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Girne ( Kyrenia)
Girne is the ''Tourism capital' of
Northern Cyprus and probably
one of the loveliest Locations anywhere in the
Mediterranean. With its horseshoe shaped harbour dominated
by Girne Castle and antique warehouses. Which have
become cafes, restaurants, and bars. The backdrop to
the town is the five Finger Mountain range peaked.
Just behind the town, by Richard ten Lion heart's
St.Hilarion Castle. The harbour is in the main Focal point
of the town. Join the locales in early evenings stroll past
the multi-coloured fishing boats and yachts. Then settle
down in one of the cafes and watch the world go by.
| Girne boasts a wide
variety of Hotels and Guesthouses. It also offers and
Array of Restaurants both local and international. Local
restaurants generally offer Meze, Which is a collection
small appetizers |
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Followed by Kebabs or fish. There are also some restaurants, which specialise in
Cypriot home cooking serving local vegetable dishes such as molohiya and kolokas. Those who enjoyed French, Italian,
Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and English cuisine are also well
catered for.
Girne is ideal as a base for a holiday in Northern Cyprus or
as a holiday destination in itself.
Settlement in the Girne area dates back to neotolic
times, and under the influence of the Anatolian coastal
civilisations during the Bronze Age, the population in the
region grew. Until 312 BC. Girne was and independent city
kingdom, but was then over by salamis. The name Girne
believed to date back to that time. Ptolemy ( King of Salamis)
apparently referred to the town as ''keravina'' which means
Aphrodite with the Thunderbolt.
During the tenth century the Phoenicians settled and
established a trading post. And during Roman times the area
was granted a relatively large amount of Autonomy, allowing
it develop along its own lines. In fact, Girne during Roman
times was Christian even before Christianity had become the
official religion of the Roman Empire. During roman rule the
importance of the port as an access to markets in Asia Minor
helped the town to grow in both stature and status.
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In 1192 Girne fell to the Crusaders led by Richard the
lion heart, but was then handed on Louisianans who divided the
region into feudal estates. Interestingly, some place names
closely resemble the names given to them by the Frankish
overlords. The village of Temblos ( Zeytinlik in Turkish)
was the estate of knights Templar. Karmi Village ( Karaman
in Turkish) was the property of the Carmelites. And Agrida
(Agirdag in Turkish) was known as La Gride by the Franks.
During Venetian rule were extended and strengthened. But
their efforts were in vain as 1571 the ottomans took Girne
without a single shot being fired. After the ottoman
conquest Girne entered
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something of a decline due to the fact that as part of
greater Ottoman empire, and surrounded by lands also within
that realm the strategic and economic value of the town was
negligible. after British took over the administration of
Cyprus in 1889 attempts were made to improve and renovate
Girne harbour with a view to increasing trade and shipping.
However it was hard for the harbour to shake off its
reputation as a 'shipwrecked'.
In recent time Girne has developed into a popular tourist
resort, but fortunately for those who live in to visit the
town it has never been overrun by tourists.
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