2019 Cyprus - Day 7 Really Old Ruins and Crafty Villages

We did not have far to drive today, so decided to wind our way slowly back to Larnaka, visiting villages and an archeological site.

The Old Town harbor is fringed with hotels serving the beach-loving Europeans who flock to Cyprus for surf and sun. The historic core is wrapped around a castle that, according to tradition, hosted the wedding of Richard the Lionheart to Berengaria of Naverre after he conquered Cyprus in 1191. The current 14th century structure was built over a Byzantine castle, which in turn was built over an early Christian basilica. (I know, I know. So Cyprus.)

A fine highway connects Lemesos and Lanarka, but we veered north off of it about 20 miles out of Lemesos. 

Des

DescriptKhirokitia is aeolithin Site

The Neolithic Site of Choirokoita (Khirokitia), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of finest and most important prehistoric sites in the Mediterranean. It was occupied from the 7th to 4th millennium BCE. The late Stone Age settlement shows evidence of an organised society with a surrounding wall for communal cohesion. The strong stone wall enclosing the village was about 8 feet thick and at least 10 feet high. 

The Neolithic site is high on a ridge over the present village of the same name. 

Remains of round buildings lie within the protective walls. Some had hearths for cooking and heat, benches or storage areas. There is evidence of window openings and structural posts which may have supported upper stories. The buildings have exterior walls wildly out of proportion to their interior space, as the builders repeatedly added additional wrappings of stone onto their outer walls. (Guess they don't call it the Stone Age for nothing!) The final result has exterior diameters of 7.5- 30 feet, and interior diameters of 4.5 - 15 feet. 

Archeologists have reconstructed  a few huts to show how the inhabitants may have lived. The site has excellent signage explaining the careful replication of materials and techniques to build the replica houses. Cypriot craftsman familiar with straw roofing, for example, were brought in to build the roofs for the houses.

The dead were buried in a crouched position beneath the floors of the homes. The people were short (around 5 ft), and died young (average age early 30s). There was a high mortality rate for babies and young children. The inhabitants were subsistence farmers, herders and hunters, raising cereal crops, sheep, pigs and goats. They made containers of bark, leather, baskets and gourds, but the culture predated the use of fired pottery.  

The signage also details how the archeologists determined how long the people lived, why they died, what they ate, what tools they made and used, etc. I found this to be the best historical site we visited during our time in Cyprus.

A smattering of old traditional villages are in the hillsides between Limassol and Larnaka. We stopped first at the twin villages of Lefkasa. It's hard to imagine that these sleepy mountain villages (pop. 900) boasted an affluent population of 5,000 during the Renaissance. It’s been famous since medieval times for exquisite locally made lace, as well as for fine silverwork made by silversmiths incorporating lacing techniques. It’s population dropped with mass emigration about 100 years ago, but the lace and silverwork traditions carry on, largely thanks to tourism. 

The village was largely a tidy ghost town of shuttered windows above narrow cobbled streets. Some fine merchant houses remain from the Venetian era, with hidden courtyards and finely carved doorways.

Our last stop was Kornos, the Village of Clay. 

This quaint village is famous for its traditional red clay pottery. Though no longer the main occupation of the village inhabitants, the tradition continues, along with many other handicrafts. Besides potters, one can visit workshops where porcelain dolls, cheese, icons, mosaics, jewelry and baked goods are produced on site. The village is surrounded by olive, pine and eucalyptus trees. Unfortunately, the village has no signage to help visitors locate the workshops. We had a map from the internet, but with no reference point, it wasn't much help. We drove through town twice, took an impulse turn down a narrow ramshackle street and stumbled upon a pottery cooperative. But it was locked and had no operating hours posted. We shrugged and headed on to Larnaka.

We had detailed instructions from our host in the city and were able to park right next to our lodging. Yea! We packed everything up for our 4 AM departure and took a brief walk around town to search for one last (but elusive) geocache and stop at a kabob place for dinner. Then to bed and home tomorrow. 

