Kyrenia is one of the most beautiful cities. Many tourists consider this city as the most charming and romantic on Cyprus. Walking along typically narrow streets of a Mediterranean small town, you will be accompanied by the fragrant sweet aroma of a gentle lilac and a blossoming orange tree. Kyrenia is a charming place where the mountains and the sea, the green and the heavenly blue merge together, and the soul of the city on Northern Cyprus lives in unison with the sounds of night entertainment.The bastions of the ancient fortress protect the harbour from sea winds.
Castle - The fortress is an impressing construction. It has not suffered almost within centuries. The fortress, is located in northeast Kyrenia towers over ancient estuary. A fortress of the quadrangular form. The first mentions of the ancient lock meet in ancient sources of 1191 AD, narrating about a gain of Cyprus English king Richard – Lion’s Heart. The excavation spent around ancient fortress, returns us in Roman empire (approximately 111-11 years BC). But exact date of construction of a fortress is not clear till now. It is supposed, that originally the lock has been constructed in 7 century AD by Byzantines for the purpose of protection Kyrenia against the Arabian attacks. In the French sovereignty on Cyprus the definitive form which has remained up to now has been given the Lock. Building of Fortress Kyrenia, under testimony of ancient historians and travellers, was of great importance for island protection.
Chronological building of the lock has three periods.
1. The lock during the Early Byzantian Period (7 – 12 century of century AD)
2. The lock during the Ljutsiansky period (1208 – 1489 AD)
3. The lock of the Venetian Period (1489-1570 AD)
In 1570 the lock was is taken by Turks without resistance and remained in their hands three centuries. In the British colonial domination in the lock there was a prison and police school. And though in 1963-67 the lock has been opened for visitings by its tourists, but its considerable part was used as a military staff of Naval forces of the Greek National Guards.
Now it is under the control of Department of Antiquity and Museums of Turkish Republic Northern Cyprus. Within the precincts of the lock the various expositions telling about a life of island during the various periods of its history now are presented.
The museum of the rests of the sunk ship is one of the most interesting expositions of the Castle – museum.
Four wooden spoons, four jugs for oil and a saltcellar, and also for water and drinks speak four bowls about number of crew of a vessel during its last voyage. The wooden case of the ship constructed of pines aleppo, was 40 foots in length, speed of the ship was about 4-5 knots at an o’clock. The ship has served long service and possibly was under repair not once. Scientific researches of a vessel say, that its age was approximately about 80 years at the moment of the destruction. Preservation of the rests of the ship has been begun in 1970 and 4 years proceeded. The considerable part of works on end of this serious expedition has been carried out in 1976 after Turkish Peace Operation on Northern Cyprus.
FOLK ART MUSEUM. This small museum originally was the typical Kipriotsky house of 18 centuries located in ancient port Girne. On its earthen the exposition of household goods and subjects for processing of products of the agriculture growing on island, namely the press for reception of oil from olives, and a sieve for wheat flour sifting is presented a floor. On the second floor of the house-museum the exposition of national wedding suits is presented, to carved wooden furniture and various products of manual skills of women-Cypriotes.
CHURCH OF ARCHANGELS (MUSEUM OF ICONS)
High belltower of this Greek Orthodox church constructed in honour of Archangel Michael, the main sight of a city. The church has been constructed in 1860 and in 25 years the church belltower has been completed. Now the church is a museum of the icons collected from all churches Girne.
Êrisokava
Rocky ridge known as the first cemetery of the Roman period, and then a limy open-cast mine. After here there was a Christian settlement. The Church – a chapel Ajja – the Moor also has been constructed in one of the ancient burial places which have been cut out in a rock. The remained picturesque fragments presumably are dated 10 century.
Òåkke Hazreti Omer
The small Mausoleum constructed in honour of one of Muslim pilgrims. In it there is a tomb of military officer Omera from army Muavia and its six friends who were lost in battles with Arabs in Arbsky attacks to Cyprus in 7 century. After Cyprus has been won by Turks on a place of burial places of soldiers the mosque and the mausoleum have been erected.
ÊÀRMAN (ÊÀRMI) Êàrmi is one of the most picturesque villages of Northern Cyprus. The village population basically consists of Englishmen and Germans.
