Ayia Varvara

The flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti Bayrağı) is the national flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and is based on the flag of Turkey, with the colors reversed and two additional horizontal red stripes at the top and bottom. The flag was drawn by the Turkish Cypriot artist Emin Çizenel. It was adopted in 1984 by Northern Cyprus, a self-declared state that is recognized only by Turkey, after its unilateral declaration of independen…

Buffavento Castle (Greek: Kάστρο Βουφαβέντο, Turkish: Buffavento Kalesi) is a castle in Northern Cyprus. The exact date of its construction remains unknown, the most plausible theory being the Byzantine period. It combines Byzantine and Frankish architectural elements. It fell into disuse in the 14th century. History Buffavento stands between St. Hilarion Castle to the west and Kantara Castle to the east forming a protective axis in the Kyrenia mountain range of Northern Cyprus. Buffavento guard…

Kyrenia Castle (Greek: Κάστρο της Κερύνειας Turkish: Girne Kalesi) at the east end of the old harbour in Kyrenia is a 16th-century castle built by the Venetians over a previous Crusader fortification. Within its walls lies a twelfth-century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals, and the Shipwreck Museum. History Kyrenia has existed since the 10th century BC. Excavations have revealed Greek traces that date back to the 7th century BC, but the site was developed into a city under Roman rule. R…

Bellapais Abbey (also spelled Bellapaïs) is the ruin of a monastery built by Canons Regular in the 13th century on the northern side of the small village of Bellapais, now in Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus, about five kilometres from the town of Kyrenia. The ruin is at an altitude of 220 m above sea level, and commands a long view down to Kyrenia and the Mediterranean sea. The site is also a museum, which hosts a restaurant and a cafe. The Abbey's refectory now serves as a venue for concerts…

The Acheiropoietos Monastery (Greek: Μονή Ἀχειροποίητου, also Παναγία Ἀχειροποίητος and Acheripoetos) in Lambousa near the village of Karavas in the Kyrenia District, was a medieval Byzantine Orthodox Monastery.The monastery is currently under the conservation of the International Center for Heritage Studies of Girne American University. History According to tradition, the monastery got its name from an acheiropoietos (meaning made without hands), an icon believed to have been miraculously move…