|
Kyrenia (Girne) is the undisputed tourist capital of North Cyprus. Richer than any other city, including the capital Nicosia, its major attractions are the immaculately preserved Crusader Castle, the harbour, the enchanting cosy restaurants along the water front – a car-free zone - an impressive selection of shops and boutiques which would not be out of place in Paris or London and Bellapais Abbey nearby.
Diana Drake, author of North Cyprus: The Bradt Travel Guide, comments on the sheer power of the castle walls. The huge round tower that confronts you is the work of the Venetians. Such fortifications were their major legacy to Cyprus for they always regarded it as a military outpost to protect and service their lust for trade. Housed with the castle walls is the Girne Department of Antiquities which over took custodianship of the castle in 1959.
The dry moat you cross to reach the main gateway was full of water until 1400 and provided an inner protected harbour in times of war. Once inside the scale surprises, as you pass up a wide almost ceremonial ramp, built by the Venetians to facilitate rolling their canon up into place on the walls. Life-size models of these men at work, along with their canons, can be seen in one of the rooms overlooking the harbour. Just beyond the inner gateway stands the tomb of Sadik Pasa the Ottoman admiral to whom the Venetians surrendered in 1570.
Built into a couple of great halls along the eastern wall of the castle is the shipwreck museum where a 2,300-old year old Greek trading vessel is on display, together with its cargo.
The top of the castle is the place for magnificent views (and photos) of the harbour. There is a small café inside the castle walls but more inviting cafes line the waterfront including the Carob restaurant and bar admirably restored by master architect Ziya Necati Ozkan. His daughter, Destine, also a renowned architect, described how her father added the wooden balcony to the former carob store house, which also has a roof restaurant.
Close behind the harbour you will find Kyrenia’s oldest mosque, the tiny Djafer Pasa Mosque built and named after a Turkish general shortly after the Turkish takeover in 1570. It is a pleasant if unexiciting example of early Ottoman architecture. Beside the mosque an ancient spring was converted to an area for ritual abultions before prayers.
Kyrenia, with a population of around 7,000 is ideal for a relaxing holiday in immaculate surroundings. It has also attracted ‘permanent foreign tourists’ who have bought homes here and the property market is one of the fastest growing industries in town.
A break in Kyrenia can be combined with a holiday in Antalya a popular tourist city across the water in Turkey. Contact IAH Ltd the specialist tour operators to both the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus and Turkey at www.flightholiday.co.uk
| 