The village, is located in mountains to the West from Kyrenia. In 1974 in war it has been completely left by inhabitants. For some time has turned to settlement-phantom. In 1979 the Ministerial council of the country has made the decision on carrying out during a project life on an innovation of a life of the thrown village having magnificent kinds and always drawing attention of foreign tourists, coming to Cyprus. Except a problem of updating of a life of village the government also pursued the aim of development of tourism in the country.
Preservation of its unique shape was the basic feature and a problem pursued in updating of village, as with success has been reached as a result of the reasonable approach to a task in view. The traditional way of building of houses in village has been kept.
Now in village 150 houses, 4 pubs-restaurants and grocery shop are. Inhabitants of village basically are natives of England, Germany, France, Australia and the USA.
In 1986 terms of delivery of houses about 25 years, in a kind of the increased cost of works on updating and village improvement have been prolonged.
In 1987 the rural Committee which structure included 4 representatives of village and two representatives of the government has been created. The committee purpose is rendering assistance to the government for the purpose of its more effective administration.
NEKROPOLIS ÊÀRMI
Nekropolis – the burial place in village territory concerns the Bronze age Middle (to 1900 1625 of BC) In territory of modern village as a result of archeological excavations rich burial places were revealed some. On a wall of the road conducting to ancient burial places also very interesting find – the relief image of the human figure, one of the first images of the person on the island, reached has been found out up to now. One of the tombs found in result of excavation, possibly, belongs to the rich seafarer. To such conclusion archeologists have come, having studied the finds which have been found out in its tomb, the porcelain beads presumably brought from Egypt that specifies in close trading and sea communications of Cyprus, Crete and Egypt.
MONASTERY SOURPA MAGARA
Armenian monastery Ñourpa Magara or Monastery of Maiden Maria have been created for the first time nearby 1000 BC like Koptsky (Êopty – the Egyptian Christians) to a monastery, constructed in honour of the Egyptian eremite Makariosa from Alexandria. (304-404 of AD) This monastery exists and today in Egypt. The monastery has been constructed on the brink of rocky rock at which foot the deep picturesque gorge was stretched. It was used as a summer resort by the Armenian Christian church in the beginning of 15 centuries and became a favourite place of pilgrims from Armenia on a way to the Sacred Earth till 1974. On an external wall of the Monastery inscriptions in the Armenian language, dated have remained 1933.
LAMBUZA (Ancient Lapidos)
According to remained, Lambuza it has been based in 13 century BC by group Lakonijtsev of Southern Greece. In 8 century it was brisk shopping centre of Phoenicians. In the Roman and Byzantian board, it became the important administrative centre with the sports grammar school, theatre, and also other places of public using, being also natural port in trade with Sicily.
The name «Lambuza» is translated with Byzantian as “sparkling”. The city has been completely destroyed in 7 century as a result of the Arabian attacks.
City walls and burial places in rocks near Lambuaz always involved selectors of treasures, serving simultaneously and a source of a building stone.
In rocks tanks for water where under assumptions of experts of historians ancient Byzantines planted fish, though according to some scientists have been cut out, tanks served as a prototype of national baths as water, in them, heated up the sun, and then in inflow was replaced with fresh water.
ÀIIOS Epiktitos Vrysi (Chatalkoy)
Àiios Epiktitos Vrysi is Neolitichesky settlement on a low height near the sea coast, some parts which leave in the sea. It is supposed, that the settlement concerns the period 4000 3000 BC, on what the finds found at excavation (products from clay and volcanic glass), possibly brought with Sicily or territory of modern Turkey push.
Settlements of people have been scattered chaotically, that could speak structure of a surface of rocky coastal territories. The first human settlements represent the caves-chambers cut out in rocks connected among themselves by narrow passes. Such dwellings have been located in a certain order, creating similarity of streets. Walls of dwellings from within have been covered by clay plaster.
Floors of dwellings also were from clay or foliage. Roofs – from a reed. Archeologists assume, that after earthquake approximately 3000 years BC people have left village and have lodged, possibly, in other place.
