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CYPRUS:
STILL THE DIVIDED ISLAND |
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For centuries
Cyprus has been on the crossroad intersection of Europe and the
Middle East – both as cultural junction and in the midst of battles
to conquer an important square on the chess board. Even today,
though the struggle between the Greeks in the south and the Turks in
the north seems to be resolved, the prominent presence of the
so-called dividing green line, underlines the contrary: In July
1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus and from that time almost 40% of the
territory in the northern part of the island has been illegally held
by the Turkish troops who still continue to violate the principles
of International Law.
Even the
capital city, Nicosia / Lefkosia is divided from east
to west along Ledra Street, with a raised platform as an entry point
overlooking no man’s land. A choice of five border posts exists
along the 100 kilometer boundary. |
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Today, prominent
historical sites like the Stayrovouni Monastery in the
south and St Hilarion Castle in the north are partly
military strongholds. When we visited the mountain bastions, we were
followed by strange persons and vehicles, similar to the cold war
movies of the sixties.
Cyprus, with many
songs written about its natural beauty, as well as the turbulent
passage through history, is a truly wonderful place full of
contradictions and contrasts: Cool mountains covered in wintertime
with a white blanket of snow and guarded by the huge age old pine
trees alternate with golden beaches and rugged coastlines; peaceful
little white-washed villages in the Troodos Mountains,
where it seems as if time has stood still, contrast greatly with the
cosmopolitan regions of the south like Paphos, Limassol/Lemesos
and Larnaka, where high-class hotels offer traditional
Cypriot hospitality.
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It is also the
island where is seems as if time has stopped some centuries ago:
where you will still see the donkey cart as part of
everyday-life, where cats also take a siesta nap at noon, where
it seems as if old Cypriots never die.
Only a few
countries are able to trace their history back to 7000 BC. Today
Cyprus is a unique open-air historical and ethnographic museum.
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It displays an
array of prehistoric settlements, ancient Greek temples, Byzantine
churches, crusader castles, Gothic churches, Venetian
fortifications, Turkish mosques, and British road works to form a
cultural pot-pourri to the traveller.
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Our first few
days were spent on the western corner of Cyprus: The Coral Beach
Hotel-Resort occupies a superb location, overlooking the golden
sandy beaches and sparkling waters of Coral Bay, situated just north
of Paphos and adjacent to the Akamas Peninsula, an
outstanding natural area where sea turtles incubate once a year on
the sandy stretch of Lara beach, protected by UNESCO.
Another interesting fact is that Dr Christiaan Barnard
during regular visits to Cyprus also used to stay at the same
hotel-resort and eventually died at the resort during September
2001; a special conference facility is named after him. |
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Some historical
sites are found in and around Paphos: the well-known
Paphos antiquities are proclaimed as a World Cultural Heritage Site:
near the old harbour, the Saranda Kolones (40 Columns)
were built by the Romans and the Tombs of the Kings
were built in the 3rd century BC; the Nea Paphos
Mosaics, dating back from the 3rd century AD,
form part of the villa floors
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The B6 coastal road between Paphos and Limassol, is dominated by
limestone crags rising from the blue Mediterranean Sea.
Petra tou Romiou, legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, is
three solitary free-standing rocks in the sea. Nearby you will
find trees, to which infertile women tie handkerchiefs to appeal
for help from Aphrodite, goddess of love.
Near Limassol is ancient Kourion, a centre of
cultural, political and religious life: this whole site
comprises of the amphi-theatre, the house and baths of Eustolios
with its amazing mosaics. |
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Nearby, the few
remains of the sanctuary of Apollo Hylates resemble
the Parthenon in Athens, as well as the stadium and many more ruins
dating back to the Roman rule of Cyprus.
In the centre
of the island lies the
Troodos
Mountains
with the highest peak at almost 2000m,
Mount Olympus
rises above the other adjacent mountains in the mighty massif.
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The lower
slopes are perfectly suited to growing grapes used to produce the
island’s famous Commandaria and Xynisteri wines. Cyprus was
one of the first countries in the world to produce wine, some 5500
years ago. A visit to the Cyprus Wine Museum is a journey back
through the history of the island’s wine industry. Well-known
private wine producers are found around
Omodos on the southern region of Troodos.
