Cyprus Fortnight

by David Whiting

After a 2am start, we flew from Luton, arriving in our resort area of Limassol around sunset after a 4 hour flight and 75 minute transfer (and 2 hour time difference, and a few delays). Temperature around 20 Celsius - much warmer than at home! Our hotel, the Hotel Atlantica, is a large modern complex with every amenity, located in a relatively quiet side street, ten minutes walk from the beach - little more than a thin strip of stones with small areas of dark grey sand.

After meeting our holiday representatives in the hotel the following morning, we caught a local bus to the heart of Limassol. The standard fare is Cy 60 cents (a little more than $1), which rises by 10 cents at the weekends. Limassol has a population of 145,000. There is a busy town area and several suburbs. The main tourist area is strung out up to 15 km along the coast to the east of the town centre and our hotel is 12 km (7 miles) from the centre.

We visited the 14th century citadel, built on the ruins of an older Byzantine castle. In the castle chapel in 1191, Richard the Lionheart married Princess Berengaria; although Queen of England, she never visited Britain. The citadel, which is perfectly preserved, is now a museum, with many defaced ancient tombstones, Byzantine artefacts, weapons and three spectacular silver plates. From the castle it is a short walk to the main shopping area. There are old, narrow streets and pedestrianised precincts. Christmas decorations have been put up, but don't match the ridiculous over-commercialised aspect back home. Half way back to the hotel is Woolworths (branches also in Nicosia), which sells virtually the same range of goods as in England plus some Cypriot products. The prices are marked in £ and are the same as at home, but because the exchange rate is GB £1 = Cy £0.80, prices in Cyprus are 25% dearer.

Leaving Limassol, we passed the town's new port, created in 1974 after the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus, and now the country's busiest port. We drove through some citrus plantations (grapefruit and oranges in season), and land which, in mediaeval times, was swampland producing enough sugar for all of Europe. The swamps were dried out early this century and turned over to citrus groves. We drove past the castle of Kolossi, built in 1454 on the ruins of an earlier castle, built at the time of the Crusades. Beside it stands a 14th century Sugar Factory, which still contains an 11 ft (3.2m) diameter millstone to press out the juice. Then through the Sovereign Base Area around Akrotiri, where photography is strictly forbidden. One month ago there was a huge forest fire, leaving only charred trees. Fortunately the fire was extinguished before reaching much of the living quarters on the base, but the base commander's own house was destroyed by the fire.

Turning inland, we passed many pretty villas with beautiful gardens and colourful flowers, particularly bougainvillaea. Many villagers have emigrated owing to poor prospects, but the government is investing in rural areas in an attempt to induce them to stay. We pass Kividhes, a village destroyed by a minor earthquake four years ago. The only building to survive was the church; the remainder of the village has been rebuilt. Cyprus has been famous for its wine for many centuries - Homer's Iliad mentions that the Trojans consumed Cypriot wine - and many of the sunnier fertile hillsides are covered with terraced vineyards. Numerous gardens and restaurants still have bunches of grapes hanging from their ceilings.

Our first stop was in the quaint old village of Omodhos, 700m above sea level. A monastery was founded here in the 4th century, dedicated to the Holy Cross, after a cross was found in a cave on the site. At that time, St Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, donated two holy relics to this monastery: a fragment of Christ's cross and a piece of rope with which Jesus was tied to the cross. The present monastery dates from the 16th century and the church was built in the 18th century, when the beautiful iconostasis (icon screen), wonderfully decorated with 22 carat gold leaf, was also built; the relics are hidden behind the screen. The village grew up around the monastery and, as the monks were losing their privacy, they abandoned it in the early 20th century. We also visited the village's winery. All villages used to produce their own wine until the 1930's, when large wineries with modern technology were established in Limassol. These wineries are now museums.

We climbed ever higher towards Troodos village and skirt the peak of Cyprus' highest point, Mount Olympus (1951m). We passed abandoned asbestos mines, where buildings and machinery are still in place; liquidators have not yet finalised the accounts as there were some irregularities. Next stop Kakopetria, whose name means "bad rock", as it's hard to cut and cultivate. Numerous ancient houses, many dilapidated, along quaint streets, cling to the hillside overlooking an attractive gorge.

By the fourth day, we had a cloudy start to our excursion to Larnaca and Ayia Napa in eastern Cyprus. The road passes the ruins of the ancient settlement of Amathus, founded c.3000 years ago, now on the eastern outskirts of Limassol. Its port remained important until it was destroyed by Richard the Lionheart. Olive and carob trees are plentiful in this part of Cyprus. Each olive tree produces 150kg of olives annually; 5kg of olives are needed for 1 litre of olive oil.

We had a brief stop in Larnaca, the country's third largest town, with a population of68,000. We don't have time to visit the Turkish fort, dating from 1605, overlooking the port. Instead, we visit the Church of St Lazarus, named after the first bishop of Larnaca, having been brought back from the dead by Jesus; the saint's tomb is in the crypt. The church itself dates from 890 when the tomb was found; the tomb is accessible, although the saint's relics were transported to Constantinople over 1100 years ago. There are statues to Zenon, the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy, born in 326BC in the ancient town of Kition, now part of modem Larnaca; there are several sites of ruins, but again we had no time to see them.

