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The districts are the subnational subdivisions of Cyprus.
There are 6 districts which have the same name with their
capitals. For instance, there is Limassol District which Limassol
city is its capital.
- Kyrenia
- Nicosia
- Famagusta
- Larnaca
- Limassol
- Paphos
Kyrenia
Kyrenia is a town in northern Cyprus, part of the de facto
(but not internationally recognized) Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus (TRNC). The town is known for its historic harbour,
and as one of the first places captured by Turkey during the
1974 invasion of the island.
Kyrenia Harbour on a summer nightIn its heyday the town
harbour was lined with warehouses in which were stored the
fruits of the countryside whilst they awaited export. The
harbour is currently used largely for pleasure craft, and
the buildings are now mostly all restaurants, with outdoor
tables along the water. A larger harbour is located a few
miles east of the town centre, used by commercial shipping
and ferries from the Turkish mainland.
Kyrenia CastleThe castle at the east end of the old harbour
is a very spectacular site and within its walls there is a
twelfth century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals.
The inner courtyard is vast and in one of the rooms leading
off it is the Shipwreck Museum, exhibiting the remains of
a 4th century Greek ship, discovered by a Greek-Cypriot diver
in 1967, salvaged not far from Kyrenia together with its cargo.
The Kyrenia ship as it is called, was extensively covered
by the National Geographic Society.
Bellapais Abbey inner courtThe town has an icon museum housed
in a church which was dedicated to the Archangel Michael,
not far from it there are some tombs cut into the rock dating
from about the 4th century, there is a ruined small Christian
church behind the harbour and in the harbour is a small tower
from which a chain could be slung to close the harbour to
any enemies.
In 1974, Kyrenia was the first town that was captured/secured
(depending on your point of view) during the invasion of the
island by Turkey. Its Greek Cypriot inhabitants fled at the
time to the south of the island, where the internationally-recognized
government of Cyprus was still in power. Since then it has
been under occupation by the Turkish army, de-facto TRNC.
Kyrenia at present is populated by Turkish Cypriots and Turkish
settlers.
Nicosia
Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia or Lefkosa (Turkish),
is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. Nicosia is located
at 35°10' north, 33°21' east (35.1667, 33.35). [1]
There have recently been some moves to use the Greek name
Lefkosia as the official English name, but this has not been
generally accepted.
Located on the Pedieos river and situated roughly in the
centre of the island, it is the seat of government as well
as the main business centre. Nicosia is the center of an administrative
district, after the fall of the Berlin Wall and it is currently
the only divided capital city in the world, with the northern
(Turkish) and southern (Greek) portions divided by the "Green
Line", a demilitarized zone maintained by the United
Nations, although unlike Cold War East and West Berlin, few
use the terms North Nicosia and South Nicosia.The 1974 Turkish
invasion and occupation of 36 % of the island's territory
literally cut the capital in half. The Turkish Cypriots use
it as capital of occupied area, the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus, which is a state not recognized by any country in
the world, except Turkey
It has a population of 206.200 (end of 2001) in the sector
controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus,, which
means that over a quarter of the Republic's people live in
the capital. At least three quarters of the city population
live in the 'Greek' part, which is controlled by the Republic
of Cyprus.
Nicosia is a modern, dynamic capital with lots of shops,
restaurants and entertainment The city is a trade center and
manufactures textiles, leather, pottery, plastic, and other
products. Copper mines are nearby. Nicosia is the seat of
the University of Cyprus (UCY).
Although the city has been destroyed more than once by conquerors,
there are still enough leftovers to enjoy the past.History
is most strikingly experienced at the Venetian city wall,
which was constructed between 1567 and 1570. The 4,5 metres
thick wall used to have three gates. The Famagusta gate is
now used as cultural centre. Some other parts of the wall
contain administration offices. The historical centre is clearly
present inside the walls, but the modern city has grown beyond.
The heart of the city is Eleftheria (Freedom) Square, with
the city hall, the post office and the library. Adjacent Ledra
street leads to the most lively part of the old city with
narrow streets, boutiques, and cafés. Agia Fanomereni
is a church built in 1872, constructed with the remains of
an old castle and a convent. Here rest the Archbishop and
the other Bishops who were killed by the Turks during the
1821 revolt. The Palace of the Archbishop can be found at
Arkhiepiskopos Kyprianos Square. Although it seems very old,
it's a wonderful imitation of typical Venetian style, built
in 1956. Next to the palace is the late gothic Saint John
cathedral (1665) with picturesque frescos.
