Famagusta Holidays

Famagusta, North Cyprus

It is believed there has been a settlement on the site of Famagusta since around 300BC. Although a small seaport, it only gained significance when the Crusaders lost their last stronghold in the Holy Land, Palestinian Acre, in 1391. This was the catalyst for the rise in Famagusta’s fortunes. Fleeing Crusaders and Christian merchants settled in Famagusta and it grew into a wealthy and important city. Churches and convents, of all religions, sprang up but the boom was short-lived. Less than a century later, the Venetians took over and the city went into decline. The fortifications seen today were built during their tenure which also ended when the Ottomans arrived in 1571. Famagusta became Gazimagusa under the Turks, both names are used today, but it continued in its decline. Shielded from a burgeoning modern city, the Venetian walls now enclose the old city as a veritable open-air museum of crumbling churches and a nucleus of narrow streets.

Some of the important places to visit in Famagusta include:

• Salamis Ruins
• St. Nicholas Cathedral (Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque)
• Othello's Tower
• Roman City of Salamis
• Monastery or St. Barnabas
• Karpas Peninsula
• Famagusta Walls (Ramparts)

No visit to Famagusta is complete without a visit to Petek Pastahanesi opposite the Sea Gate, a must for coffee and cake. Even if it’s just to look at the vast array of mouth-watering cakes in the adjoining shop.

Book a package holiday to Famagusta including hotel and flights with North Cyprus Sun Holidays. Car hire in Famagusta, North Cyprus is available at affordable prices.