North Cyprus
General Information:
Population of North Cyprus
The population of North Cyprus is approximately 264,000 (2006 census) and 55% of the population live in urban areas. The urban population is distributed as follows:
(Rounded to the nearest 1000. Census 2006)
Lefkosa (Nicosia): 73,000
Gazimagusa (Famagusta): 46,000
Girne (Kyrenia): 57,000
Guzelyurt: 20,000
Iskele: 8,000
Hotel Accomodation:
The latest check-out time in a day is 12 o’clock. Customer’s checking out late will be charged
50% extra-up to 6 pm, and will be charged for an additional day thereafter.
Beaches:
From May till June water temperature is about 24C and all the beaches have restaurants, cafeterias, bars and etc. around. Water-ski, bananas, parachutes are all in the offer.
Driving:
In North Cyprus cars drive on the left side, Traffic signs are all international. Roads are safe and in good condition.
Shopping:
In TRNC you can find European, homemade and handmade products.
Geography:
Cyprus is 9, 251 km² and is a third biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is at north-eastern end of the East Mediterranean basin at a distance of 380 km north of Egypt; 105 km west of Syria and 75 km south of Turkey, 800 km to the west is a Greek mainland, Greek islands Rhodes and Karpathos, 380 km to the west. The Latitude of Cyprus is 34º23’- 35º34’ north and its longitude 32º16’- 34º37’ east.
The Landscape for life on the island is dominated by the mountains and central plain they encompass, the Mesaoria. The Troodos Mountains cover a huge part of the southern and western portions of the island.
Culture:
In the social life traditions appear in different kinds of celebrations such as weddings, festivals, birthdays, etc. Warm hospitality is a characteristic of Turkish Cypriots. Tradition respects older people. First on offer is Turkish coffee and after that sweetened fruit juice.
Folk Dancing:
Whenever there is a celebration in North Cyprus, you can see Cypriot men Folk Dancing, from weddings to coffee shops. Women join in the dancing at weddings. The dance where men and women perform together is called ‘Kartchilamos’. The ‘Syrtos’ is thought to be the oldest dance in Cyprus in which dancers stand in the circle and hold each other’s wrists.
Turkish- Cypriot Handicraft:
The coloured cotton kerchief had been useful for women in the past, decorated by flowers and different colours. In the making process women started from the corners and worked toward the middle. Today the coloured cotton kerchief is called a scarf.
Lefcara Lace work:
This is one of the most famous handicrafts in North Cyprus. It was made in Lefkara village, therefore it has such name. There are two different Lefkara groups. One of them is made in linen and another one is made by needle. Both practices use pillows in the process. In the past Lefkara lace work was used by locals but nowadays lacework is exported.
North Cyprus Cuisine:
North Cyprus cuisine had been influenced by different cultures. Therefore there’s no particular Cypriot meal. However Cypriots use original recipes and add their own way of cooking with different spices and call it Cypriot food. Molohia is originally an Arabic dish, but Cypriots cook in their own way and it had become traditional Cypriot dish. The names of some dishes can vary from one region to another. North Cyprus is one of destinations where people can try different cuisines. Various vegetable meals, grilles meals, savories, fish, soups, Turkish pizza, there are just a few meals from the Turkish cuisine. There is a variety of starters, dessert and cakes that can be eaten before or after the main courses. Apart from the local cuisine there are international cuisines and restaurants such as Chinese, Italian, French or Indian.
Economy:
Agriculture:
North Cyprus had been an agricultural country in 1980’s. The main farming products are citrus fruits and potatoes. Its share in GDP is decreasing from year to year. Even though, still it is very important for economy as a whole and for export operations, the ratio is about 50%.
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
%Share of GDP 9,1 7,9 9,7 10,9 10,6
%Share of EAP 17,8 17,1 16,5 15,7 14,5
%Share of Exports 38,4 31,7 35,5 41,6 41,1
The export of the agricultural product accounted for 41,6% of the total domestic export and 15,7% of the working population.
Education:
Education is one of the fastest growing sectors in North Cyprus with five universities country wide. Predicting approximately 40, 000 students in the future. Those students mainly come from Turkey and Middle Eastern countries. The Economy of Northern Cyprus is dominated by the services sector including education. The standards of teaching and facilities within the grounds of the universities are improving as the years go on. This is being recognized by foreign students wishing to further their education within the TRNC’s premises.
Import:
Firms wishing to engage in import business must register with the Chamber of Commerce or with the Chamber of Industry.
Necessary import permission may be obtained on application from the Department of Trade.
Highly developed local banking services are available to meet the needs of both importers and exporters.
Necessary measures have been taken to further simplify import procedures and to minimize any bureaucratic impediments in this area.
Famagusta
Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque:
LalaMustafaPasa the building which was constructed between the years 1298-1312 in the Lusignan period is one of the most beautiful Gothic structures of the Meditteranean region. The Lusignan kings would be inaugurated as the King of Cyprus at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Nicosia first, and following this they would be crowned as the King of Jerusalem at the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Famagusta.
In the 1571 The Cathedral was turned to the mosque. The western front of the building had been influenced by the architecture of The Reims Cathedral. The 16th century Venetian gallery in the courtyard is today used as a reservoir for ablutions. A Venetian insignia is located above the circular windows at the entrance.
Othello Castle:
The Castle was built in 14th century, by the Lusignans. İt had been used as one of the most important entrances to Famagusta. St. Mark lion in relief lies just above the entrance, under which the name of captain ‘Nicolo Foscari’ -the captain who restored the tower- and the year ‘1492’ is inscribed.
