Today will be mountains, castles, whirling in Nicosia and a foodie harbour.
Mountains first. This is the back or south side of the Kyrenia Range. The mountain above is called Besparmac which means five fingers and from the north side looks like a clenched fist showing five knuckles.
There is a tragic story behind the TRNC flag laid out in stone on the mountain above. It is to commemorate the men of Tashkent village, all of whom were killed in the massacres leading up to 1974. The women left without their breadwinning menfolk, went into egg production to gain a livelihood. The area is still famous for its eggs.
A massive 3000 kneeler capacity mosque on the outskirts of Nicosia. Erdogan was present at the opening ceremony, but many see the building of schools and hospitals a bigger priority for Turkish money.
Next some reflections of the British presence, who vacated the island (well nearly) in 1960. Above the attractive colonial style Court House, still fulfilling its judicial function. Spot the lion and unicorn. Below is the Post Office.
And a Post Office is no good without some letterboxes.
Now here's a mystery. What's a Peruvian woman doing standing in the middle of a gothic Christian Cathedral that is masquerading as a Mosque? Well the answer is that it's Helen in mosque mufti. The Cathedral was Catholic and dedicated to St Sophia in 1209. The magnificent west window is behind Helen and the whitewash enhances the beauty of the building. It became the main mosque for Nicosia after the invasion of 1571. A purpose it still fulfills today over 400 years later. The carpet pattern which is not square with the building is orientated towards Mecca. It has a particularly fine triple portico that is reminiscent of Peterborough Cathedral.
You will all have heard of them, now you can see them. This is the real McWhirl, by which I mean a pair of whirling dervishes actually whirling. Part prayer, part trance but not a performance or dance. I found the experience fascinating and somewhat mesmerizing. They gave at least four different turns, as it were, and the whole thing lasted about half an hour.
The same activity captured in bronze.
In a lighter spirit I pictured these to illustrate how important packaging is in the drinks and perfumery industries.
More seriously here we can see the buffer zone that still exists on the border through Nicosia.
After a little discussion with the local police about traffic management in the city, we head off north to Kyrenia. We recross the mountain chain a little further west and drive up the highest prominence. Where else would you build your castle? This is St Hilarion Castle, built originally in the C11 by the Byzantines. The castle has seen constant use through the centuries, indeed the Turkish army has only recently stopped using it and they are very active around it.
The view of Kyrenia from the top is spectacular.
And zooming in a little you can pick out the details. Kyrenia castle and old harbour are in the middle of this picture, and this is where we are heading for next.
On the way down I took this photo of the soldiers guarding the entrance to their camp.
This is the old harbour of Kyrenia. Once a very important trading port, now more of a marina and base for the day tripping boats. What were once warehouses for the carob beans are now rather splendid restaurants.
By the time we had finished our meal, the sun had set and we enjoyed this final view of the harbour.
Mountains first. This is the back or south side of the Kyrenia Range. The mountain above is called Besparmac which means five fingers and from the north side looks like a clenched fist showing five knuckles.
There is a tragic story behind the TRNC flag laid out in stone on the mountain above. It is to commemorate the men of Tashkent village, all of whom were killed in the massacres leading up to 1974. The women left without their breadwinning menfolk, went into egg production to gain a livelihood. The area is still famous for its eggs.
A massive 3000 kneeler capacity mosque on the outskirts of Nicosia. Erdogan was present at the opening ceremony, but many see the building of schools and hospitals a bigger priority for Turkish money.
Here we are inside the restored Buyuk Han or Great Inn. Built in 1572 the year after the Otterman Empire took Cyprus, it was the Hilton of its day. Now you can buy souvenirs and have a drink, if you are prepared to wait long enough.
And a Post Office is no good without some letterboxes.
Now here's a mystery. What's a Peruvian woman doing standing in the middle of a gothic Christian Cathedral that is masquerading as a Mosque? Well the answer is that it's Helen in mosque mufti. The Cathedral was Catholic and dedicated to St Sophia in 1209. The magnificent west window is behind Helen and the whitewash enhances the beauty of the building. It became the main mosque for Nicosia after the invasion of 1571. A purpose it still fulfills today over 400 years later. The carpet pattern which is not square with the building is orientated towards Mecca. It has a particularly fine triple portico that is reminiscent of Peterborough Cathedral.
You will all have heard of them, now you can see them. This is the real McWhirl, by which I mean a pair of whirling dervishes actually whirling. Part prayer, part trance but not a performance or dance. I found the experience fascinating and somewhat mesmerizing. They gave at least four different turns, as it were, and the whole thing lasted about half an hour.
The same activity captured in bronze.
In a lighter spirit I pictured these to illustrate how important packaging is in the drinks and perfumery industries.
More seriously here we can see the buffer zone that still exists on the border through Nicosia.
After a little discussion with the local police about traffic management in the city, we head off north to Kyrenia. We recross the mountain chain a little further west and drive up the highest prominence. Where else would you build your castle? This is St Hilarion Castle, built originally in the C11 by the Byzantines. The castle has seen constant use through the centuries, indeed the Turkish army has only recently stopped using it and they are very active around it.
The view of Kyrenia from the top is spectacular.
And zooming in a little you can pick out the details. Kyrenia castle and old harbour are in the middle of this picture, and this is where we are heading for next.
On the way down I took this photo of the soldiers guarding the entrance to their camp.
This is the old harbour of Kyrenia. Once a very important trading port, now more of a marina and base for the day tripping boats. What were once warehouses for the carob beans are now rather splendid restaurants.
By the time we had finished our meal, the sun had set and we enjoyed this final view of the harbour.
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