A trip to this
region is not complete without seeing the Byzantine painted
churches. The austere architecture of these Orthodox sanctuaries,
hidden in remote valleys and glens, hides a wealth of amazingly rich
murals depicting Biblical scenes. |
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Kykkos
monastery
is the largest, most imposing and the wealthiest of all
monasteries in Cyprus.
On route to the
border post at Morphu, we had lunch at the
Vengera restaurant at Galata, a small mountain
village on the northern slopes of Troodos. And what else did
owner Glafkos suggest than kleftiko (lamb ribs
roasted in a traditional clay oven in typical Cypriot style)
served with roasted stuffed peppers, kupepla / dolmades
(vine leaves stuffed with a mixture of minced lamb, rice and
herbs) and fresh olives. |
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South Africans need
a Cyprian visa. Cyprus is an EU member (not a Schengen member
country) and the Euro replaced the Cyprian Pound recently. You can
travel freely between the Greek Republic of Cyprus (south) and the
Turkish North. At the border and green line zone, a multiple entry
northern visa and vehicle registration is issued. Both the vehicle
and luggage are thoroughly screened. The two regions are a world
apart, despite the relatively small size of the island. The Greek
Cypriots are usually friendly and good hosts, trying to give you
more than expected. In contrast, the Turks appear to be quite abrupt
and even rude.
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Kyrenia / Girne
is an idyllic ancient fishing harbour-town, situated on the
northern coastline. We stayed at the known Dome Hotel,
with its unique location, projecting over the break-water’s
edge. The harbour-front is lined by numerous seafood
restaurants, with outdoor seating next to the colourful boats
anchored to the quay and guarded by the medieval stone castle on
the one side and the white-plastered
Arkhángelos
Church,
presently utilized as an icon museum.
High above the
coastal town rises the town of
Bellapais:
home to the medieval Abbey, as well as the Tree of Idleness,
popular restaurant for three generations. Under this 200 year
old Robenia tree in the courtyard, the author Lawrence Durrell
wrote his novel Bitter Lemons. |
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Not far to the
west of Bellapais sits the
Castle of St
Hilarion,
with a view to die for! This fortification is the main castle on
Cyprus and the numerous parts, which were built over centuries,
comprise of the most impressive architecture.
Indications are
that this castle was present when Richard the Lionheart
captured the island in the year 1191. The castle is made up of
three sections, built on different levels. The last level is
only for the brave hearted, but the rewarding and magnificent
scenic views from this watch point make it all worth the while. |
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One stands
amazed by the centuries of cultural history that unfolds in
front of you, when visiting the excavations at Salamis,
Vouni and Soloi: early civilizations dating back almost
6 centuries: Places where a Paul and Peter once walked in
ancient times.
Similar to
Berlin, before the demolition of the barrier wall, Nikosia
(Lefkosia) as capital, is still today totally divided by the
green line running through the historic walled city centre, with
areas north and south each forming an integral part of the two
different countries on one island. Public transportation is
limited and the best way to explore the city is on foot:
Lidras and Onasagoru streets have now been pedestrianised to
cope with the large number of people. |
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We had lunch at
a typical tapas called Eupoúyas, where the locals meet
over the lunch siesta: a narrow alley was converted into the
table area, with some thirty business people enjoying the day’s
specialty consisting of pork seftalies and plaki; no fuss
and no ala-carte choice!
On the way to
Lefkara (renowned for its detailed lace and silver
work by locals) we turned off onto a narrow and winding road to
the Monastery of Stayrovouni.
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Colourful
frescoes by the famous painter, Father Kallinikos, are found
in the little byzantine chapel at the entrance gates. Unfortunately
we were not allowed inside the monastery, but a personal visit to
the renowned Father Kallinikos compensated for the disappointment;
almost 80 years old he is still very active with painting icons of
all sizes in his humble corrugated studio shed next to the road.
If asked what
our main impressions of Cyprus are, we will remember the mosaic of a
country build on contrasts:
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The spontaneous and
friendly people of the south, the yellow landscapes of vanilla
flowers among olive trees, the small, colourful mountain villages of
the Troodos with almost awkward vineyards against the mountainous
terrain, the deep-blue waters of the Mediterranean and the island
where time stood still some centuries ago …
- Johann &
Monique
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