Weekend trip in Cyprus

This past weekend, I went on a weekend trip to Cyprus with another teacher to explore the Greek and Turkish sides of Nicosia, the capital.  Cyprus is a very interesting country to travel and visit, particularly from Turkey.  If you are like me, you may not be aware of some of the divisions in the country (I learned about it when I first arrived in Turkey).  Southern Cyprus is predominantly Greek and is recognized as a country by the international community.  It is also a part of the European Union.  Northern Cyprus is predominantly Turkish and is only recognized by Turkey as an independent country.  From Turkey, it is only possible to fly into Northern Cyprus.  Athena and I arrived late evening at the Ercan airport and took a taxi to our hotel on the southern side in Nicosia.  When crossing, you have to show your passport and go through the border patrol.  The two sides are extremely different when it comes to the kinds of shops, restaurants, etc.  It was interesting to stay on the Greek side and see all of the Greek signs.  It has a more European feel than the northern side.  

We went to the Cyprus museum on Saturday morning in Nicosia, where we saw a lot of pottery and other archaeological remains from various parts of Cyprus.  People have been living on Cyprus for over 10,000 years.  It has been a part of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and a few other empires mixed in there as well.  After the museum, we walked along the pedestrian walkway and enjoyed the familiarity of different foods and shops that you can find there.  

Typical shop buildings on the walkway

A Greek Orthodox church.  Unfortunately, we couldn't go in because there was a wedding taking place.

The next day we crossed over to the Turkish side via the Ledra street border.  Immediately, the differences were noticeable.  It felt more familiar as we took in the Turkish signs and shops.  One of the places we visited was the Saint Sofia cathedral.  It is now used as a mosque.

Outside of the Saint Sofia.

Inside the mosque

Another view of the outside

We also went to a marketplace that used to function as the city's inn.  The rooms are now used for artisans and artists to show and sell their goods.

Athena and I

We continued our walking around Turkish Nicosia and came across a hamam.  Since we had some time and felt like being pampered a bit, we decided to take advantage.  The hamam was relaxing as usual.  Here are some photos of inside the hamam (usually I am unable to take photos since it is being used and therefore not appropriate to take photos).  The stone in the middle is what you lay on while you are being scrubbed and sudsed.  The two rooms behind it are where you sit and steam before being scrubbed to soften the skin.

Inside the hamam

After our hamam, we walked back to the Greek side and enjoyed some comfort foods and Starbucks before getting ready to leave.  It was a great first experience in Cyprus and I look forward to going again soon.  I would love to do more exploring of the south side when I have more time to get around.  I would also love to take advantage of the short flight and do some exploring around the northern side for a weekend trip next year.

Musicians performing on the walkway...love the guy with the upright bass!