When visiting Cyprus, it becomes possible to admire the two countries, Greece and Turkey, at the same time. Sunny beaches on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, charming villages, ruins of ancient civilizations and rich local culture attract a large number of visitors every year. For more than two centuries, the Cyprus country has been divided between the Greeks and ethnic Turks, but, fortunately, this does not affect tourists who are met friendly and hospitably, and the Greeks and the Turks.
The sights of Cyprus
Colorful and rich history of Cyprus is reflected in the cultural life of the local population. Almost every week they celebrate something here: a wedding, festival, St. Day. Spring is especially rich in holidays, when festivals and carnivals are held in most cities, accompanied by parades, processions, and floral ceremonies. The largest carnival takes place in Limassol during the harvest of wine.
The capital of the island is Nicosia. It has many attractions: the Cyprus Museum, which is a huge repository of the archaeological wealth of the island, the Museum of Folk Art, the palace of the Archbishop, the Cathedral of St. John, the cultural center of Makarios and the mosque Omeriye (Omeriye). Next to Nikosia are the royal tombs and the Hagios Irakleidios monastery, in which there is a beautiful church with five domes, and on a rock near Defter (Deftra.) the picturesque church of the Panagia of Chrysopiliotis rises (Panagia chrysospiliotissa). In the resort city of Larnaka, the Church of Hegos Lazaros and the Byzantine Museum, Fort Larnaca and the Paleontology Tornaritis-Pierides (Tornaritis-Pierides) are interesting. Near Larnaki Airport is the ancient mosque of Hala Sultan Tekke with magnificent gardens and a charming salty lake. The city of Limassol boasts a grandiose castle, a medieval museum, a museum of folk art, a museum of archeology and a small zoo. Most of the attractions are located on the Greek side, but the country of Cyprus is interesting in the Turkish half.
Cyprus national cuisine
Cypriots eat meat only once a week, on Sunday, but this does not suffer from a variety of local dishes. The most popular dishes are: Tavvas – a lamb seasoned with caminet, Afelia – fierce in the wine of pork, psito – meat and potatoes cooked in the oven. Tourists who first came to the island called Cyprus Country must try the delightful sausage of Bastourmas Loukaniko, prepared from salted meat and pork fat.
Weather in Cyprus
It seems to tourists who have arrived from the northern countries that the Eternal Summer is in Cyprus, but the locals do not agree with this, wrapping in warm sweaters and jackets in January and February. Temperature at this time drops to plus 5-7 degrees. In the spring, the thermometer shows an average of about 20 degrees, which are very convenient for hiking and familiarizing themselves with the sights of the island. The Cyprus country of its guests in the summer is especially pampering, when bad weather simply does not happen. Even in the sultry August, the thermometer does not rise above 35 degrees, and the cool bars of the Mediterranean create fabulous conditions for relaxation.