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Cyprus Travel Information

Introduction

Immerse yourself in a culture that draws on Europe, the Middle East, and 9000 years of constant invasion. Crusader castles rub shoulders with ancient vineyards, frescoed monasteries overlook citrus orchards, and sandy, sun-soaked feet tread Roman mosaic floors.

If you could sneak your way past the Green Line, Cyprus would be two countries for the price of one. Unfortunately, this really is a country divided - since 1974, visitors have had to choose between the Turkish experience of the north and the Greek experience of the south.

Full country name: Republic of Cyprus
Area: 9,250 sq km
Population: 772,000
Capital city: Nicosia
People: Cypriot (Greek 78%, Turkish 18% - including 141,000 in North Cyprus)
Language: Greek, Turkish, English
Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, Maronite, Armenian Apostolic and Christian 4%
Government: republic
Head of Government: President Tassos Papadopoulos

GDP: US$10 billion
GDP per head: US$15,000
Annual growth: 3%
Inflation: 1.7%
Major industries: Tourism, fruit & vegetables, wine, cement, clothing, shoes
Major trading partners: Russian, Bulgaria, UK, Greece, Japan, Germany, Turkey (North only)
Member of EU: no

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History

Cyprus gained its independence from the United Kingdom and established a constitutional republic in 1960, after an anti-British campaign by the Greek Cypriot EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Fighters), a guerrilla group that desired political union, or enosis, with Greece. Archbishop Makarios, a charismatic religious and political leader, was elected president.

Shortly after the founding of the republic, serious differences arose between the two communities about the implementation and interpretation of the constitution. The Greek Cypriots argued that the complex mechanisms introduced to protect Turkish Cypriot interests were obstacles to efficient government. In November 1963, President Makarios advanced a series of constitutional amendments designed to eliminate some of these special provisions. The Turkish Cypriots opposed such changes. The confrontation prompted widespread intercommunal fighting in December 1963, after which Turkish Cypriots ceased to participate in the government. Following the outbreak of intercommunal violence, many Turkish Cypriots (and some Greek Cypriots) living in mixed villages began to move into enclaved villages or elsewhere. UN peacekeepers were deployed on the island in 1964. Following another outbreak of intercommunal violence in 1967-68, a Turkish Cypriot provisional administration was formed.

In July 1974, the military junta in Athens sponsored a coup led by extremist Greek Cypriots against the government of President Makarios, citing his alleged pro-communist leanings and his perceived abandonment of enosis. Turkey, citing the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, intervened militarily to protect Turkish Cypriots.

In a two-stage offensive, Turkish troops took control of 38% of the island. Almost all Greek Cypriots fled south while almost all Turkish Cypriots fled north. Since the events of 1974 UN peacekeeping forces have maintained a buffer zone between the two sides. Except for occasional demonstrations or infrequent incidents between soldiers in the buffer zone, the island was free of violent conflict from 1974 until August 1996, when violent clashes led to the death of two demonstrators and escalated tension. The situation has been quiet since 1996. There is little movement of people and essentially no movement of goods or services between the two parts of the island. Efforts to reunite the island under a federal structure continue, however, under the auspices of the United Nations.

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Culture

The ancient cultural traditions of Cyprus are maintained partly by private enterprise and partly by government activity, especially through the Cultural Services office of the Republic of Cyprus's Ministry of Education and Culture. The office publishes books, awards prizes for literature, and promotes Cypriot publications. Cities have public libraries, as do many rural communities. The government-sponsored Cyprus Theatre Organization stages plays by contemporary Cypriot dramatists as well as classical works. The ancient theatres of Salamis and Soli in the Turkish sector and Curium in the Greek portion have been restored; the one at Curium is used for the staging of a variety of plays, and a Greek theatre has been built at Nicosia.

The younger generation of Greek Cypriots, having grown up in a relatively peaceful, settled, and prosperous society, continues to maintain aspects of traditional culture but also enjoys more modern international clothing, popular music, and movies. Sports have come to play a major role in the Greek Cypriot community. The government has built stadiums, sports halls, and swimming pools and has subsidized associations and clubs for a wide spectrum of sports; there are a professional league for association football (soccer) and a semiprofessional league for basketball. Cypriots compete in the Olympic Games, and young Cypriots engage in a variety of athletic activities, including archery, bowling, fencing, gymnastics, skiing, tennis, volleyball, and weight lifting. Motorcycle riding, horse racing, and water sports have also become increasingly popular.

