babakotoeu:
We had to spend some time in the Mediterranean, so we dcided to go to Cyprus. This is Ledra Street, the main street in the Greek part of Nicosia [Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Since 1974, Cyprus is divided in a Greek and Turkish part. The Turks were afraid that Cyprus was heading for unification with Greece and decided to intervene. After a lot of fighting, the island reached is present status, a division in a Greek and Turkish
babakotoeu:
Nowadays, the relations between the Greek and Turkish part of the island are getting better. The result is that people can no freely visit both parts of the island without any problems. This is the Leoforos Kykkou border crossing on Ledra street in the he
babakotoeu:
The Turkish and Greek parts of the island are still seperated by a no-mans land which is controlled by the United Nations. Especially in Nicosia, this no-mans land (the green zone) is visible due to the blockades [Nicosia / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The area close to the border zone in the Greek part of Nicosia is like a ghost town. Business left and nobody wants to live here [Nicosia / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Nicosia has a lot of Graffiti which gives some areas of the city a rundown feeling [Nicosia / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
A street in the Greek part of Nicosia ends with a barricade where the UN-controlled buffer zone starts [Nicosia / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Us at the Girne Gate in the Turkish part of Nicosia/Lefkosa [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The Turkish part of Nicosia (Lefkosa) is more atmospheric that the Greek part. It is also poorer but ha some fabulous buildings like this Selimiye Mosque [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
A colourful fruit/vegetable stall in the Belediye Pazan (Municipal Market) [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The interior of the Selemiye Mosque. This mosque is one of the most prominent landmarks of Lefkosa [Lefkose / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
This building started in the 13th century as a Church, but when the Ottomans arrived in 1571, it was converted to a Mosque. Nowadays it is a strange mix of a Gothic church and mosque [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The Selemiye Mosque, a cross between a French Gothic Church and an Ottoman Church [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Another cross between a Church and a Mosque is the Haydarpasha Mosque in Lefkosa. Originally built in the 15th century as the St. Cathrine Church, it is since Ottoman times a mosque [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Typical street in the Turkish part of Nicosia (Lefkosa) [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The Greek and Turkish parts of Nicosia are very different. The Greek part is the mdern capital for the EU-member Republic of Cyprus, while the Turkish part is the poorer capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
A very nice dürüm in Lefkosa [Lefosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
A beautiful building in Lefkosa [Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Buyuk Han, a rare surviving medieval Caravansarai. Built in 1572 it is the place where traders slept, eat and rested while in town for business [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The caravansarai Buyuk Han is nowadays a tourist attraction in Lefkosa, with many tourist shops and restaurants where tour groups like to eat the lunch [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Arabahmet, a very nice part of the old town of Lefkosa [Lefkosa / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
The Kyrenia Range is a mountain rage in North Cyprus and a place where you can visit some fantastic medieval castles [Kyrenia range / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
We decided to hire a small car during our stay in Northen Cyprus If you visit the island outside the main tourist season, you can make very interesting deals [Kyrenia range / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
One of the fantastic castles in the Kyrenia Range in Northern Cyprus isBuffavento Castle [Kyrenia Range / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
In the Turkish northen part of Cyprus, you can still see some old churches that survived the Islamic Ottoman period and the recent struggle between the Greek and Turkish parts. This is the Panagia Absinthiotissa Monastery [Kyrenia Range / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Since the struggle between the two parts of Cyprus in 1974, many churches and monasteries had a difficult time in Northern Cyprus, like this destryed interior of the Panagia Absinthiotissa Monastery [Kyrenia range / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
One of the remotest part you can visit in the Turkish part of Cyprus is the Karpas Peninsular [Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Golden Beach on the Karpas Peninsular is seen as one of the most beautiful, and definately the most remote, beaches on the island [Karpas Peninsula / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Tourist brochures in Northern Cyprus are proud to say that the Karpas Peninsular still has wild donkeys. We do not know what they exactly mean with 'wild' [Karpas Peninsular / Cyprus]
babakotoeu:
Kastros Point, the tip of the Karpas Peninsular with both the Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot flags [Karpas Peninsular / Cyprus]
