Northern Cyprus

城市概覽

History Cyprus has been contested for millennia by rival nations, who sought its minerals, cotton and control of sea lanes between Europe and the Levant. Turkey was a relative newcomer to this dogfight, as it was only by the 16th century that the Ottomans had substantial control of the mainland and could expand into a maritime empire. They captured Rhodes in 1522 and their next target was Cyprus, where the Venetians were ensconced. That terrible assault succeeded in 1571 and is the background to Shakespeare's Othello. The Ottomans retained Cyprus for 300 years and many Turks settled here, especially in the north, but overall there remained a Greek majority population. Mainland Greece and almost all its islands likewise fell under Ottoman rule, but by the 19th century that empire was in decline, and Greece won its independence in 1830. That was the springboard for the Megali campaign to regain all the "Hellenistic" territories, which included Crete, Cyprus, and just about every trading port around the east Mediterranean. There were vicious wars that threatened to de-stabilise a much wider region (code for "let the Russians in") so the Western powers stepped in, and in 1878 Britain took over Cyprus though still acknowledging the Ottomans as nominal rulers. That pretence ended in 1914 when Turkey entered World War I on the side of Germany and the island became part of the British Empire.

The post-war treaty of 1923 led to extensive population exchanges between Greece and Turkey, but this didn't affect Cyprus, where the two communities continued to detest each other. Throughout all this, Greek Cypriots dreamed not of independence but enosis, a merger with mainland Greece. After World War II Britain's colonies moved towards independence but here one community insisted on enosis while the other imagined that Cyprus would joyfully become Turkish the minute the Union Flag was hauled down. Factional violence became organised into rival militias EOKA and TMT, and Cyprus sl

如何抵達

Entry requirements Most visitors can enter Northern Cyprus easily, whether by land from the Republic of Cyprus, or from elsewhere. Difficulty may arise if you enter the Republic from TRNC then leave by a different route, or vice versa, see below. No advance visa is needed except for citizens of Syria, Armenia and Nigeria. Everyone else can simply arrive at the border by land, sea or air. A national ID card is sufficient for citizens of Turkey, the EU, and other countries within the Schengen Area (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). All others such as the United Kingdom or the United States need to show a passport valid for 6 months beyond the date of entry. In theory you might be asked about your finances, accommodation and onward travel but they seldom bother. The outcome is a visitor visa for 30 to 90 days; this may not be extended, does not permit work or residence, and 90 days in any 180 is your maximum. Other visas for work, study, business and property ownership have the same 90-in-180 limit. You can ask for your entry stamp to go on a separate slip of paper, though TRNC passport stamps are no longer a problem for later visits to Greece or Cyprus. The need might arise if you had to shuttle between TRNC and the Republic, and didn't want to fill up your passport. Visas in advance for citizens of Syria, Armenia and Nigeria are obtained in person from a TRNC "Mission Abroad" (since they're not accredited as an embassy or consulate). There are two dozen, for instance in New York, Washington DC, London and Berlin, but none in the three source countries; perhaps one of the seven Missions in Turkey would be convenient. North-south itineraries are nowadays only a potential problem. The south maintains that entering the island through the north is illegal. They equally maintain that EU citizens have freedom of movement throughout Cyprus and the Schengen Area. They also have border posts along the Green Line that they claim isn't a border. The upshot of t

當地交通

By car A car is by far the best way to travel around Northern Cyprus. There are rental desks in Nicosia city, Ercan Airport, Kyrenia and Famagusta - best book ahead, as their fleets are small and their opening hours limited. They can arrange to pick up / drop off at Kyrenia ferry port or at Ledra Palace border crossing in Nicosia. Check the deal with fuel, they usually rent empty-to-empty, so the first task is to find a filling station. The second task is to estimate how much fuel you might use, as there's no credit for unused fuel. If you hire in the south, you may take the vehicle north but must buy extra insurance at the border, see above. The highways are in good repair, well-signposted, pleasantly uncongested by western standards, and local drivers are less frenetic than on the Turkish mainland. Hitch-hiking is usually easy along these roads.

By bus Dolmuşes - minibuses - are the main public transport. They don't have a fixed timetable and set off whenever full, but reckon on runs between Nicosia and Kyrenia every 30 minutes, and between other towns hourly. They're designed for locals not tourists and become very sparse by early evening. Some sights (such as St Hilarion) are several km from a dolmuş route, and the east peninsula beyond İskele and the west end beyond Lefke have infrequent services.

By taxi There are many taxi ranks, but you won't see many taxis around to wave down, so make sure to get some numbers. Taxis wait at the airport, and at Ledra Palace and Kermiya crossings. A trip from Nicosia to Kyrenia in 2024 is about €60.

必看景點

Kyrenia is dominated by its castle; the museum within displays a shipwreck from 4th century BC. The harbour is an attractive area for strolling, bathed in golden light at evening. Bellapais Abbey near Kyrenia is a scenic ruin with great Gothic arches and towering stone walls. Castles: in the Beşparmak Mountains are St Hilarion Castle (above Kyrenia), Buffavento and Kantara Castle (towards Karpaz). Walled City of Nicosia: the walls were built in 1567 are mostly intact, though bisected by the north / south border. Until the 19th century they defined city limits and contain Selimiye Mosque and Büyük Han or Great Inn. A short walk beyond are Samanbahçe quarter, Büyük Hamam the ancient baths, and Bandabulya bazaar. Walled City of Famagusta sights include Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the walls themselves, and Othello Tower, where the Cypriot section of Shakespeare's play Othello is set. Salamis is the ruin of a Roman city north of Famagusta, with statues, agoras, and an amphitheatre. Karpaz to the northeast is festooned with wild donkeys. Apostolos Andreas Monastery is an ancient pilgrimage site.

體驗活動

Beaches are a major part of the appeal of Northern Cyprus. The north coast has the best, clean and sandy, on the long resort strip either side of Kyrenia. Some are private to hotels. Karpaz Peninsula has equally good beaches, much quieter, for instance near Dikarpaz. West coast has a beach strip north of Famagusta. Sou