. Had its most brilliant days in the Roman Times, Soli was copletely destroyed with the Arab raids in the 7^th C AD. What remains today is a Soli Basilica, one ot the oldest chruches in Cyprus; and a 4000- spectator capacity Roman theatre.

Tumba Tou Skouru:Situated on the west of Güzelyurt – Kyrenia road, several kilometres north of Güzelyurt, is a little town of

Late Bronze Era; Tumba Tou Skouru. The Findings, discovered are on exhibit in the Güzelyurt Museum of Archaeological and Natural History. Vouni Sarayı:It was build by King Doxandros of Marion, who was a supporter of the Persian in the 5^th C BC with an aim to supervise the city of Soli supporters of the Greek.The palace was destroyed by the Soli inhabitiants in 380 BC never to be renovated again.Excavations brought to light golden and silver jewellery silver cups various silver coins.In the south of the palace are the traces of a 5th –BC Athena Temple.

İSKELE / ISKELE:On the way to Karpaz from Famagusta, the largest settlement in the area is İskele.The town called Trikoma until 1974 is mainly inhabited by the Turkish-Cypriot refugees from Larnaca (now in south Cyprus) who relocated to here after 1974. situated on the way to Karpaz from Famagusta is a small town called Boğaz, which hosts several tourism facilities and fish restaurants. The coasline of Boğaz,

Haravadi

Beach, serves as a public beach in the high season. Untouched and beautiful beaches, rich vegetation and cultural heritage that adorn İskele and

Karpaz

Peninsula offer an ideal vacation of peace and tranquility. The region is also home to wild Cypriot donkeys. Apostle Andreas Monastery:Situated at the easternmost tip of the island of

Cyprus, the Monastery has been an important piligrimage destination for the Orthodox for hundreds of years . the oldest surviving part of the monastery is only a 15^th-C chapel.

Kantara

Castle:Erected on a group of steep hills, Kantara was built to overlook Medeterranean to secure the safety of the coastline. The castle took its final shape, which survived today, under the rule of King of Cyprus James 1, who made several changes in the arctitecture. With the Venetian conquestin 1525,

Kantara

Castle fell from fasion.

Golden
Beach:

This is a kilometres-long beach famous for its peculiar tiny sand of golden colour. Every year hundereds of Cretta sea- turtles come to tis beatiful spot to lay their hatches.

Golden

Beach is the favourite spot of those who seek a tranquil and calm vacation. Aphendrika:Aphrendika is considered one of the six important cites that existed in Cyprus at the begining of the 2^nd

C BC. Nearby Aphrendika are three churches; Haghios Georgios, Panaghia Chryisiotisa and Panaghia Asomatos. Haghios Philon:The early 5^th- C complex was built on the foundations of earlier Hellenistic and Roman structures. The edifice was destroyed by Arab raids in the 9^th C. In the 12^th C a domed Byzantine structure was built on the ruins of the previous construction. The
Panaghia
Kanakaria
Church:

Although there is no trace left of the first church thought to have belonged to the early Byzantine period, the present church was rebuilt as a multi-dome church in the 14^th C. The mosaics in the apsis, representing “Madonna col Bambino et Ognissanti” , are one of the most noteworthly examples of early Byzantine art in

Cyprus.

GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT “NORTH CYPRUS’SEA TURTLES”

admin — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:54:43 +0000

GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT “NORTH CYPRUS’SEA TURTLES”

Beaches of

North Cyprus are but safe bosoms they choose to trust their lovely hatches… Sea Turtles are loyal visitors of

North Cyprus coastline, ehere they lay their hatches. Released quite recently, North Cyprus Sea Turtles is a pocket guide about these gentle giants.

Protected by the night, some abandoned beaches in

North Cyprus come to life. Not because boisterous holiday makers having a moonlight- party but because a spectacle will be landscape sinks into total darkness colossal shelled cratures emerge from the sea, dragging themselves arduosly to the shores to dig their nests. They are marine turtles, hiding their eggs in the hot sand of

Cyprus during the summer months, leaving them to develp under the warm sun. When the little turltles hatch from their nests they quickly crawl into the sea.

These shelled animals are becoming rare questes on Mediterranean beaches. Only iğn places where nature is unspoiled do the primeval cratures have a chance to preserve their continous rhythm of life. Their sight leaves a lasting impressionn, the knowledge about their secrets an invaluable privilege. There is one simple way getting to know these wonderful animals: Visit them at their home in

North Cyprus. For all who don’t know have the chance to come here or for all who want to take aspecial memory along, the book ‘’