2019 Cyprus - Day 6 Kolossi Castle & Ancient Kourion

Our room here has a little balcony hanging over the valley below. It's much cooler here in the mountains, which has been much appreciated after the last two weeks.

We had an amazingly huge breakfast served up today. 

There was easily 2 to 3 pounds of cheese on the plate. All this showed up after we ate some melon and banana, and before they brought toast, omelets, a selection of cold cuts, butter and jam. We did our best, packed a couple of sandwiches for lunch and hoped no one was offended by how much food we left behind.

Greg and our GPS valiantly navigated as we wound our way down from the mountains towards the south-central coast of Cyprus. It's not a long drive, but we were working with an unknown regarding the times our destinations would be open today - because we weren't sure what time zone they'd be in.

There was a catch to the treaty which created the Republic of Cyprus in 1960. The British retained about 3% of the island as sovereign territory. The two UK Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) were seen by the British as too valuable to give up. Initially they provided a strategic outpost to protect the Suez Canal, and after escalation of the Cold War, as protection for NATO’s southern flank. The bases in Cyprus have also served as launching sites to hot spots in the middle east. Although the Cold War is ostensibly over, there are Russian bases only 40 miles away in Syria.

Both of our destinations for today (Kolossi Castle and Ancient Kourion) lie within the borders of the southern British base, Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area. And therefore, they operate under GMT, aka British time. And that timezone is 2 hours earlier than Cyprus time. Or so we thought. Apparently some sections within the SBAs are under local management, so all is not clear.

 

Our first stop was Kolossi Castle. This charming little Crusader castle is strategically located on land given to the Knights of the Order of John of Jerusalem in 1210. The Knights Templar took control of the castle a century later, but returned it to the former owners after only 7 years. The principal structure, a 3-story keep surrounded by a walled courtyard (or bailey), was built in 1454. You cross the drawbridge and climb a spiral staircase to the battlements crowning the keep. The commanding views from the top showcase the strategic importance of the castle. 

There were large side-by-side rooms on the two main floors, the floors arranged at right angles to each other.

The surrounding area was known for producing sugar and the world’s oldest commercially produced wine. Commandaria , a sweet dessert wine, is still available today. Richard the Lionheart is said to have toasted his bride and guests with it at his wedding feast at nearby Limassal Castle in 1191, declaring it “The wine of kings and the king of wines.” The Knights of St. John processed sugar cane into sugar and Commandaria at Kolossi. 

A large outbuilding (the tunnel-like building above) at the edge of the castle grounds was used to process cane. It was powered by an aqueduct (wall in the left foreground) that remains in excellent condition.

We were ready to head to our second destination when I saw this sign, so we had to take a small detour.

This monastery was founded in 327 AD and patronized by St. Helena, the mother of Constantine. Legend has it that when it was being constructed the area was overrun with poisonous snakes. A shipment of cats was brought in to deal with the snakes.

St. Nicolas

And the cats

The cats were much friendlier than this little nun who glared at us and kept a careful eye on Greg while he looked at the merch.

Only a few miles from Kolossi Castle are the ruins of Ancient Kourion. Its strategic position high on a coastal bluff has been occupied since the Late Stone Age. Greek settlers established the first permanent settlement around the 12th century BC, and the usual cast of characters followed: Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans. Architectural remnants of some cultures remain, while others have been confirmed by burial sites and other artifacts. Over the centuries, earthquakes leveled buildings; they were repeatedly rebuilt. 

Kourion sat undisturbed through the centuries until the 1820s when it was identified by an Italian explorer. Since then, it was been looted, dug up and finally systematically and scientifically excavated. Today the site is sprawling and impressive. There is a theatre, mosaics, sophisticated baths, a family palace, aqueducts, palaces, the basilica, and ruins of homes. 

By the 5th century, Kourion was a bishopric with a large Christian basilica. The ruins of the church and its surrounding buildings show a large complex supporting the church and its staff. Around 650 A.D., the acropolis was destroyed by Arab pirates. Man accomplished what the recurring earthquakes had been unable to do. The bishopric was moved inland and Kourion was essentially abandoned.

