FAMAGUSTA or MAGUSA was once the main Cyprus holiday destination for thousands of tourists. But the Turkish invasion changed all that overnight. The booming tourist industry came to an untimely end and Famagusta today has turned into a quiet holiday backwater.
Famagusta lies to the northeast of Cyprus and since 1974 has been occupied by Turkish forces. The golden sand beaches near Famagusta town were known as the Cyprus Riviera, packed with luxury hotels and the jewel in the crown of the Cyprus holidays industry.
Recent years have seen the steady resurgence of Famagusta as a top tourist vacation resort, although nothing as yet on the scale of its earlier days. The main beach in Famagusta town remains sealed off and hotels lie empty and derelict, just as they stood in 1974.
But beaches north of the town and around the ancient city of Salamis have reopened and grown into popular holiday destinations.
Historically, the long, broad sweep of Famagusta Bay and parts of the inland Mesaoria plain are the most important areas of Cyprus, home to the mighty kingdom of Salamis and the bronze age city of Enkomi. The old Venetian city of Famagusta itself, with its many churches, has been likened to an open-air museum.
Further north, the wilderness of the Karpas peninsular has some of Cyprus' most magnificent beaches, many undeveloped and all stunningly beautiful. The long finger of the peninsula now has better roads yet it remains a timeless landscape of rolling hills, exquisite beaches and scattered hamlets.
Famagusta beach
Famagusta street cafe
FAMAGUSTA or MAGUSA is small and busy city of about 30,000 people with large suburbs that spread out from the old walled city in the centre. Before the Turks invaded in 1974 Famagusta was a major world tourist destination. Today, it is a mere shadow of its former self but nevertheless still has many attractions and a growing number of returning tourists.
That Famagusta is still a divided city is most evident in the vast former tourist strip at Variosa, also called Maras. Here the hotels and restaurants were once byword for upmarket tourism. But the Turkish Army marched in, threw everyone out, sealed it off and left it to rot. That's the way it remains today. The luxury hotels crumble slowly to dust, restaurants stand empty and derelict, once busy streets now silent and forlorn.
The ancient city of Famagusta was founded around 400BC but was overshadowed by its more illustrious neighbour Salamis. Following the fall of Acre in 1291 Famagusta became a refuge for Christians fleeing the Holy Land and it grew into one of the richest cities in the Eastern Mediterranean. Many churches, some splendidly lavish, were built and many still remain, though it must be said are in a sorry, dilapidated state.
Most modern day visitors head straight for the old walled city and get a bit of a surprise - it looks pretty much like a bomb sight. Damaged and half-finished buildings are common and the houses are in very poor state of repair. Streets are also very narrow and laid out to no particular plan so it's easy to get lost. Visitors are advised to stay on the main routes until they know their way around.
The beaches to east of the city are still sealed off with barbed wire and warning signs but those to the north have reopened and welcome increasing tourist numbers each year. The north coast road however looks like a permanent building site with holiday apartments and small houses erected at a quite alarming rate.
Venetian walls
The sprawling Venetian defence works completely encompass the old city, punctuated by 15 bastions and gates. The walls are not particularly high, only about 17m at most and about 9m thick.
Despite many of the city buildings lying in ruins, the walls themselves are remarkably intact and form a large 3.5 km rectangle right around the old city centre.
It's not possible to walk around the whole wall as parts have been turned into military posts but there are several points where you can climb up and enjoy a view of the old city.
Well worth seeing are the two entrance gates in the walls, prosaically named Land Gate and Sea Gate and the bastions around Othello's Tower.
Othello Tower
Originally built in the 12th century as an extension to the main wall, Othello's Tower was designed to give some extra protection to the harbour. It was strengthened in 1492 to serve as an artillery post.
Above the main entrance is the impressive Venetian lion carving, inscribed with the name of the architect of the tower Nicolo Foscari. Othello's Tower actually comprises several towers with a large courtyard, an artillery chamber, refectory and some living quarters.
Although named after Shakespeare's Othello, the connection is tenuous. The 'Moor's Play' is set in Cyprus and Christofor Moro was once a local governor but, as Shakespeare never left the UK, he would hardly have known about the tower.
The setting is impressive, as is the tower, but other than wandering around the walls, peeking into the empty chambers and enjoying the views there is not much else to do.
The refectory and kitchens are still complete and a steep staircase takes you up to the battlements where there are extensive views over both the old and new harbours. Open daily: 9am - 4.45pm
Canbulat tomb
If you walk along the city walls on the harbour-side of Famagusta you'll reach the Canbulat or Djanbullat Museum, set in the former city wall armoury.
