Republic of Cyprus

Visited: December 2012

Duration of visit: 7 days

Capital city: Nicosia

Population: 1.13 million (2012)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

• Visiting Republic of Cyprus in low season – I was disappointed by the feeling of emptiness, even abandonment, in all major tourist towns outside of Nicosia.
• Nicosia – the last world’s divided capital, where the barbed wire and guard towers of the Green Line cuts the city in two; the northern side being the capital of Northern Cyprus and the southern half being the capital of the Republic of Cyprus.
• Larnaca – seaside resort with international airport that attracts hordes of foreign visitors, but mainly in the summer season.
• Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage for its ancient architecture, mosaics and religious importance, Paphos is the best cultural experience in the country.

Republic of Cyprus (Cyprus)may be a small island, but one of the things that makes the country very special is its long colorful past, reflected in history and culture. This major tourist destination in the Mediterranean was placed under the UK’s administration, based on the Cyprus Convention in 1878 and was formally annexed by the UK in 1914. Cyprus was granted independence in 1960; it joined the European Union in 2004.

The island country is divided into two parts: the northern Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while the southern part is called the Independent Republic of Cyprus or the Greek Cyprus.

Republic of Cyprus is famous for its beaches, nightlife, but also for some cultural monuments.

The whole city of Paphos as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the last divided capital city of Nicosia, the oldest manufactured wine in the world, over 300 days of sunshine a year and its naturally diverse landscape attracts over 3 million tourists every year; three times the local population.

I visited Cyprus in the off season, when the main tourist attractions are abandoned, luxury hotels closed, airport empty and sandy beaches lonely. December is definitely not proper for swimming or sunbathing, but the weather is still much warmer than in Europe. It was actually snowing when I landed at Bologna airport on my return flight.

British legacy is visible on every corner of the country even today: driving on the left, fish and chips delicacy, the language and British accent of locals, uncomfortable three-wire grounded and fused plug.

I rented a car for a week almost for free and explored the island. Traffic on the main roads was regular, meanwhile, the side roads in the interior of the island were practically free of oncoming vehicles. Moreover, sometimes fog and darkness made driving on winding roads at night quite scary.

I explored mainly Larnaca, Paphos and Nicosia to visit some important local sights, tasted local food and wondered where all the people had gone. If Larnaca is all about the beach and activities connected with the sea, Paphos is the place to be visited for its ancient architecture, mosaics and religious importance.

Larnaca was practically a ghost town in December. The third-largest town, after Nicosia and Limassol, is considered Cyprus’s oldest town, with a history of almost 10.000 years. Tourists visit Larnaca to observe the Byzantine church of Agios Lazaros, built at the beginning of 10^th century, and the Medieval Castle, two centuries later. I still enjoyed walking along Palm Trees Promenade, looking for the first colonial buildings on the island, built by the British Administration in 1881.

However, the main Larnaca’s attraction is to lay down on one of beautiful Mediterranean beaches, sunbath, practice watersport activities and rave it up in nightclubs and bars at night. There are many beaches around, but it seems that Mckenzie beach is the hotspot of the whole island.

In the course of my visit, most of the hotels were closed, zero activities on the beach and hardly any people around. Even finding some food was not an easy task. Majority of chefs were on holidays, restaurants closed down. I walked along the sandy beach thinking about snowfall in mainland Europe and summer in Cyprus when this lazy – abandoned place is filled up with tourists.

Massive tourism still seems to be under control; hotels and apartment buildings appear to be regulated in height; no skyscrapers and a lot of international cuisine available, convinced me that guests can demand more than basic all-inclusive packages.

This mystical city, which once belonged to the Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece, is the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty. No wonder why the city bears many relics and monuments to worship her. The city is divided in two parts – Palaepaphos (Old Paphos) and the Nea or Kato Paphos (New Paphos). This historic place has still retained its old-world charm and has been declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was a center of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Aphrodite’s legendary birthplace was on this island, where her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12^th century B.C. The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and historic value.

The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world and represent the highlight of Kato Paphos Archaeological Park. They were discovered in 1962, after a farmer ploughing his field accidently unearthed one of them.

The capital city of Nicosia (also known as Lefkosia) has been continuously populated for over 4,500 years and today has an estimated population of approximately 320,000 people. Many European powerful states were controlling the island in the past: the Byzantines, the Lusignan Kings, the Venetians, the Turks, and the British. On 5^th of July 1878 Nicosia came under the rule of the United Kingdom and British influence has strong presence even today, probably even more than in the rest of the country.

Nicosia has been divided since 1974 to the northern Turkish side and southern Greek side. There is no problem crossing from one side to the other, but I didn’t go further than the first local shops in the north.

Many street vendors offer inexpensive branded clothes, manufactured in Turkey, at much lower prices than anywhere else in Europe. The quality can be deficient, but prices are ridiculously low. Even for a hard negotiator as myself.

The old city, called the Walled City, is the heart of action, with Ledra Street, where many coffee shops and restaurants are located. In the past, Cyprus had been a part of the Venetian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire, therefore many different examples of multicultural architecture are visible in Nicosia and around.

Located in the center of the country, with military presence and one hour off the beach, Nicosia is not the main tourist attraction, but pleasant enough to walk around for a day, chat with locals and play Greek version of backgammon called Tavli. I am not an expert in this game, but I was explained there are some major differences between them. In every bar there is a set of Tavli available.

The most common food in Nicosia and wider is souvlakia – simply known as kebab, mainly from lamb or pork, but can also be made with chicken. It is usually served with pitta bread and fries. Fresh fish or halloumi are much higher on my priority, non-meat list.

Halloumi is traditional cheese, made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk with squeaky texture. Due to high melting pot, it is very suitable to be fired or grilled. It can be sweetened with honey, enriched with potatoes and tomatoes or simply used in a salad or sandwiches.

Even though it was much cheaper and easier to drive around the island, I have a feeling that I didn’t get the complete appreciation of Cyprus, visiting it in the low season – during the winter time. The country is reborn every summer, when attractions on open air are available, swimming, water activities and beach entertainment reach the climax.

I would need to come back one day to experience the main tourist season to fully understand lifestyle in Republic of Cyprus.

PS

Due to technical issues with my camera, I lost all the photos from Cyprus. This might be additional reason to pay another visit in the summer.