North Cyprus’ Sea Turtles’’ hits the spot. This pocket guide is the first of its kind on the island. It tells lovingly and in detail about the delightful adventure of experiencing these mysterious animals in their natural habitat. That is possible, even for tourists since the sea turtle projects on the island are open for visitors. The guests may experience at firs hand somting they are only presented on television: a live animal film, so to speak. In the book you eill discover everyting what you have seen that mystery nights and days as an ‘’ amateur biologist’’. Futhermore it explains briefly and clearly intersting informaiton on the ‘’ gentle giants’’ from their origin to their interperetation in our dreams. Did you know that tortoises are a race from time immemorial? They evolved approximatly 250 million years ago. They are regarded as the oldest living reptiğles to be alive today, being evern older than crocodiles. Have you heard of the World Turtle Day in May? Did you know that sea turtles have always been exposed to the satisfaction of man’s plasures of the flesh or luxurios desires and that they are slaughtered for food or to produce pieaces of jewellery from their shells – until today? Or have you ever heard that many indigenous people belive that the earth was born on the back of a tortioise? This and much more you will find in the book. Superb photos, a map containing the most important nesting sites as well as inforamtion about turtle watching in North Cyprus complete this pocket guide and maek it an idispensable compainon for ‘’discovers’’.

North Cyprus’Sea Turtles / Northzprens MeeresschildkrötenPublish by Rustem Bookshop, Nicosia,

North CyprusEnglish verison ISBN 978-9944-968-07-2Deutsche Ausgable ISBN 978-9944-968-08-910.00€

Northern Cyprus

admin — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:49:42 +0000

CYPRUS: The First inhabitants of Cyprus are thougt to have migrated to the island from the lands now called Anatolia, Syria and Palestine between the years 7000-6500 BC. The mountains of these countries can be seen from the island on clear days. The name of Cyprus, which is the most important island in the

Eastern Mediterranean, came from the rich copper mines that were first used in the Bronze Age. Its location and natural resorces such as olives, cereals and grapes made

Cyprus a very important trading centre. Because of these, many ancient civlizations tried to capture it and those wich managed, each left behind a piece of their own important cultral heritage and made the island a centre of attraction . the Egyptians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Lusignans, Venetians and Ottomans were the most important ancient civilizations which ruled the island.

Cyprus, with its natural beauties and historical riches remains a centre of attracton for many people to this day.

The Chronological Calender of

Cyprus

BC 1450-700 Old Egypt DominationBC 700- 545 Assyrian DominationBC 545- 345 Persian DominatonBC 345- 290 Old Greek(Helen) DominationBC 290- 58 Ptolemik King DominationBC58-AC395 Roman Domination395 - 1190 Bzyantine Domination1190 - 1191 English Domination1191 - 1489 Louisianans Dominaton1489 - 1570 Venetian Domination1570 - 1878 Ottoman Domination1878 - 1960 English Domination1960 - 1963 Cyprus Republic1964 - 197 Turkish-Greek Administration1974

Cyprus Peace Action1975 - 1983 Turkish Federal State1983…TRNC

T R N C :

Established: 15.11.1983

Capital

City: Lefkoşa /

NicosiaArea: 3,355 Km²Population: 208,886Other Major Towns: Kyrenia,

Famagusta, Güzelyurt, Iskele Language:Although Turkish is the offical language, English is also widely used and understood. Many hotels employ German speaking personnel. Some of the hotels have Arabic or French speaking personnel too. Climate:

Cyprus has a typical Mediterranen climate, summers are hot and dry and winters are generally rainy and warm. In summer the average temperature is 30ºC (90 F) and in the coldest months it is around 10ºC (50F).

Time:Local time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), however, from April to September the local times is three hours ahead of GMT. Passport and Visa:One can be admitted to

North Cyprus with any passport. A three month touristic visa is usually given upon entry. In order to extend the period, one must apply at the Immigration Office. Children younger than 16 years of age can be admitted under their parent’s passport.

Customs: There is no custom for private belongings and foodstuffs brought by tourists coming to the island. However it is forbidden to take historical works of art found in Cyprus off of the island. There is a substantial penalty for those found to be doing so.

Traffic:In the TRNC traffic flows from the left. International road and traffic signs are used. Maximum traveling speed is 100 km/h. Seat belts are obligatory.

Telephone:In order to call TRNC from abroad, after dailing 00 90 392, local numbers should be dailed. You can obtain telephone cards for the public telephones present in entrie TRNC, from the post offices.

Banks & Currency:In TRNC, numerous Turkish and Turkish Cypriot banks operate and they are open from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) between 08:00-02:00/14:00-16:00 hours. Turskih lira is used as the local currency. Exchanging all the currencies in banks, exchange offices and hotels, is possible . Visa card, credit card, master and euro cards, checks etc. Can be used in place of cash. Opening Hours:Shops are open with some variations but generally:Summer: 08:00 - 13:00 / 16:00 – 19:00Winter: 09:00 – 13:00 / 14:00 – 18:00Public Services:SummerMonday: 07:30 – 14:00 / 15:30 – 18:00Tuesday to Friday: 07:30 – 14:00WinterMonday to Friday: 08:00 – 13:00 / 14:00 – 17:00

Museums:During the summer season visiting hours of the museums can change. For informaiton, you can apply to Office of Museums and Old work of arts (00 90 392 227 29 16)