According to the legend Canbulat Bey, a soldier in the Ottoman Army, drove his horse into a spiked wheel that was mounted at the main entrance gate, destroying himself, the horse and the wheel. His action precipitated the fall of the city to the Ottomans in 1571 following a 10 month siege.
His tomb is part of the museum which otherwise exhibits a rather tired and flyblown collection of Turkish and Cypriot household items. There are clothes, pictures and books and various cultural and religious artifacts such as a hand-written Koran.
There is also an interesting display detailing the 1974 Turkish invasion of the town. Open Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm
Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque
This enormous mosque is one of Famagusta's best-known landmarks. Work began on it in 1298 and it took about 100 years to finish.
On completion it was called the Cathedral of Agios Nikolaos and is one of the finest examples of Lusignan Gothic architecture in Cyprus. The exterior is often compared, justifiably, to Rheims Cathedral in France. It was badly damaged in the Ottoman siege and its two towers were destroyed, only to be replaced by an incongruous minaret.
Visitors enter through three magnificent gabled and canopied doorways. This now being a mosque visitors must remove their shoes and the women must wear a scarf.
Inside, the former Christian murals have been whitewashed over in proper Islamic fashion - fine art wiped out by religious rectitude - but the architectural details are impressive.
In front of the mosque is a fig tree, said to be as old as the mosque itself. Open daily: Small entrance fee
Venetian Palace
Opposite Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque are the remains of the former Royal Palace built by Luisignan in the 13th century, though much of it has been destroyed by earthquakes.
All that's left are a few stone arches and some desultory cannon balls. The single remaining structure is the old prison which once held one of Turkey's best-known poets and playwrights Namik Kemal (1840-1888). He was locked up for six years after penning a play that offended the Sultan.
There is a small museum with a cafe and some pleasant tables here.
Maras beach
Maras street
Empty Varosha hotels
That Famagusta is a divided city is obvious from the number of soldiers standing about the streets and the ugly barracks and checkpoints that belong to the three different armies that are based in the city - Turkish, UN and Northern-Cypriot.
The Turkish/Cypriot division is most notoriously visible in the Maras, Varosha or Varosia area of Famagusta. Before 1974 this had a thriving Greek community that owned and ran most of the luxury hotels and fine restaurants.
The Greeks fled before the advancing Turkish Army and have never returned. The Turks took it over and sealed it off. To this day it is uninhabited.
One side of the street is busy and well populated while the other is sealed off with barbed wire and warning signs - the notorious 'ghost-town' of Famagusta and now a UN buffer zone.
Visitors can clearly see that little has been touched since 1974. There are cafes with glasses still on the tables, cars stand in their showrooms and shops display dusty and rotting merchandise. It's a haunting sight. Photography is not permitted but, if no one is watching there is nothing to stop it.
Maras was a beach resort area and part of the beach is still open with crude fencing around the forbidden areas. You can walk along the beach right up to the fence and the ghost hotels, a freakish and salutary sight.
The main beach in Famagusta was cordoned off by the Turks after the 1974 invasion and still remains closed today with warning signs against venturing too far along the sands. North of the town are a string of beaches that reach right up into the wild Karpas peninsula.
Palm Beach
Glapsides beach
Silver beach
Bafra beach
This was just about the only hotel not to escape the Turkish invasion and its beach is just about the only one remaining in Famagusta itself. Soft sand and shallow waters sweep around the bay which is remarkable mostly for the sight of the Turkish occupied end of the town. Bleak, empty shells of hotels line the deserted beach beyond the barbed wired and warning signs
About 4km north out of Famagusta is a sign for Glapsides Beach. This public beach is only 200m from the Bediz Beach and one of the busiest in the area. It is a long and sandy beach with shallow water way out from the shore. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, mini market, showers, sun loungers and dolphin rides. The beach is popular with young people and the air is filled with club music from frequent summer night dance parties.
Well signposted from every direction Bediz public beach makes a popular and pleasant stop for those who have walked around the extensive ruins at Salamis. It is a pleasant sandy strip with a restaurant, showers, sun loungers and umbrellas.
Silver Beach is another that is popular with visitors to the Ancient Salamis ruins and about 8km north out of Famagusta itself. There is a sandy beach that shelves gently in to the sea, making it very safe for children. A reef encloses a small lagoon which extends way past a cape before disappearing. Those who enjoy snorkeling can investigate the ruins of the submerged buildings.