😩

Two miles from the main Kourion excavations lies an extensive ancillary site, the Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates. Dedicated to use by wealthy and influential members of a thriving cult of Apollo, this area includes a sports arena and baths for athletes, a 6000 seat stadium, a temple to Apollo, and priest quarters. 

Remains of the Temple of Apollo and nearby ruins

Most of the Kourion site has not been restored, so there is potential for additional excavations and restorations. We found Kourion to be a lot more interesting than Salamis. 

Tonight we are staying in Limassol (Lemosos), a popular tourist beach destination. There is a castle, of course, in the old harbor area and narrow medieval streets.

 

 

2019 Cyprus - Day 5 Troödos Mountains & Unesco Painted Churches

We spent the night in Kakopetria, a village built on the banks of two mountain rivers which meet in town. It's surrounded by forests. We stayed in the old part of town, where the old 2-story stone houses have wooden balconies perched above steep, narrow cobbled lanes. 

Our B&B was on this street, too narrow for most cars. We parked a short distance away, and walked around a bit before breakfast.

There are trails that run on the other side of the fast moving river, leading down to the main motorway through the village.

Kakopetria means “bad rock”. The name may come from the huge rocks along the ridge above the village, which certainly would have been challenging to settlers. But there is, of course, a legend. 

A nearby sign explains that it was tradition, carried over from pagan times, for newlywed couples to ceremonially circle this boulder. Then one day the rock crushed an unfortunate couple. Bad Rock.

I wasn't going to put any more cat photos here, but this one is a quiz: How many Kakopetria cats are in this picture? Note: Fractions of cats round up to 1 each.

Kakopetria is in the second of Cyprus's mountain ranges. The Troodos Mountains, in the center west of the island, are home to Cyprus’s highest peak, Mount Olympus, at 6344 ft.  With a protected natural park of 35 square miles, the mountains attract skiers, hikers, campers and birdwatchers to its narrow winding roads and picturesque tiny villages.

The Troodos region is also known for some of the finest Byzantine frescoed churches and monasteries in the world. In 1985, a collection of ten of the best of these Painted Churches was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We came here to see some of the churches.

Although some of the churches are older, construction on most began after 1197. The Lusignan Dynasty, a royal house of French origin, ruled the Kingdom of Cyprus, a Crusader state, from 1192 to 1489. As Roman Catholics, they opposed the long-established Greek Orthodox sect prevalent in Cyprus.

The resulting repression and discrimination against the Greek Orthodox religion drove their clergy (with their builders, artisans and followers) to retreat to the northern slopes of the Troodos mountains. Safely ensconced and undisturbed in the remote mountains for 300 years, they built and richly decorated their churches and monasteries with Byzantine and post-Byzantine murals.

The UNESCO churches range from tiny chapels to grand monasteries. They have steep overhanging wooden roofs with flat hooked tiles, sometimes built over inner masonry domes or vaulted roofs. The unique, indigenous architecture was designed to both use readily available local materials and to protect the churches from the harsh, snowy winters. Hidden inside the often rough, rural outer walls are elaborate, highly embellished frescos.

All 10 of the Unesco-listed churches are considered living monuments, as they continue to be used as places of worship. They are the property of local church authorities, who are responsible for making the sites accessible to visitors. Management of the sites, however (including security, fire alarms, and maintaining the artistic integrity of the churches), is under the Cypriot Curator of Ancient Monuments and the Director of the Department of Antiquities. 

Finding the keys (or more accurately, tracking down the holders of the keys) can be one of the charming - and sometimes frustrating - challenges to visiting the churches. We were lucky today.

Church #1 Panagia tis Podythou is just a few minutes from Kakopetria. A small Italian tour group was there when we arrived, so we didn't need to call and wait for the caretaker. 

This was the main church for a monastery that was established in 1502. Monks lived in a nearby building until the mid-1900s. One of the "newer" Unesco-listed churches, it is decorated mostly with 16th century frescos. There are two uncompleted 17th century frescos depicting the apostles Peter and Paul. Their vivid colors and Renaissance-influenced “Italo-Byzantine" style is remarkably different from the flat appearance of the older Byzantine art.