Numerous painters and sculptors work in Cyprus, and the Cultural Services office keeps the state's collection of modern Cypriot art on permanent exhibition. In the village of Lemba near Paphos the Cyprus College of Art runs courses for postgraduate art students. The government encourages young composers, musicians, and folk dance groups.

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Getting There & Getting Around

Getting There & Away

The Republic has airports at Larnaka and Pafos, with flights from most of Europe and the Middle East. North Cyprus has an international airport at Ercan, but only Turkish airlines fly there. By sea, you can get to Greece (Athens mainly, but sometimes Rhodes, Patmos or Crete) and Israel from the Republic's port in Lemesos. If you want to go to the Greek islands, you'll probably have to change at Athens. There are ferries from North Cyprus to Turkey, but you cannot exit Cyprus this way unless you entered from Turkey (see Visas in Facts for the Traveler for more information).

Getting Around

Bus services run within and between towns every day except Sunday. Those between major cities are cheap, frequent and efficient. If you want to travel on a Sunday, you'll need to get a service taxi. They're good for most places in the Republic, but they tend to take roundabout routes. North Cyprus has service taxis between Kyrenia and North Nicosia. It's easy to hire cars and bikes all over the country.

If you enter Cyprus from Turkey, it's not possible to cross to the Republic. You can enter the North from the Republic for day trips only. See Visas in Facts for the Traveler for more information.

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Attractions

Lefkosia (Nicosia)

The capital of Cyprus, in the middle of the island, is cut in two by the Green Line, which divides the country. Since the wall came down in Berlin, it's the only divided capital in the world. A visit here might help you understand the problems Cyprus is facing, and should also give you a less touristy view of the country than you'll get if you stick to the coastal towns. The old town, inside the 16th-century Venetian walls, is the most interesting part of Lefkosia, with the city centre and municipal gardens just outside the wall on the south-west side.

In Lefkosia, the Leventis Municipal Museum traces the development of the city from prehistoric times and gives a pretty good overview - it's not a bad place to start your Lefkosian experience. Just east of the Leventis you'll find a museum of culture, Dragoman Hadzigeorgakis. The exhibits are nothing special, but the building - a 15th-century mansion - is gorgeous. For some really spectacular museum pieces try the Byzantine Museum in the downright ugly Archbishop's Palace, which has a superb collection of religious icons and mosaics. In the grounds of the museum, St John's Cathedral has some recently restored 18th-century frescoes. Once the main entrance to the city, the Famagusta Gate on the eastern wall is beautifully preserved and is now used as a cultural centre.

The centre of North Nicosia is Atatürk Square, in the north-west. From the square, the main street runs north to the well-preserved Kyrenia Gate. Near the gate you'll find the Turkish Museum, which lives in a 17th-century monastery and features a display of whirling-dervish memorabilia. The Selimiye Mosque, built in the 13th century, is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the country. Famous around the world, the Büyük Hammam, in the south of town, is the city's largest Turkish bath.

In the southern part of the city most of the places to stay, cheap or otherwise, are clustered around the southern wall, with a youth hostel a bit farther south. Places to eat are in the same sort of area, with a health food shop near the hostel. In the north you'll find most accommodation around Selimiye Mosque, which is also the best area to get a bite to eat. If you're staying in the south and want to visit the north, you can usually get an entry permit which will let you stay the day. It isn't possible to day-trip in the other direction.

Famagusta (Gazimagusa)

Once the richest city in the world, and often mistaken as the setting for Shakespeare's Othello, Famagusta has now gone romantically to seed. The decaying old town is surrounded by a Venetian city wall, while the new town sprawls outside its boundaries. Just north of the Green Line in the country's east, Famagusta sits at the base of the eerie, desolate Karpas Peninsula. Wealthy to the point of vulgarity in the 13th century, levelled by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th, the old city is now mostly notable for its few remaining churches. The Cathedral of St Nicholas, now the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, is a magnificent reminder of the city's Lusignan heyday. Although succesive regimes have either altered or damaged it, it is still an elegant building. Note the minaret perched incongruously on one of its ruined towers.