About 9km beyond the resort of Bogaz and just beyond the village of Mehmetcik is the relatively untouched beach of Bafra. Untouched for now, but two large luxury hotels have been built so it won't stay quiet for long presumably. It is a calm, quiet sandy beach with sun loungers and a pleasant restaurant.
Salamis ruins
salamis baths
Salamis theatre
Salamis mosaic
Salamis fresco
ANCIENT SALAMIS is one of Cyprus's main archeological sites. It's about 9km north of Famagusta and reasonably well signposted. The site is large, about one square mile so allow at least half a day for a visit, plan your route, wear comfortable shoes and take drinks with you as there are no cafes inside. Once inside the fence you can pretty much wander where you wish.
Ancient Salamis was one of 10 city kingdoms in Cyprus and goes back to the 11th century BC. It rose to prominence in the 6th century BC with a royal court and a mint for its own coins. The Persians destroyed the city in 306BC but it flourished again under the Romans from about 60BC. Fortunes grew and fell, often in the wake of earthquakes until a series of natural calamities, the harbour silting up and attacks by Arab raiders all helped to finish it off. Around 650, the inhabitants fled to what is now Famagusta.
What remains today is a huge and sprawling site with a fair number of walls and columns to see. Much of the stone was carried away to build Famagusta but the main areas of interest are a gymnasium and baths, a theatre from the time of Augustus, some Roman villas and a couple of basilicas. After trudging round the ruins visitors can enjoy decent beach nearby (see Famagusta beaches) and handy restaurants for lunch.
The large complex is surrounded with column arcades on all four sides. Some of the columns originally belonged to the theatre and were moved here after earthquakes in the 4th century. Two swimming pools are sited at the two ends of the eastern colonnade. On one of the walls is a surviving 3rd century fresco fragment of Hylas, the boyfriend of Heracles of golden fleece fame. The baths are flanked by sweat rooms where there are some mosaic fragments.
The theatre dates from the time of Augustus and originally consisted of 50 rows of seats for more than 15,000 spectators. Performances took place on the raised stage decorated with statues. After it was destroyed by earthquakes in the 4th century it was demolished and building materials used on other parts of the site. Today it has been restored as far as it can be and is used for occasional events
This two-storey villa has a reception hall with an inner courtyard with a columned portico. The living quarters were grouped around the courtyard. After the city was abandoned it was used as an oil mill. A large millstone in the reception hall was used to press the olives.
This was once the largest basilica in Cyprus and the principal church of Salamis from 386-403. The bishop's tomb still lies encased in marble. A nave was separated from the aisles by two rows of 14 columns. Rooms on each side of the apse were used for dressing and storage. The church was destroyed in the 7th century during the Arab raids. The ruins at the back of the southern apse belong to a smaller church built after the original was destroyed.
This was the meeting place and market of Salamis. Two sides were lined with columned arcades to provide shade in summer and shelter in winter. Only one of the columns has survived. The courtyard has temples dedicated to gods of commerce and was once decorated with statues and fountains.
The present day ruins is from the Roman period and built on an earlier Hellenic one. The shrine had the right to grant asylum. During excavations inscriptions of Livia, Augustus' consort, and the god Zeus were discovered.
A Roman system of earthen pipes and conduits on a 50 km aqueduct brought water to the city from neighbouring Kyhrea. This water system continued to function until the 7th century. The walls and the remains of 36 square pillars for the water cisterns have survived. As well as pillars holding the cisterns, the ceiling was supported by massive corbels.
Open Daily: Jun-Sep 8am - 6pm, Sep-May 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 4.45pm
Kantara Castle
KANTARA CASTLE may be one of the least elevated of Cyprus castles but it is certainly one of the most impressive and the best preserved. It dates back at least to Richard Lionheart who seized it in 1191.
Though never more than a minor garrison, its position alone - perched on top a mighty bluff of rock - makes it well worth a visit. Its importance faded in the 16th century and it became little more than a beacon lookout post to warn the garrison at Bufavento Castle of any approaching enemy troops.
The castle has a well preserved northern section with impressive towers and walls. The outer entrance leads to the barbican with a couple of squat towers guarding the entrance proper. At the highest point, naturally, is the lookout tower which gives views to the sea on both sides of the peninsular and on a clear day a glimpse of Turkey. The view from the roof of the northern tower is best but not for the foolhardy. It is a sheer drop from the narrow, unfenced area.