Church #2 was the 11th century Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis, or  St. Nicholas of the Roof - because of its prominent and heavy-pitched roof. The roof was built over a still-existing earlier roof which you can see above the center window. The new roof completely covered the church's dome, so it's a bit of a surprise to go inside and look up. St. Nicholas was also originally part of a monastery complex. The church was frequently modified and redecorated, which both damaged earlier artwork and prompted additions in ever-changing styles. There are frescos from 5 centuries, from the 11th to the 17th.

After this, the roads got a little more exciting and the destinations more difficult to find. A short but extremely winding route north led to the village (population 350) of Kalapanayiotis. 

It's a good thing neither of us get carsick.

Church #3 The Agios Ioannis Lambadistis Monastery is actually three small connected churches under one huge pitched wooden roof. The complex was built over a 400 year period, with the oldest church dating from the 11thcentury. The various churches and chapels show the evolution of Byzantine art from 13th century frescos to 15th and 16th century Italo-Byzantine frescos. This monastery complex still stands, forming a courtyard before the church.

The frescos here were in excellent shape. We had downloaded audioguides for some of the churches from the Visit Cyprus tourism site. The narration referenced the topic for every painted panel, every side of every square column, etc - so much information that I couldn't keep up without frequently pausing it. One can see how the frescos could teach bible and church history to illiterate followers.

We spoke with a Brit here who was back in Cyprus for the first time in 50 years. His father had been posted in Kyrenia and he'd lived as a kid near Bellapais Abbey around the time Laurence Durell was there. 

Church #4. The village of Moutoullas is known for its traditional woodcarvings, and for Panagia Tou Moutoulla, one of the oldest of the 10 Unesco-listed painted churches. It's believed to have originally been a private chapel. The paintings are rare and unrestored, dating back to the church's construction around 1280 AD. The original door still swings on its pegs. 

Church #5. Our final stop was Archangelos Michail in Pedoulas, the town in which we are staying tonight. This relatively late Unesco-listed church dates back to 1474. The asymmetrical gabled roof on this tiny church is the result of L-shaped addition to the back and one side. The brightly colored frescos inside vwere restored in 1980. Unusual for the time, some works are signed by an otherwise-unknown artist named Adamos. The frescoes in this relatively new church show a move towards the naturalism of the post-Byzantine revival. 

Greg had used his handheld GPS to track our efforts to find the three elusive UNESCO churches near Pedoulas. The roads were tiny and tortuous. One peaked so steeply that Greg got out of the car to check the other side before I gunned the engine to get over the top. Once we did a complete extra circuit because the first road dropped too steeply for comfort. With dry roads, little traffic and no place else to be, it was kind of fun.

We checked into our hotel before 5, for a change. We have a little balcony that overlooks the village and can walk to a restaurant across the street. It's been refreshingly cool here today, a nice break from the heat we'll resume when we hit the southern coast tomorrow.

2019 Cyprus - Day 4 Nicosia

Nicosia (Lefkosia) is the capital of the Republic of Cyprus, and also of the TRNC. It's the only divided capital in the world. The snowflake-shaped Old City sector is enclosed by 16th century Venetian walls.

Our apartment is just outside the walls. It's a short walk to the head of Ledra Street, the Old City’s hub. In 10 minutes we can walk to the Green Line buffer zone between The Republic of Cyprus and the Occupied Territory.

Nicosia’s Venetian walls were built in 1567 for protection from Ottoman invaders. It sounds like overkill, as Nicosia is about as far from the coast as one can get on this island, and the real prizes were the port cities around the perimeter. But only 3 years later, the Ottomans stormed the fortifications. Fifty thousand residents were killed. The walls and surrounding moat (now used as a car park and for recreation), however, survived. In South Nicosia, they are in good condition. They have not fared as well on the TRNC side, where parts have become overgrown. 