Nicosia is also known for its fine museums. The Archbishop's
Palace contains a Byzantine museum where you can admire religious
icons. Other interesting museums include the Folk Art Museum,
National Struggle Museum (witnessing the rebellion against
the British administration in the 1950s), Cyprus Museum, and
the Handicrafts Centre.
As of 2005, Mihalis Zambelas is the mayor of Nicosia, however
in the north part of the town, in the sector of the de facto
TRNC, the mayor is Kutlay Erk.
Famagusta
The town was known as Arsinoe (after Arsinoe of Egypt) in
antiquity, then Ammochostos (meaning "hidden in sand")
which is how it is today referred to in Greek. The same name
developed into Famagusta,used in Western European languages
and the Turkish name of Magusa (Gazi is a Turkish prefix meaning
veteran or simply ghazi, given officially after 1974, compare
to Gaziantep.). It seems to have had its heyday in the 13th
century when Christians fleeing from Syria and Palestine settled
there and developed it into a wealthy city under the Frankish
Lusignan dynasty, which ruled from 1192. It declined after
a riot in the 14th century and by 1489, when the Venetians
took over, it had seen better times. They redeveloped it,
building a massive wall round the old town, still mostly remaining.
The Martinengo bastion is an excellent example of expert fortification,
as it provides protection for the walls on either side of
it: it reminded one tourist (no expert!) of a similar protection
to be seen far away in the walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed, England.
The Ottoman forces took over in 1571, converting churches
into mosques or using them for secular purposes. The Cathedral
of St Nicholas became the Lala Mustapha Pasa Mosque.
Larnaca
Larnaca, or Larnaka(also colloquially Skala), is a city on
the southeast coast of Cyprus. The major international airport
of Cyprus, Larnaca International Airport is located in this
city. In ancient times, Larnaka was known as Kition, or (in
Latin) Citium. The biblical name Kittim, though derived from
Citium, was in fact used quite generally for Cyprus as a whole,
and occasionally by the Hebrews for the Greeks and Romans.
Originally the principal Phoenician colony in Cyprus, it
later became a part of the Hellenistic world. The ancient
site is at the north end of modern Larnaca. The earliest remains
go back to the Mycenean age (ca 1400–1100 BC) and seem
to mark an Aegean colony, but in historic times Citium was
the chief center of Phoenician influence in Cyprus. That this
was still a recent settlement in the 7th century BC is suggested
by an allusion in a list of the allies of Assurbanipal of
Assyria in 668 BC to a King Damusu (Damasos) of Karti-hadasti
(Phoenician "new city"), where Citium would be expected.
(The same ten kings appear in an earlier list of Esarhaddon's
673/672 BC, which might simply have been copied by Assurbanipal's
scribes.) A Phoenician dedication to Baal, dated also to the
7th century BC, suggests that Citium may have belonged to
Tyre. The discovery here of an official monument of Sargon
II suggests that Citium was the administrative center of Cyprus
during the Assyrian protectorate (709–668 BC). During
the Ionian Greek revolts of the 4th century BC, Citium led
the side that was loyal to Persia and was besieged by an Athenian
force in 449 BC.
The famous stoic philosopher Zeno of Citium hailed from the
city. It is said he began his stoic teaching after losing
everything he had in a shipwreck.
A famous Athenian general, Kimon, died at sea defending the
city of Citium in a major battle with the Persians of Xerxes.
He told his officers to keep the news of his death secret.
Like other cities of Cyprus, it has suffered repeatedly from
earthquakes, and in medieval times when its harbour silted
up (a sign that the island was deforested and overgrazed)
the population moved to Larnaca, on the open seafront farther
south. The harbour and citadel have now disappeared. Traces
remain of the circuit wall, and of a sanctuary with copious
terra-cotta offerings; the large cemetery has yielded constant
loot to illicit excavation for more than a century.
The city is currently host to the football teams Anorthosis
Famagusta FC, AEK Larnaca FC, and ALKI Larnaca FC.
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city of Cyprus with a population
of 161,000 (2001 census). The city is located on Akrotiri
Bay, on the island's southern coast.
