Northern Cyprus

Abstract

When the island of Cyprus was divided and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was formed, the majority of the finest tourist facilities and beaches were in the north, as was much of the best farming land. Today Northern Cyprus is a beautiful and hospitable country not visited enough by Western tourists, but highly rewarding to those who do visit there. Ancient Salamis is the most impressive and extensive site in Northern Cyprus, and the most visited. More than any of the other archaeological sites on Cyprus, north or south, Salamis reveals the nature of Roman life on the island. Salamis is only 6 miles north of Gazimagusa/Famagusta, some 40 miles east of Girne, and 30 miles east of the Ercan airport. Follow the signs to Gazimagusa, then to ancient Salamis. A small road turns off to the right toward the sea; the entrance to the site is behind a small restaurant overlooking the fine beach and beautiful water beyond, a delightful place for a cooling drink after touring the ruins. In the summer it is likely to be quite hot at the site (and dehydrating), so it is best to arrive early. Perhaps plan on viewing the St. Barnabas monastery and church during the heat of the day. Salamis took its name and its Mycenaean culture from the Greek island of the same name (close to the Athenian port of Piraeus). By the 8th century B.C.E. it was already the leading city-state of the ten others on Cyprus. The city led in the rebellion against the Persians at the battle of Salamis (5th century B.C.E.), which was lost largely because of the defection of the city-state of Kourion. Salamis later supported Alexander the Great in his wars with the Persians, and it subsequently prospered for a brief time. But when Ptolemy I, one of the successors to Alexander, besieged the city, its last king, Nicocreon, committed suicide rather than surrender. His remaining relatives did the same, burning down the palace in the process. During the Roman period Salamis remained an important trading center, though Paphos was the new capital and developed a large Jewish population.