Lock Buffavento
Lock Buffavento has been constructed simultaneously with locks St. Hillarion and Kantara, for the purpose of defence and protection of island against the Arabian attacks. Buffavento it is located at height of 950 m. above sea level. As well as other two locks, it served the defensive purpose and protected very important pass through mountains, and also had conditional alarm communication with other two locks. When English king Richard – Lion’s Heart has won Cyprus in 1191, the Byzantian king – despot Isaak Komneus, under certificates of contemporaries, disappeared in Lock Buffavento.
As well as all other locks of Cyprus this lock has the legend about the mysterious queen. Another ancient superstition tells about sources with salutary water which have been found out near to a place of the constructed lock where then monastery Àiiosa Ionisa Êrisostamasa has been based. In the French board on island the lock served as prison which has received the name «Lock of the Lion». Later Venetians, relying it is more on fortress Kyrenia and Famagusta, have left Buffavento then the lock has been betrayed to oblivion. The name «Buffavento» is translated as «sender winds», but there is more authentic assumption of transfer of the name of the lock as «blown by winds», that is the most plausible.
Church Antifonitosa
The church was the centre of the Monastery constructed by the monk from Asia in 12 century. The architecture of a monastery is unusual to Cyprus. Only some fragments of a building till now have remained. The monastery name in free transfer is meant «by the Christ who responds». In a monastery there are some initial frescos, among them the most known Maiden with the Christ-baby on a breast, in Gabriel and Michael’s environment. Other frescos are dated 15 century.
The lock St. Hillarion
The lock has been named not in honour of Sacred Hillarion Great, the Monastery founder in Palestin, died near to Pathos in 371 BC the lock has received The name on behalf of sacred, living in more later time about which it is known very little. It was one of three hundred sacred, found a refuge on Cyprus when Arabs have grasped the Sacred Earth. Its hallows have been kept in the lock, and under certificates – English travellers of 14 centuries – «have remained simply unusually». Presumably, he lived at the top of a hill a hermit’s life where the monastery which should serve as a haven for those who wished to follow to its example later has been based, together with for the pilgrims going to a place of its tomb.
Originally the lock constructed by Byzantines on a place of a monastery, served the defensive purposes of island, being a link of the general defensive chain of the island consisting of locks Kyrenia, Kantara and Buffavento. Date of its building remains obscure, but it is possible to assume, that it has been constructed in the end of 11 centuries. Alternatively, it is possible to assume, that the lock has been constructed by Emperor Alexis Pervym after large revolt on island in 1092, for the purpose of suppression of following revolts and control strengthening over island. The first mentions of the lock meet in records of contemporaries of Richard – Lion’s Heart, in connection with its campaign on island in 1191. The lock is possibly strengthened in the first years of the French board on island. Then the lock long time was summer residence of the French royal family.
Then in Venetians in 1489, the lock, as well as all other locks of island, have been transferred for moving in it of military garrison.
ABBEY IN Bellapai
The abbey is the largest monumental Gothic construction which has remained on Cyprus. It is known under different names as Abbey de lia Ra, or Abbey of the World which, during later period was it is renamed by Venetians into Bell Pais or White Abbey as monastic cassocks were white colour. The abbey belonged to the Premonstratenziansky Award which also had name Norbertain which was the Award in Avgustinovsky Canons and has been based in 1120 by Archbishop Norbertom of Magdebourg and differed the greatest severity and abstention. The award exists and today in Belgium. Though the Bellapaisky Abbey had considerable privilege, but its exact origin remains not clear.
Originally eves St. Àvgustin, after Archbishop Trierri (1205-1213) here corrected. In 1246 Abbey have passed some invaluable relics among which it is possible to name a fragment of the True Cross and the large sum of money with a storage condition. But the basic benefactor of Abbey was King Hang the Third (1267-1284) which possibly and supervised over building of a building of the Abbey which have reached up to now. He has welcomed to Abbey the Gilt sword and spurs. After death, its body has been brought to Cyprus and buried in Abbey Church.
Having taken pleasure in walk on a city, its historical places, not reflecting, go to restaurants, cafe where you will be affably met by their owners and where it is possible to taste high kitchen, is tasty to eat or have a bite. At dinner cheers and laughter will reach you from the next little tables, musical tunes Mediterranean, a smell and taste of the salty sea. Absolute illusion of that you have got to the fantastic country. Kyrenia is ideal and rare vacation spot at coast of Mediterranean sea.
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