Famagusta

By bus from Kyrenia, the ancient town of Famagusta is about a 75-minute ride to the east coast. It was quite hot here during our visit, but not as humid as it was in Kyrenia. We spent an enjoyable evening exploring the ruins of the Old Town and walking along the top of the Venetian wall which surrounds it. Of particular interest was the Mustafa Pasha Mosque, which was formerly the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, many of the churches were converted into mosques. In the above photo, you can see the minaret that was added to the church. Also, all images of human form were removed, all frescoes were covered in plaster, the altars and statues were destroyed, and, to complete the conversion, the floor was covered with a carpet.