Famagusta's other drawcard is Othello's Tower. According to legend, this is where Christoforo Moro (governor of Cyprus from 1506-08) killed his wife Desdemona. Alternatively, this is where Francesco de Sessa, a dark-skinned soldier, committed some unnamed offence which resulted in his banishment. Another legend holds that all the wealth of Famagusta's Venetian merchants, abandoned during the Ottoman bombardment, is buried in the tower's basement. Even if none of these stories is true, the castle is worth a look just for its great views of the harbour. Famagusta isn't exactly crawling with eating and accommodation possibilities (most tourist digs were in the now-deserted and off-limits Greek part of town), so most travellers day-trip here from the north's beach towns.

Kyrenia (Girne)

Kyrenia, in the middle of the north coast, is, despite some nasty developments, the most pleasant coastal resort on the island. As is the norm in Cyprus, the old quarter is the most atmospheric place to be, but most of the hotels are in the newer resort strip. If Mediterranean atmosphere and outdoor cafes aren't enough to keep you entertained, have a look at the Kyrenia Castle. Originally built in Roman times, the building you see today is mostly Venetian. The castle includes a Byzantine chapel and a museum of shipwrecks, featuring the world's oldest shipwreck and its cargo.

Pafos

In a country of crassly commercial, poorly planned resort monstrosities, Pafos (on the western coast) seems to be hanging on to its identity while still pulling the tourist dollar. Kato Pafos, the lower town, has committed some nasty developmental sins, but Pafos itself, slightly inland, is much more pleasant. Among the souvenir shops you'll find Saranta Kolones, a Lusignian fortress destroyed by an earthquake in the 13th century. It's a very ruined ruin, mostly fallen columns and sewer tunnels. The Tombs of the Kings, 2km (1.2mi) north of Kato Pafos, are a warren of fascinating tombs carved into the soft rock of the sea-cliff.

Pafos' most famous sight is its mosaics, originally laid down in the 3rd century as floors for Roman nobles. The first of these was uncovered in 1962, and continuing excavations have revealed a complex of buildings covering about 300 sq m (about 980 sq ft). Most of the mosaics, considered the best in this part of the world, are dedicated to Dionysus. Many people who come to Pafos come on a package, and the town isn't really set up for the casual visitor, with very few decent places to stay. Have a look in the northern part of town and you might be able to dig something up.

Troodos Massif

The mountains of the Troödos region, in the country's south, are unforgettable. And unlike the rest of the Republic, this is one place where you might not be outnumbered by package tourists. Popular with skiers, hikers and the heat-intolerant, Troödos is littered with 15th-century frescoed monasteries, wine-making villages and pleasant walking trails. Kykkos Monastery, in the western Troödos, is the best known but most touristy monastery. Built in the 12th century, it's been completely renovated and contains a museum of religious icons. Asinou is probably the most beautiful of the area's monasteries, but it's a bit of a trek to get to it - head south from Nikitari.

Platres is the main resort in the Troödos. In the south of the region, it was a colonial hill station and is still very popular with expats. It's nothing special, but there's lots of places to stay. Pedoulas, in the western Troödos, is another regional centre and home to the Church of Arhangelos Mihail. It's also one of the most convenient bases for visiting Kykkos. The Solea district, in the north, is scattered with picturesque small villages and monasteries, and is ideal if you're keen for a bit of cycling.

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Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Nationals of the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and the EU can stay in the Republic of Cyprus for up to three months without a visa. The UN Green Line that separates the Greek and Turkish Cypriot regions is currently open and travel between the regions is legal and straightforward, however travelers must present their passport, complete a 'TRNC Arrival Card' and must return to their side by midnight. It's also illegal to travel from the Republic to the North and to then continue to Turkey - you cannot take luggage with you across the Green Line, and you will be placed on the Republic's black list, which will most likely prevent you from ever entering the Republic again. Travelers may enter the Republic only through the legal ports of entry: Larnaka and Pafos international airports, or the seaports of Limassol and Pafos.
Time: GMT/UTC GMT +2
Dialling Code: 357
Electricity: 240V ,50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

When to Go

The shoulder seasons - April/May and September/October - are the most pleasant times, climatically, to visit Cyprus. Summer - June to August - can be very hot, and winter is sometimes wet but still pleasant.

Events

The Republic celebrates basically the same festivals as Greece. Easter, more important in the Greek Orthodox Church than Christmas, is the biggest celebration of the year - expect candle-lit processions, fireworks and feasting. The date changes every year, but it's 50 days after the first Sunday in Lent, which is occasion for a carnival of its own. Cyprus Independence Day is celebrated on 1 October.

The North observes Muslim holidays. Foremost among these is Ramadan, a month where everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves. The Proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is celebrated on 15 November.