The Salonica View team is organizing a four-day excursion to Cyprus.
A few words about our route:
First day:
Arrival at a central hotel in Nicosia. After settling in our rooms, we will start the bus trip to Famagusta.
Our trek will start from Nicosia and we will head towards the roadblock of Pyla. We will pass through our occupied villages, Prastio Pyrga, Stylloi and Engomi until we reach the Medieval and walled city of Famagusta. We will walk through the "ghost" city. In the walled city we will have the opportunity to see the church of Saint Nikolaos, the Venetian walls and palace and the Tower of Othello from Shakespeare's play of the same name. Afterwards we will have free time to rest. From Famagusta we will take the road that leads to Nicosia and the free areas.
A few words about Famagusta:
Famagusta is located in the eastern part of Cyprus, in the bay that bears its name. Ancient Famagusta was called Salamis. It was later renamed Arsinoe and Constantia. Its Greek Cypriot inhabitants were expelled in 1974 by the Turkish army and today live in the towns and villages of free Cyprus. It is referred to by this name (Ammochostos) which literally means the city buried in the sand, from the 4th AD. century. And indeed, Famagusta was a world famous tourist resort, between 1960 and 1974, because of its golden sandy beach. The city of Famagusta before the Turkish invasion had about 40,000 inhabitants and was the third largest city on the island. Until the day of August 14, 1974, the port of Famagusta was the main port of Cyprus and tourism was the sector in which the city stood out. It is indicative that of the approximately 100 hotels that were operating on the entire island at the time, 45 were in Famagusta.
Points of historical interest:
The Cathedral of Saint Nikolaos:
cathedral that surprises with its grandeur. It was built according to French architectural standards and in it, the kings of Jerusalem, the Frankish kings of Cyprus were crowned. Initially it had frescoes and decorations with statues, which were destroyed by the Ottomans when, with the conquest of Cyprus in 1571, it was turned into a mosque.
Othello's Tower:
it is part of the fortifications of the castle of Famagusta. It is a square building with four towers at its corners and a separate moat from the rest of the castle. During the Frankish rule, one end of the chain that closed the entrance to the inner port of the city was seen there. It is named after Shakespeare's play, Othellos, which is believed to be set there even though the author himself simply mentions a town in Cyprus. According to the play, Othello was a Venetian commander of Famagusta.
Venetian walls
Lusignan Palace
Lyceum Club of Greek Women of Famagusta
Second day:
After we finish our breakfast at the hotel we will start to the village of Kalopanagioti where we will start our hike on the water path, a small circular route of 2-3 km. Then we will visit the temple of Saint Ioannis Lampadistis, the thermal springs and then we will go to the village of Pedoula for lunch in Chrysanthi. Then we will have the opportunity to visit the church of Saint Nikolaos Stegis. Finally we will have time for a guided tour and food in the village of Kakopetria before returning to Nicosia.
Points of interest:
Thermal Springs:
The thermal springs of Kalopanagiotis are located near the banks of the Setrachos river next to the Venetian bridge. The healing properties of the sulfuric waters of Kalopanagiotis have been known since ancient times. From time to time the kings of Solon often visited the region of Marathasa, not only for vacation purposes, but also for the purposes of spa therapy. For the same purpose, kings and princes visited the area during the Roman, Byzantine and Frankish eras. The water of the springs is still used today for thermal baths.
St. Ioannis Lampadistis:
The church of the monastery came from the union of three churches of Saint Herakleides, Saint Ioannis Lampadistis and the church of Akathistos Hymnos which was formerly a Latin chapel. Important frescoes are preserved in the church buildings. The church of Lampadistis was rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century except for the North-East buttress and arch over the tomb of the Saint – where the cart is kept in a silver case. The original church was from the 12th century.
Church of Saint Nikolaos of Stegi:
is an 11th century church, catholicon of a dissolved monastery, near Kakopetria, in Cyprus. The church is the only surviving Middle Byzantine Catholic church in Cyprus. It first appears in written documents in the 13th century. It is thought to have flourished in the Middle Byzantine era and the early years of the Frankish period, and then continued to function as a parish or pilgrimage temple. The temple is one of the nine frescoed churches of Troodos that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Third day:
After our breakfast we will start for the Maroullena gorge where we will have a picnic at the Merika excursion site. Then we will visit the Bicycle and Folk Art Museum in the village of Gourri. Return to Nicosia where, after resting at the hotel, we will have a music and dance evening in a tavern.
A few words about Maroulena Gorge:
is located very close to the village of Kalo Chorio Orinis. The creation of the gorge comes from the union of two rivers Farmakas and Marunella. The geological importance of the Gorge is great since the visitor can see and admire huge boulders from the earth's crust.
Cyprus Folk Art Museum:
was founded by the Cypriot Studies Society in 1937 and is housed in the grounds of the Old Archbishop's Palace. It is located in the square of the National Martyr Kyprianou. The Museum building is a 15th century Gothic building with later additions. Many of the Museum's objects were acquired through donations, others were purchased directly from the villagers or from private collections. Most of the items come from our occupied territories. In the Museum's collections there are works of weaving, pottery, embroidery, metalwork, woodcarving, basket weaving, leatherwork, folk painting, etc. The Museum has a large collection of silver and gold from donations, such as that of the occupied monastery of Apostole Andreas and the famous collection of Maria Eleftheriou-Gafiero. In addition, in 2011 the Museum of Silver and Gold was closed and its collection is housed in the Cyprus Folk Art Museum. Today the Museum has over 5000 objects.
Fourth day:
After we eat breakfast and have collected our things from the hotel, we will have time in Larnaca's Finikoudes, which is the most famous coastal promenade of Larnaca. Lined palm trees are planted along the beach road. There we will have free time for a walk, coffee and our last purchases from shops in the area before we leave for the airport.