A physically less imposing but hugely significant barrier runs eat-west across the center of the Old City. The Green Line was established in 1964 as a ceasefire zone across Cyprus. The intent was to separate and quell the violence between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot factions. (The British commander drawing the original demarcation line happened to use a green pen.) In 1974, after the short-lived Greek coup and subsequent Turkish invasion, the line was redrawn to show new borders. It now stretches 112 miles across the island, ranging in width from 66 feet to nearly 4 ½ miles. It is patrolled by a United Nations Peacekeeping Force.

The UN buffer zone bisecting the Old Town is an ugly barrier of fencing, razer wire, sandbags, barrels and gun placements. It is narrow, roughly 65-100 feet wide.

In 2008, the Ledra Street barricade was replaced with a pedestrian checkpoint between the two zones, allowing residents and visitors to cross fairly easily between the districts.

We started our walking tour on Ledra Street. The pedestrian shopping street is lined with a variety of restaurants, knock-off deals (Hermes bag for $20), souvenir stores, etc. And everything was on sale today!

Best of all, we found our Cypriot KFC.

We took the elevator to the Shacolas Tower Observatory, which offers a 360 degree view over the divided city to the mountain ranges. It has helpful interactive displays that allow you to zoom in and read historical details on the city landmarks.

Looking north into the TRNC

The roof of the Franco-Byzantine Church of Archangelos Machail looked interesting from above, so we headed there. The facade wasn't particularly impressive.

But inside, it is stunning. The 1695 church houses a collection of shimmering gold icons, some of which date to the 15th century. The photos do not do it justice. The sweet old woman at the door told us about the miracle which the church commemorates and gave us pamphlets with more information. 

Down the street is the Omeriye Mosque, formerly an Augustinian church. We removed our shoes and I donned one of the available robes for visitors. This working mosque served as a sort of educational center in that it had displays addressing some common misconceptions or false generalisations about Islam, as well as explaining the 5 pillars of Islam, the Koran's teaching on Jesus, etc.

Other landmarks:

Archbishop's Palace, built 1950s

House of Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios (and no one will know if I spelled that right), the Great Dragonman of Cyprus. 

Street scenes

The Famagusta Gate, perhaps the architectural inspiration for the Alamo?

We zigzagged along the Green Line working our way to the Ledra Street checkpoint and crossed over to North Nicosia.

We had beers and some hummus with pita, watching the people and a quintet of hopeful cats.

Cats, incidentally, are everywhere. People put out bowls of food and water for them. Most are pretty skittish, but some are more engaging.

Selimiye Mosque is the most prominent landmark in North Nicosia. It's a hybrid of a French Gothic church (Agia Sofia) and a mosque. Non-Muslims can enter, except at times of prayer. The church was built between 1209-1326, with assistance by the builders and artisans of Louis IX (St. Louis). Over the next 250 years, it suffered damage by earthquakes and plundering by the conquerors du jour. With the Ottoman conquest in 1571, the church was converted to a mosque. Like its sister church/mosque in Famagusta, the interior has been whitewashed and stripped of its Christian contents. Twin minarets sit on the bases of former bell towers.

Near the Selimiye Mosque is the Büyük Han (“Great Inn”). It was built by the Ottomans in 1572 as a caravanserai, or inn where traders and travelers could rest in a protected enclosure and recover from the day's journey. 

The ground floor rooms around the courtyard served as stables and commerce areas, while the upper floor provided lodging. In the inner courtyard, a small masjid (Islamic prayer room) sits atop 6 columns over an ablutions fountain. 

After successive turns as a British prison, an inn and cheap housing for the city’s poor, Büyük Han was renovated in the 1980s, Today it is a lively crafts center housing workshops, galleries, cafes and souvenir shops.

 

It's not uncommon in the eastern Mediterranean to see draping cloths or lattice work to provide some shade over bazaars or shopping districts (see the Ledra Street photo near the beginning of this post). This street in North Nicosia really ramped it up with its colorful display.

So goodbye too Nicosia and on the road to Kakopetria (Κακοπετριάς) in the Troodos Mountains, where we want to be off the steep narrow roads before dark.