You get a good map and potted history with your entrance ticket but families should keep children on a tight reign as there are some seriously dangerous unfenced areas and uncapped holes to fall into. Kantara is most easily reached from Bogaz on the east coast - a 50 minute drive. From Kyrenia allow about 90 minutes by car. There is no public transport to the castle. Open Daily: 9am - 7pm
Nagomi Beach Karpas
The long peninsula of the KARPAS or KIRPASA is little visited despite having some of the best beaches on Cyprus. There are plans to turn much of it into a nature reserve in order to protect both the landscape and the wildlife.
Wide expanses of immaculate dunes fringe both sides of the peninsular or panhandle (it being similar to the handle of a frying pan). You have to be a little adventurous to go there; there are few asphalt roads and a reliable, off-road vehicle is essential.
One of the best beach is at NAGOMI. The sight of the beach is worth all the effort it takes to get there. This is the most magnificent beach in the whole Cyprus, a huge, great crescent of golden sand backed by sweeping dunes and broken into two unequal parts by a distinctive promontory.
Most visitors tend to stay in the resort hotels that line the bay and these are booked up by charter flights and tour operators. There are a few hotels inside the city walls and some have aircon and TV. Five star luxury hotels include the Palm Beach and Salamis Bay Conti Resort. There are hotels in surrounding resorts for those who prefer to be out of the city, notably at Bogaz and on the Karpas peninsula at Golden Beach and Turtle Bay
Most tourists in Famagusta opt for full board at the hotels fringing the shore but there is a wide selection of restaurants and bars along the sea front that are worth a visit. Cypriot, Arab and French cuisine is on offer and the further you venture inland the cheaper and better they get. Most of the larger casinos have restaurants and usually serve the best food. Food in Northern Cyprus may not be prepared to the same standards of cleanliness or hygiene as the south and the tap water is probably best avoided.
Gambling and prostitution are both legal in Famagusta and are the main forms of entertainment (if you can call either that). Famagusta largely looks like a war zone, with a bombed out buildings and fenced off streets which obviously limit your sightseeing. There are several casinos and brothels and other similar places. The casinos serve free drinks as long as you're gambling and many of the brothels have bars too. Illegal drugs are also said to be plentiful in Famagusta.
There are no buses in the city centre but this is not a problem as sights are all easily walkable provided you stick to the main routes and don't get lost in the maze of alleyways. Long distance buses use the Octobus Terminus on Gazi Mustafa Kemal Bulvan to the west of the centre with services to Nicosia and Kyrenia. Minibuses and service taxis use the alternative Itimat Bus Station near the large landmark statue of Ataturk to the south at Land Gate. There are regular minibuses to Nicosia and to Kyrenia. Ferries to Turkey dock at the port to the east and sail to Mersin on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The trip takes about 12hrs. A few private taxi firms operate in Famagusta and fares are fixed. The taxi stand is near the Sea Gate.
The bank is in the main square opposite the Lala Mustafa Pala Mosque where there is an ATM. Exchange office are on nearby Istiklal Caddesi and often open late at night.
Beautiful Cyprus is renowned for its spectacular scenery, magnificent mountain backdrops, stunning sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and superb weather all year round. Holidays to Cyprus are perfect for groups, couples or families wanting a family getaway. Whatever you are looking for in your getaway, you will no doubt find it with Cyprus holidays.
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Larnaca International airport is the main entry point for visitors to Famagusta. The airport is about 7km from Larnaca city and takes most flights in and out of Cyprus. There are regular bus services (No 22 and No 24) from the airport to the town centre from 6.20am to 7pm and taxis also lie in wait.
You cannot cross directly into Famagusta from south Cyprus. Instead, you must cross the Green Line into the Turkish-occupied territory. The nearest place to do this is from the Strovilia, crossing near Agios Nikolaos, which is found inside the British sovereign military base area. The other is through Nicosia.
In north Cyprus it is best to travel by car. Famagusta has no public transport and there is no regularly scheduled public transport across the Green Line although private tour operators do operate in the peak tourist season.
Ferry boats also run three times a week from Famagusta to Mersin in Turkey and there are also some ferry boats that go to Tasucu. The ferry to Tasucu however, takes about eight hours so it is better to travel to Kyrenia to catch a boat as the journey time from there is less than three hours.
Driving is the way most people get around in Famagusta with a rental car. There are no cycle rental firms that I could find. It's possible to travel on foot, but the streets and paths are in very poor condition and you need to take care not you accidentally cross into areas held by the Turkish army or the UN. Id you do you can get arrested. Taxis are probably the safest option for independent travellers. These are widely available and inexpensive for trips or tours.
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