Famagusta: The History of Cyprus's Coastal Paradise

By Esha Bajaj

 By A.Savin (Wikimedia Commons · WikiPhotoSpace) - Own work, FAL, Link

The city of Famagusta is located on the eastern cost of Cyprus. The city is known for the fact that it houses the deepest harbor in all of Cyprus. Back in Medieval times, the city was crucial to Cyprus, as it was their portal to the outside world and all the economic benefits that came with foreign trade. It was especially crucial in order to access the ports of the Levant, which was from where Silk Road traders took their wares to Western Europe.

Famagusta, being a port city, is also very well known for its beaches. The Greek name for the city is Ammochostos, which literally translates to "hidden in sand".  The city also bears the nickname, "the city of 365 churches" due to stories that at one point, the city of Famagusta had a church to match every day of the year.

Come explore all the rich history and wondrous sights Famagusta has to offer with Philomobile's Yoga Retreat in Cyprus! For more information, click here.

First Stop: Karpas

By Esha Bajaj

The Golden Beach
By Franco Pecchio - originally posted to Flickr as 200709_Cyprus_7, CC BY 2.0

The Karaps Peninsula, the first stop on Philomobile's Yoga retreat in Cyprus, is a long sliver of land home to 46 beaches. Because of its geographical orientation, it has been left relatively untouched by humans, and as a result, the peninsula is home to many different species of wildlife. 

Many small farms can be found throughout the Peninsula, which are mainly used for personal consumption, although some crops are still sold commercially throughout the island. These farms are most well known for their watermelon harvests. 

The Peninsula's town of Rizokarpaso mainly caters to micro-tourism, and these watermelons, along with authentic Turkish-Cypriot Cuisine can be found throughout it. 

Join Philomobile's yoga retreat in Cyprus to get a taste for yourself!

The Treasure of Bellapais

By Esha Bajaj

Bellapais Abbey

Ballapais, a small village in the Kyrenia District of Northern Cyprus, is best known for the Bellapais Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Peace. It was built in the 13th century by the canons regular of the Premonstratensian order, and although it is in ruins today, its beauty remains immortalized in both the magnificent, adorned arches which line it, as well as the view from the top, which canvases the Kyrenia district and the Mediterranean sea. Monastic buildings surround the monument on the north side, an extremely significant feature, for in Britain, these buildings would have appeared on the south side. This anomaly illustrates the impact Cyprus had on its conquerors, for instead of following convention and erecting the Monastic buildings on the south side, the climate of the island nation demanded they be placed on the north in order to allow the residents of the buildings access to the cool breezes of the north in the midst of the hot Mediterranean climate of Cyprus.

Join Philomobile to see Bellapais with your own eyes! Click here for more information.

Salamis: The Ancient Hub of Cyprus

By Esha Bajaj

Although it rests in ruins today, the Ancient city of Salamis used to be a commercial and cultural hub of the island nation of Cyprus. Due to Cyprus's history as a conquest of numerous great world powers over the centuries, the city is referenced in the great Homeric epics of Greece, in which it is stated that the city was founded by the archer Teucer soon after the Trojan War. 

The Greeks were not the only peoples who brought Salamis into their writings. The Egyptians too wrote of the city's former majesty, and it is believed that the character Tjekker from the Egyptian records was meant to be none other than Teucer, the Greek hero and supposed founder of Salamis. 

It is no wonder different empires fought over the claim of Salamis's creation, for the city was a monument to the mercantile roots of the ancient world. The city boomed due to its harbor, which was the main conduit for trade for Cyprus, linking the nation to Phoenicia, Egypt, and Cilicia. 

Unfortunately, as Salamis was the portal to the riches of Cyprus, it became prey to endure a war torn history. After being snatched from the Persians by an Egyptian naval victory, Salamis was destroyed by a Jewish revolt against the Egyptians in 115 CE. Soon after, it was ravaged by a series of devastating earthquakes. The city was not completely rebuilt until the  reign of the Christian emperor Constantius II (337-361 CE). After finishing the reconstruction, Constantius II renamed the city after himself, and Salamis became Constantia. The city spent three centuries enjoying a golden age of trade and economic prosperity until the city was once again destroyed by the Arabs under the rule of Muʿāwiyah in 648 CE. The city was abandoned soon after, and today what remains of Salamis is in ruins, a ghost of its former glory. However, the city's beauty persists. To experience the history for yourself, join Pilomobile for a Yoga adventure through the island nation next summer! Click here for more information.