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Kolossi Castle
This dollhouse of a castle (more like a fortified tower) perches on the edge of Kolossi village. It is an interesting reminder of the rule of the Knights of St John in the 13th century, who started producing wine and processing sugar cane at a commandery that stood on this land. Th
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Ancient Soloi
One of Cyprus’ ancient city kingdoms, Soloi was originally referred to as Si-il-lu, on an Assyrian tribute list that dates from 700 BC.The site consists of two main parts: the basilica near the entrance to the site, and the theatre, up the hill and south of the basilica. Most of th
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Maheras Monastery
It’s a fair hike out to this sprawling monastery perched in the foothills of the eastern spur of the Troödos Mountains and under the all-seeing radar installation on Mt Kionia (1423m) to the south. The Maheras Monastery was founded in a similar way to the Kykkos Monastery. In 1148
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Kourion Beach
This is a lovely beach of sand and small pebbles; the area is windy and attracts windsurfers and kite-boarders, as well as those who just want to chill out amid the unspoilt setting and backdrop of white cliffs.The beach is around 17km west of Lemesos, within Great Britain’s Akroti
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Ancient Enkomi
This Bronze Age city dates back as far as 1800 BC. It rose to prominence when it became a large copper-producing centre during the late Bronze Age (1650–1050 BC).What remains of the present site dates from around 1200 BC. The rectangular grid layout was established then, and its fi
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Monastery of Apostolos Andreas
On 15 August and 30 November, coachloads of Greek Cypriots make the long trek to the Monastery of Apostolos Andreas, near the tip of the Karpas Peninsula. The object of their pilgrimage is to visit this site where miracles are reputed to take place.Long-awaited restoration began on
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Othello’s Tower
An extension of the Old Town’s main walls, Othello’s tower was constructed in the 12th century, during Lusignan rule, in order to protect the harbour. In 1492, the Venetians further fortified the citadel and transformed it into an artillery stronghold.The citadel is currently close
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Holy Monastery of St Nicholas of the Cats
This monastery was founded in AD 327 by the first Byzantine governor of Cyprus, Kalokeros, and patronised by St Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. A delightful small chapel here dating from the 13th century has noteworthy icons painted by the original two nuns in residence. T
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Bellapais Abbey
The exquisite ruins of this Augustinian monastery are reason enough to drive up the mountain. It was built in the 12th century by Augustinian monks fleeing Palestine after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin (Selahaddin Eyyubi) in 1187. The monks who established the monastery called i
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Buffavento Castle
Buffavento perches precariously at 940m, overlooking the Mesaoria (Mesarya) plain. The constant pummelling it endures from high winds is how it derived its Italian name, ‘challenger of the winds’.The castle is divided into two sections, the lower enceinte and the upper enceinte, wh
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Ancient Vouni
The ruins may be sparse but the views here are truly glorious and well worth the trip. On a superb hilltop location this ancient site originally housed a palace and extensive building complex dating back to the 4th century BC.The site consists of a discernible megaron (three-part r
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Agios Ioannis Lambadistis Monastery
This Unesco-listed site is a complex of three churches in one, dating from the 11th century and built over 400 years. The original Orthodox church has a double nave, to which a narthex and a Latin chapel were later added. Now under one huge pitched wooden roof, they represent one o
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Ancient Tamassos
Tamassos’ main claim to fame was its seemingly endless supply of copper – the mineral from which the name of Cyprus (Kypros in Greek; Kıbrıs in Turkish) is derived. A copper-producing settlement here dates from at least the 7th century BC, and production ran well into the Hellenist
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Stavrovouni Monastery
Perched 668m high at the peak of Stavrovouni (literally ‘Mountain of the Cross’), this monastery is revered as the oldest on the island and is said to hold a piece of the Holy Cross, brought here by St Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, upon her return from Jerusalem
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Kykkos Monastery
The island’s most prosperous and opulent Orthodox monastery was founded in the 11th century by Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komninos after a bizarre series of events. Over the centuries, a series of fires all but destroyed the original monastery. The surviving building is an imposin
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Kantara Castle
The best vantage point on the Karpas is from this Lusignan Gothic castle, one of three in Cyprus. Kantara Castle, is the furthest east and the lowest in elevation at 690m. It has a 360-degree view of the region and a clear day, you can see the coast of Turkey and even Syria. The ca
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Church of Apostolos Varnavas
This beautiful Orthodox church is dedicated to St Paul’s good friend Varnavas (Barnabas), who was born in Cyprus and carried out his missionary work here. Although his name and work are listed in the Bible’s ‘Acts of the Apostles’, he was never officially one of them.Today the chur
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Ancient Salamis
According to legend, Salamis was founded around 1180 BC by Teucer (Teukros), son of Telamon, King of Salamina, on the Greek mainland. Brother to the hero Ajax, he was unable to return home from the Trojan War after failing to avenge his brother’s death.Today the vast, scattered rem
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St Hilarion Castle
The full fairytale outline of St Hilarion Castle only becomes apparent once you’re directly beneath it. The stone walls and half-ruined buildings blend, near seamlessly, into the rocky landscape creating a dreamscape castle plucked from a child’s imagination with hidden rooms, tunn
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Leventis Municipal Museum
This museum concentrates on the history of Cyprus – in particular, Nicosia. The permanent collection includes traditional costumes, paintings, archaeological exhibits, and a historic and fascinating postcard collection; all are fittingly housed in a handsome neoclassical mansion. T
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