Leaving Larnaca we headed north, inland and through the British force base area of Dhekelia, where again photography is not permitted. Near Akhna the road bends east towards the coast and skirts the Turkish frontier, within 50 metres of the single strand of fence, overlooked by occasional Turkish and United Nations sentry posts. Cyprus's bid to join the European Union is dependent upon the solution of the Turkish problem, but despite the continuing efforts of United Nations officials, the situation is at a stalemate. At Dherenia, the coastal town of Fama gust a, now a tragic ghost town in the Turkish sector, is visible in the distance.

The next day, we headed west to visit Kykkos monastery. St Paul and St Barnabas introduced Christianity to Cyprus in 45 AD. St Barnabas was born at Salamis, on the east coast of Cyprus north of Famagusta; Kykkos Monastery was built on the site of his tomb.

In the 12th century, a hermit called Dionysos lived in Cyprus and had a vision that a monastery should be built at Kykkos. He asked the Byzantine governor for permission, but was refused, whereupon Dionysos said that the governor would fall seriously ill. A few days later, the governor did fall ill and could not be cured, so he sent for Dionysos. The governor recovered and eventually the Byzantine Emperor paid for the construction of the monastery.

The present monastery church was built in the 17th century, during Turkish rule. A relatively plain exterior belies a richly decorated interior, with gorgeous wall-paintings and mosaics. Some of the wall mosaics in the corridors are 9-10 years old, decorated with 22 carat gold leaf. The church occasionally receives donations, especially chandeliers, from believers. Nowadays the monastery is home to around 25 monks; this figure changes as the monks come and go. The church contains an icon of the Madonna, reputedly painted by St Luke.

In 1926 a novice entered Kykkos monastery as a 12 year old. He later became famous as Archbishop Makarios ill, leader of the Greek Orthodox Cypriots, who comprise 80% of the population.

After leaving Kykkos, he went to university, first in Athens and finally received a Masters degree in Law in the USA, before returning to Cyprus. He led the negotiations for independence; under British rule he was exiled to the Seychelles between 1956 and 1959. After independence he was President of Cyprus from 1960 until his death in 1977. His simple tomb lies in a cave-like building above Kykkos, guarded by young soldiers in 30-minute shifts.

Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus with a population of 192,000. It has grown far outside its magnificent 16th century Venetian walls. Our first stop is at the Cyprus Handicraft Centre, established in 1974 with the help of UN funds. It is a complex of modern workshops where visitors can watch the manufacture of pottery, wood and metalwork, weaving and embroidery. There is a cafe and craft shop.

The city bus drivers are on strike today and have parked their buses on the city's streets, causing traffic chaos. We eventually arrive at the Ledra Palace Hotel, UN Headquarters in Cyprus, and the only crossing point between north and south, although this is prohibited for Cypriots. Our schedule doesn't even give us time to stop.

Instead, we turn round, skirt the war-torn ruins of No Man's Land along the Green Line (so called because of the green ink used to show the dividing line between the Turkish and Cypriot sectors on the first map), then pass inside the city walls.

Our next stop is outside the Archbishop's Palace, built in 1956 (the same year in which Makarios was exiled), later home of Makarios ill, outside which is the archbishop's statue, 10 metres tall. Next door is St John's Cathedral, built in 1662 over a Byzantine monastery church. The walls are covered with Biblical paintings, whose condition is deteriorating. This cathedral is now more a museum, still used for private services by the President, archbishop and ministers. Nearby is the magnificent Liberty Statue, built in the 1970's to commemorate the struggle for independence by EOKA. .

We have some free time in Nicosia. First we walk along Ledra Street to the end, where there is a raised stage giving visitors the opportunity to see part of the Green Line, just as far as a high barrier on the Turkish side, topped with barbed wire and crowned with a flag. A sign saying "No Photography" is ignored by everybody.

We spend the rest of our time, including lunch, in the area known as Laiki Geitonia, a mediaeval quarter of handicraft shops, especially jewellery, lace, woodwork and pottery. On our way out of Nicosia, we pass a fountain whose base consists of an II-pointed star, a miniature version of the city's walls.

By the end of week 1, temperatures were up to 35°C / 95°F in the sun. We enjoyed an excursion to Pafos, which was the Roman capital of Cyprus, on the west coast. We passed through the Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Episkopi. Then we had a coffee stop at Petratou Romiou, the legendary birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and love. Legend says that if you swim naked round the rock three times at night, it makes you younger. If we ever grow old enough to need it, we'll come back!

The main site of Pafos dates from pre-Roman times. Entrance to the site is free; the only charge is for entry to the ruins of the home of a rich Roman official, whose name is not recorded. All the floors are decorated with magnificent 2nd century AD mosaics, which were accidentally discovered during bulldozing in 1961, then the site was excavated. In the dining room, the largest room, is a tremendous mosaic representing the God of Wine, Dionysos (the Greek equivalent of the Roman Bacchus), so the building is now referred to as the House ofDionysos. The stones for the mosaics are believed to have come from the Troodos mountains. One mosaic was discovered in a room of an earlier Hellenistic house on the site, laid in the 3rd century BC, and consists of circular black and white stones, unlike shaped Roman stones. Little remains of the rest of the site, except for an amphitheatre and part of a Byzantine fort.

We went to a taverna called Kato Chorio (meaning lower village) for a Cypriot night and a meal of typically Cypriot meze dishes, various small plates of food, quite substantial altogether. There was wine a-plenty, accompanied by two musicians, singing local and international songs, and two dancers. We joined in a "Cypriot conga". A third dancer had a stack of glasses on his head, added to one by one by customers; he stopped at the 17th glass.

First published in VISA issue 33 (summer 1999)