ATTRACTIONS OF NORTH CYPRUSGuzelyurt areaSettlement in this area dates back to the Early Bronze Age when settlers from Anatolia arrived in that part of the island. The growth and development of the town and surrounding area owe much to the copper mines on the lower slopes of the Trodos mountains from which ore has been extracted since antiquity. Sights to visit No.1 PALACE OF VOUNI This 137 room palace was built on a hilltop by Phoenician pro-Persian king of the neighbouring city of Marion to watch over the pro-Greek city of Soli, following an unsuccessful revolt of the latter against to the Persians in 498 BC. The pro-Persian and pro-Greek histories of this royal residence lasted for some 70 years and after it was destroyed by the inhabitants of Soli by fire in 380 BC it was never rebuilt. No.2 SOLIRUINS The origins of Soli are traced back to an Assyrian (about 700 BC) tribute list where it is referred to as Si-il-lu. In 298 BC along with more other city kingdoms of Cyprus. Soli also rose against it Persian masters and at the end of the war it was captured. Soli became a prosperous city during the Roman period. Soli was destroyed by Arab raids in the seventh century. No.3 ST. MAMAS MONASTERY Tradition has it that in the twelfth century Mamas, a poor Cypriot hermit, refused to pay his taxes, and troops were sent to bring him to the capital for punishment. On the way, the party came across a lion about to kill a lamb. Mamas saved the lamb and taking it in his arms, rode the wild lion and entered the capital in this way. The Byzantine authorities were so impressed with what they saw, they released the hennit from his obligations and since then St. Mamas has been regarded as the protector of tax avoiders. All round the island there are 14 churches dedicated to the saint. St Mamas monastery was built in the eighteenth century. Its side portals and the columns of the nave are from the earlier Gothic building that was erected on the ruins of a Byzantine church, The tomb must have belonged to the latter. The upper part of the iconostasis, carved of wood and painted in blue and gold, is an exquisite example of late sixteenth century woodcarving. Its lower part is carved of marble and features figs, grapes and acorns and Venetian shields who once bore painted coats of arms. The marble tomb of St Mamas has survived. Its sarcophagus contains two holes from which a cure against eye and ear diseases and other illnesses oozes which also calmed stormy seas, bringing to mind the 'sweating stones' in other Byzantine churches. No. 4 LAMBOUSA (ANCIENT LAPITHOS)
Tradition has it that Lambousa was founded as early as the 13th century BC by a group of Laconians from south Greece. In the 8th century BC it must have been an active trading post of the
Pheonicians. During Roman and Byzantine rule it became an important administrative city with a gymnasium, a theatre, other public buildings and dockyards, being a ntural port for trade with
Cilicia. Its Byzantine name meant the 'Shining'. It was destroyed in the 7th century during the Arab raids. The town wall, the breakwater, the rock-graves which have been the popular haunts of treasure seeking and served as stone quarries, and the fish tanks are among the ruins of the Roman period which have survived to the present day. The archaeological excavations at Lambousa have been recovered since 1992. The fish tanks or fish breeding tanks are known as the earliest examples of their kind. While some sources assign them to the early Byzantine period, some claim that they were in origin a part of a bathing establishment of a Roman villa. They are cut into the rock near the harbour and designed in such a way that while the cool and fresh water entered into them with the tides, the warmer water went out through another channel. In AD 627 the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-41) fought the Persian General Raztis in single combat and beheaded him. Afterwards, having compared his victory with that of David against Goliath he issued some commemorative silver, which is today known as the David plates. They were found in about 1900 in two stages in the vicinity of Lambousa and eventually having being split up into four, ended up in the museums of Nicosia, New York, Washington DC and London. Obviously they were buried in haste just before the Arab pirates arrived. These silver pvessels of which the largest depicted David against the giant Goliath, are regarded as among the finest examples of the art of the early Byzantine era. Since most of them bore imperial control stamps, they were closely dated as being from the years AD 627-30. No.5 TOUMBA TOU SKOUROU The town is thought to have been founded around 1600 BC on an artificial mound. Its name means the 'Mound of Darkness'. A piece of copper slag discovered has led some archaeologists to think that Toumba tou Skourou was probably one of the towns on the island where copper was worked and exported in the Bronze Age. The rich grave finds confirm the prosperity of the settlement. The houses were built of mudbrick on stone foundations. Its handmade pottery is exceptionally good and includes White Slip Ware and Base Ring Ware. The first group is decorated with geometric motifs in orange or dark brown colour on white ground. The Base Ring Ware is mostly little jugs with tall necks bringing to mind the shape of the inverted opium poppy-head. |