Photos of Historical sites around Kyrenia, Cyprus

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Historical sites around Kyrenia

The Kyrenia mountain range runs for about 160 kilometres along the northern coast of the island of Cyprus. It is known as Beşparmak in Turkish and Pentadaktylos (Πενταδάκτυλος) in Greek, both meaning five-fingered, named after one of the mountain peaks, resembling five fingers. There are important historical sites and old churches, now converted into mosques or a museum, on this range, south and east of the city of Kyrenia (Girne).

Beşparmak mountains from Alagadi
 
View from Esentepe
 
Esentepe mosque (St. Ambrose church)
 
Main street, Esentepe
 
Atatürk Park, Esentepe
 
Church of Christ Antiphonitis
 
In Church of Christ Antiphonitis
 
Frescoes, Church of Christ Antiphonitis
 
Frescoes, Church of Christ Antiphonitis
 
View from Beş Parmaklar road
 
View up to Buffavento Castle
 
View from Buffavento Castle
 
On top of Buffavento Castle
 
Coastal view from Buffavento Castle
 
On top of Buffavento Castle
 
On top of Buffavento Castle
 
Beşparmak mountains
 
Mosque near Taşkent
 
Taşkent Massacre description
 
Taşkent cemetery
 
Flags on the hillside
 
Taşkent Şehitler Camii
 
Church in Taşkent
 
Turkish Cypriot flag on the hillside
 
View to Nicosia
 
View to Kyrenia from near St Hilarion
 
Saint Hilarion Castle
 
View from Saint Hilarion Castle
 
Byzantine chapel, Saint Hilarion Castle
 
View from Saint Hilarion Castle
 
View from the Prince John's tower
 
View from Saint Hilarion Castle
 
Saint Hilarion Castle
 
Goats on the road
 
View to Bellapais Abbey
 
Bellapais Abbey ruin
 
View from Bellapais Abbey
 
Bellapais Abbey church
 
Iconostasis, Bellapais Abbey church
 
View from Bellapais Abbey
 
Bellapais Abbey cloister
 
Bellapais Abbey cloister gardens
 
Bellapais Abbey cloister
 
Bellapais Abbey refectory arms
 
Village of Beylerbeyi (Bellapais)
 
Beylerbeyi Camii
 
Beylerbeyi Camii, memorial
 
Village street, Beylerbeyi (Bellapais)
 

Overlooking Kyrenia is Saint Hilarion Castle, the best-preserved ruin of the three former strongholds in these mountains, said to have been the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Snow White’s castle. It was originally a monastery and was later fortified. A few kilometres to the east is the Bellapais Abbey, dating back to the 13th century. Both saw their heyday during the Lusignan period, the Kingdom of Cyprus.

Further east is Buffavento Castle, at 950 metres above sea level, also constructed on Byzantine foundations by the Lusignans in the 14th century. It was built as a defence against Arab raids between St. Hilarion Castle to the west and Kantara Castle to the east and used to pass signals between them.

Near the village of Taşkent (Vouna) is an enormous Turkish Cypriot flag constructed from coloured stones on the hillside, clearly visible from Nicosia. Taşkent was renamed after a village in the south, where, in 1974, a massacre of Turkish Cypriots by Greeks took place. A cemetery where the victims of the “Taşkent Massacre” are buried is in its outskirts.