Cyprus’ 5 Historical but Exotic Places
Cyprus is an island nation located in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. This country is often associated with Turkey because it is located very near to Turkey, which is 113 km in the south of Turkey.
Cyprus is known as a multicultural country. You will find Turkey and Greek culture developed a lot in here. Most people visiting Cyprus will find it difficult to distinguish between the two cultures because there are some similarities that are seen. With these two cultures combined, Cyprus is seen as a very rich country.
There is one unique nickname given to Cyprus, people sometimes call Cyprus as “The Land of Love”. This nickname has a story behind it.
According to the story, Aphrodite, the god of love was born in this country. One day, Mark Anthony presented his girlfriend, Cleopatra, an island, and it was the island of Cyprus.
Seeing this, Cleopatra felt really happy and started planting this island with local plants. Later, Cleopatra used these plants to make exotic scented perfumes. This story is also reinforced by the fact that in 2007 the oldest perfume in the world was found in the Pyrgos area. This perfume is estimated to be 4000 years old.
The people who is living in this country are known as multi-religious people. Most of the population adheres to the orthodox autocephalous religion, while the rest of the population adheres to Muslim and the rest adheres maronite or armenian apostolic religion.
This is what causes this country to become a multicultural country. The Cyprus people are called the Cypriots. People here usually speak Turkish or Greek, but it is not uncommon and you will hear the people there speaking English because Cyprus was a British colony back then.
Besides having a very diverse culture, Cyprus is also known to have tourist attractions which are indeed a favorite of many tourists. If you have a plan to travel to a tourist destination that promises you an exotic place, then Cyprus is the right choice!
There are three places that have been named as The World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in Cyprus. Are you guys curious? If the answer is yes, then keep on reading because we are going to talk about these exotic places in Cyprus.
Paphos
Paphos, or better known as the city of Pafos is the main tourist destination that you really have to visit if you want to go to Cyprus. The city of Paphos is near to Syria, the only thing in between them is the sea.
It was in this city that many believed that the god of love or Aphrodite was born into the world. However, the famous tourist attraction in Pafos is the very opposite of the word love. It is The Tombs of Kings.
In this antique cemetery, you will be presented with graves that is heavily influenced by ancient Egyptian traditions while the sound of the waves and wind that will accompany your visit to this place. With that vibe, The Tombs of Kings can be said to be one of the exotic places in Cyprus.
In The Tombs of The Kings, you will find a collection of underground graves intended for the aristocrats and wealthy people of their time. This grave was built during the Hellenistic and Roman times.
As mentioned earlier, these graves have a building style that is very thick with ancient Egyptian traditions, where the grave was built to resemble a person’s house as if they were still alive. The atmosphere in this place will really make you feel as if you are traveling back in time.
There are 8 cemeteries there, each of them has a large area with stairs going down that will take you to the underground area. The supporting pillars of this grave do not look too intact, but the mystical and magical impression is still very much felt.
Especially considering The Tombs of Kings is placed facing the sea, this place is truly the right place as the eternal final resting place.
Troodos Mountains
The Troodos Mountains is the next exotic places in Cyprus. In the past Byzantine period, the Troodos mountain region was the center of copper supply for the entire Mediterranean region. Apart from the center of copper, this area was also the center of art at that time.
The mountains that stretch in the western part of Cyprus have other tourist attractions besides the mountains. Beside the highest peak of the mountains, Mount Olympus, which is often visited by tourists who like to ski, there are also many churches in this area.
These ten unique churches have something that no other church in any part of the world has. In terms of architecture, these churches’ building complex looks very simple and has a rustic impression.
The unique thing is, inside of these churches, especially the ceiling and walls of the church are decorated with paintings typical of the byzantine period that occurred in Cyprus. This painting seems to give a picture of what happened at that time.
If you are curious and really want to see the uniqueness of this church, you can visit the church that is closest to the city center, it is the Panagia Asinou Church which is located 50 kilometers in west of Nicosia. By visiting this place, it will make you feel what it was like to live in Cyprus in the byzantine era.
Choirokoitia
Cyprus is truly a place that is so steeped in history. This can be seen from historical things that we can find in Cyprus.
Choirokoitia for the example, which is prehistoric times archaeological site in in Cyprus. Choirokoitia is a Neolithic settlement that has an important role in describing aspects of cultural expansion in eastern Mediterranean.
Through Choirokoitia, we can find out how burials, religious practices and the use of statues for certain rituals at that time. This site is really rich of knowledge, you won’t regret visiting it.
Akamas Peninsula
But Cyprus is not only about historical places, do you want to go to a beach because you miss the summer atmosphere? Pay a visit to the Akamas Peninsula. This exotic place in Cyprus is located on the west coast of Cyprus.
Akamas Peninsula is said to be a National Park, although it has not been fully inaugurated yet. With all of the exciting spots here, you will never get bored if you come and visit this place. This is really one of the exotic places in Cyprus that is worth to visit.
A beach called Blue Lagoon is the most popular place on Akamas Island. If you visit this beach, you can sail the sea by boat.
The blue and clear waters will allow you to see through to the bottom of the sea. If you are faced with this view, of course you can do snorkeling.
The calm water will make you feel like you have spent a lot of time here. However, if you want to see where the green turtles lay eggs, then you should visit Lara Beach. This beach has soft golden sand, the water is just as beautiful as the Blue Lagoon.
As well as snorkeling, for those of you who like hiking, head to the northern area of Akamas. This area is the most accessible for hiking.
This area is also adjacent to the Baths of Aphrodite, which is a cave that has a shallow pool. This cave is surrounded by ferns and other large trees.
There is a fountain which, according to myth, is the place where the god Aphrodite met her lover, Adonis. People believe that this spring has the property of youth.
Kyrenia
Kyrenia is actually a city located on the northern coast of Cyprus. However, this city has a historical harbor and a castle which makes it one of the exotic places in Cyprus.
The Kyrenia Castle, which is the main attraction of this city, is located right at the entrance to its famous harbor. This castle was first established by the Romans in the first century.
You can imagine how old this castle is, but because of its excellent and correct management, until now the Kyrenia Castle still stands firmly and majestically.
There is an entrance at the western corner of the castle, which leads directly to the central square area of the castle. This area is fairly well guarded because there is a guard room surrounding it.
You will also find many cellars and a storage room that was used to store gunpowder in preparation for war.
While opposite of the castle, the busy harbor will be a sight that you often see, but this is a sight that you can’t easily get anywhere else. You can visit the restaurants around the port, while feeling the breezy breeze and the delicious food served.
These restaurants used to be a residence or warehouse back then in the first century. Although it has changed functions, the authenticity of the original building design still stands still.