Limassol was built between two ancient cities, Amathus and
Kourion, so during Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis
(new town). The ruins of Kourion are extensive and include
well-preserved mosaics. Limassol's tourist strip now runs
east along the coast as far as Amathus, whose ruins are less
well-preserved than Kourion. To the west of the city is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area of the United Kingdom.
The medieval castle of Limassol now contains a museum. It
is one of the nine castles of Cyprus (the others are at Kolossi,
Larnaca and Paphos now in the Republic of Cyprus controlled
area, and Famagusta, Kantara, Buffavento, St. Hilarion and
Kyrenia now within the de facto but internationally unrecognised
state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). Richard
the Lionheart is supposed to have married his fiancée
Princess Berengaria of Navarre on this site after her ship
was grounded nearby in 1191 as she accompanied him to the
Third Crusade.
Limassol became the major sea port of the Republic of Cyprus
in 1974. Before 1974, that role had been filled by Famagusta
which is now located in the Turkish controlled part of the
island). Limmasol is the base for many of the island's wine
companies, serving the wine-growing regions on the southern
slopes of the Troodos Mountains (of which the most famous
is Commandaria).
Limassol traditionally had a mixed population of Greek and
Turkish Cypriots. The majority of Turkish Cypriots moved to
the north in 1974. During the 1990s several Cypriot Roma (people)
(considered Turkish Cypriots according to the constitution)
returned from the North of the island to the Turkish quarter
of Limassol.
Limassol also attracts a wide range of tourists mostly during
the summer season to be accommodated in its several luxurious
hotels and apartments.
Paphos
Pafos, usually written Paphos in English, is a coastal town
in the south-west of Cyprus. Pafos is the mythical birthplace
of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, sex and beauty. In
Greco-Roman times it was the island's capital, and it is famous
for the remains of the Roman Governor's palace where extensive,
fine mosaics are a major tourist attraction. Another famous
archaeological site is the Tombs of the Kings. The Apostle
Paul visited the town during the 1st century. The town of
Paphos is included in the official UNESCO list of cultural
and natural treasures of the world's heritage.
Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It
was founded by King Kinyras in 1400 BC. It was a centre of
the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities.
Aphrodite's legendary birthplace was on this island, where
her temple was erected by the Myceneans in the 12th century
BC. The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and
tombs mean that the site is of exceptional architectural and
historic value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most
beautiful in the world.
The port of Paphos was built by Nicocles, the last king of
Paphos, at the time of Alexander the Great. It became the
capital of the island replacing Salamis during the Hellenistic
Period as its masters, the Ptolemies, favoured a location
closer to their capital, Alexandria. The Romans retained Pafos
as the seat of the Roman Governor. It was here that Apostle
Paul converted the Roman Governor of the time, Sergius Paulus,
to Christianity. The city contains many catacomb sites dating
back to the early Christian period.
Despite its vulnerability to foreign incursions and raids,
the city survived through the centuries, retaining an indefinable,
legendary charm through the ages. It even survived the devastating
earthquake in the 4th century AD.
Paphos, however, was gradually losing much of its attraction
as an administrative centre, especially after the Nicosia.
The city and its port continued to decline throughout the
Middle Ages and Ottoman Rule, as Nicosia, and the port cities
of Larnaka and Famagusta were gaining in importance.
The city and district continued to lose population throughout
the British colonial period and many of its inhabitants moved
to Limassol, Nicosia and overseas. The city and district of
Paphos had remained the most underdeveloped part of the island
until 1974.
The Turkish invasion and occupation of the major tourist
resorts of Kyrenia and Famagusta led to major investments
by the government and the private sector in the district of
Paphos. There was rapid economic activity in all fields but
especially tourism and the district's population stopped shrinking
and indeed showed some signs of increasing. The government
invested heavily in irrigation dams and water distribution
works, road infrastructure and the building of Paphos International
Airport while private initiative concentrated in hotel, apartment
and villa construction and the entertainment infrastructure.
Today Paphos, with a population of about 47.300 (end of 2001),
is a popular sea and a fast developing tourist resort, home
to an attractive fishing harbour. It is divided into two major
quarters - Ktima, on the sea terrace, is the main residential
district, and Kato Pafos, by the sea, is built around the
mediaeval port and contains most of the luxury hotels and
the entertainment infrastructure of the city.
Rauf Denktas, the long-serving leader of the Turkish Cypriot
community of Cyprus, was born here.
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