The Castles includes towers and corridors leading to artillery batteries. In the castle yard there are cannons, iron and stone cannon balls, which belong to the Spaniards and Otomans. The Othello Castle takes a part of Shakespeare’s Othello tragedy.
Salamis:
The history of Salamis goes back to the 1 1| h Century BC. When the ‘dark ages’ came to an end in the Mediterranean World, Salamis appeared as a very important trading centre.
Following the unexpected death of Alexander Great near Babylon in 323 BC., his generals divided the lands, of the Hellenistic Empire and Cyprus fell to the share of Ptolemy who established his kingdom in Egypt. During the Hellenistic and Roman Era Salamis received its share of wealth of the period and once again became an important trading centre. Most of the ruins unearthed in excavations date from this recent history of the city.
Nicosia:
Nicosia (Lefkose) is a capital city of Northern Cyprus. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the northern Turkish and southern Greek portions divided by a “Green Line”; a demilitarized zone maintained by UN organization.
The city had been known as a Ledra or Ledrae. This name was changed to Lefkosion after a while. The city served as a seat of the kings of Cyprus from 1192.
Cyprus was taken over by Turks in 1571.
During the Ottomans era the city saw prosperity which is still visible by Gothic architecture of Selemiye Mosque, the Bedestan, the Arab Ahmat Mosque, and the Great Han Inn to name just a few.
Nowadays the capital is divided as a result of Turkish invasion, caused by rebellion against the government of Cyprus.
Selemiye Mosque:
The Cathedral is the largest and finest temple, and the most important Gothic structure in Cyprus. The construction was started by the Latin Archbishop Eustorge de Montaigu in 1208. It was consecrated in 1326 and opened to religious service. As it was the most important church of Cyprus the coronation ceremonies of the Lusignan kings were held here. The cathedral was restored by the Genoese in 1373, and by the Mamluks in 1426; it was damaged in several earthquakes. The eastern section of the cathedral was destroyed in eathquakes in 1491 and 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 on it. The cathedral was constructed by French architects and craftsmen and it is a beautiful eaxample of medieval French architecture. The cathedral has a monumental entrance. The carved windows above the entrance are examples of unequalled Gothic art. The Ottomans have built minarets over the two unfinished belfries on either side of the entrance. The inside of the cathedral comprises three aisles, six side sections and little chapels. The chapel to the north was dedicated to St. Nicholas, the ones to the south to virgin Mary and St. Thomas Aquinas. The part of the mosque reserved for women used to be the treasury. Many Lusignan nobilities and kings are buried inside the cathedral. The marble grave stones of these graves still constitute part of the floor tiles. The inscriptions and drawings on these have been well preserved since they are covered with rush mats, and people are not allowed in with their shoes on.
The National Struggle Museum:
Is situated in Mucahitler Sitesi near to the Kyrenia Gate, this museum gives you idea about a Tukish Cypriot people struggle for independence. Weapons used during between 1962- 1974 period and those captured from the Greeks can be seen there.
Guzelyurt(Morphou):
Güzelyurt is located in the Northwest sector of the Cyprus island. This region is known as having one of the richest agricultural areas in Northern Cyprus . The reason for this richness is said to be its fertile read soil. From here Northern Cyprus produces oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and strawberries for consumption and export. Güzelyurt has not become as developed as other cities in the TRNC and thus is a great place for those who want to get away from it all. There are many places around Güzelyurt that serve as perfect camping or picnic spots. Here you can enjoy a traditional Sunday of cooking shish kebabs on a grill and passing the day away by the sea, under a tree, or why not both. If you visit in spring you may see white orange blossoms floating through the air and giving the area a lovely scent of orange.
Soli:
Soli is an antique city with beautiful mosaics and theatre. The famous statue of Aphrodite, the Greek Godess of Love, was discovered there. Soli was found in the 6th century BC. It was at its most importance during the Roman occupation of Cyprus, and was destroyed during the Arab invasion in the 7th Century. A Swedish archaeological expedition excavated the Roman amphitheatre in 1930 and an early Christian Basilica and mosaics came to light during the later work by Canadian teams. Much work remains to be done over the huge site.
Mamas Monastery:
The monastic buildings were also erected in 18th century but a number of capitals and columns are from the former church.
St. Mamas church is open to visitors during office hours.
Birds:
There are over 250 species of birds to be seen from spring to autumn in North Cyprus while migrating from Europe to Egypt. Some of the birds are just passing through, but others will stay even in the winter time. The best bird watching places are Famagusta Glapsides Beach region, Guzelyurt gulf, Mehmetcik village, Karpaz peninsula and Kanlikoy barrage.
Turtles:
Caretta Caretta and Clelonia Mydos turtles come to North Cyprus coastline and lay their eggs between June and September. If you would like to watch and protect turtles you should contact the Turtle conservation project group.
Flora:
There is a variety of wild flowers all around the island. You may smell orange, lemon, and grapefruit flowers in North Cyprus. There are citrus gardens olives and carob pine trees.
Camping:
There are suitable places for camping in Kyrenia and Famagusta areas. Shower, toilets, restaurants and bars facilities are all available. There are not many strict rules while camping, but picnic fires are forbidden in the forests.
Diving:
Flora and Fauna in the Mediterranean Sea is very rich. There are about 200 different species of fish to be seen, ancient pottery and even an aero plane wreck.
|
