CIPRO

The third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean. It is 70 km south of Turkey, not too far from the Middle Eastern coasts (100 km), and 500 km north of Egypt, between Europe and Asia. About two thirds of its land are occupied by the Republic of Cyprus, that is part of the European Union since the 1st of May 2004. The remaining territory, in the northern part of the island, is occupied by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

The island covers a total area of 9,250 square kilometres.

About 750,000 inhabitants, represented by Greek (85.2%), Turkish (11.6%) and other ethnic groups (3.2%).

The capital city is Nicosia. Located in the centre of the island, this city still remains the only divided capital city in the world (since the fall of the Berlin wall), with its northern and southern portions divided by the Green Line that separates the Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Cyprus is divided into six districts: Famagosta , Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, and Paphos. These are also the most important centres.

Larnaca International Airport - Larnaca.

 Cyprus has always been a strategic post between the civilisations of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and throughout history it always remained under their target. First the Mycenaeans grabbed it, then the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Persians. Alexander the Great took it from them, then Ptolemy succeeded him. Rome took over in 58 BC and kept the place in peace and security until the VII century, when the Byzantine and Islamic empires started three centuries of bickering over it. In 1191, Richard the Lionheart wanted to form a union with Greece, the Turkish population was not so keen. By 1950 the Cypriot Orthodox Church and 96% of Greek Cypriots declared their will to be united to Greece. In August 1960, Britain granted Cyprus its independence, but the intercommunal violence was on the rise so that the United Nations sent in a peace-keeping force. In 1967 a military junta took over the Greek government . In 1974 a Greek-organised coup put in power a puppet leader. Turkey responded by invading the island, forcing 180,000 Greek Cypriots to flee their homes. In 1983 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed a separate state, naming it the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognised as sovereign state only by Turkey. There have been some attempts at rapprochement, but Cyprus still remains divided into two parts. The United Nations reduced their presence on the island and the skirmishes along the borders are increasing. The relationships between the communities got even worse due to the purchase by the Republic of Cyprus of missiles that can reach the Turkish coastline. In their attempt to enter into the European Union, in May 2003 borders were opened for the first time since 1974, enabling about one third of the population to finally see the other part of the island. Nevertheless, during the referendum held on the 24th of April 2004 the Greek Cypriots voted against the reunion. The Republic of Cyprus entered into the European Union on the 1st of May 2004.

The 1st of October (Independence Day).

Presidential Republic.

The official languages are Greek and Turkish. Greek now predominates in the south and Turkish in the north, due to the geographic separation of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities following the Turkish military intervention of 1974 that forced the Greek Cypriot population living in the north to flee in the south, and the Turkish people residing in the southern part to move northwards. Anyway, the Cypriot Greek language was historically spoken by about 82% of the population on the whole island. The remaining part of the population use Turkish as their mother tongue. Following to the British domination, English is widely spoken, too.

The majority of the population of Cyprus, namely 80%, are members of the Orthodox Church. The other religious minorities are represented by the Muslim religion, professed by the Turkish people living mainly in the northern part of the island, and by the Armenian Catholic and Maronite communities.

Cyprus is one hour ahead Italy and applies the Daylight Saving Time.

Travellers need to produce their passports. EU citizens can stay in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or in the Republic of Cyprus for up to three months without a visa. If your passport holds the stamp of Northern Cyprus, you may find yourselves in difficulties while entering the Southern Republic, but usually you do not have any problem when going to Greece. A common habit is therefore to ask the border officers in Northern Cyprus to affix the visa on a separate sheet of paper, not on the passport.

The country's monetary unit is the Cypriot Pound. The Turkish Lira is in use in the north. The currency will be soon replaced by the Euro.

CHECK THE CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE

The main international credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants.

No vaccination is required to visit Cyprus. The are no particular risks in this area. The Italian citizens temporarily visiting this country (a EU member state) for study, tourism or business purposes may receive necessary health treatment provided by the local public health assistance if they produce the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This Health Card replaces the old forms E110, E111, E119 and E128, and is distributed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The best periods to visit the country are April/May and September/October. The summer season, from June to August, may be extremely hot, while wintertime is wet but pleasant. 
 
CHECK THE WEATHER FORECASTS IN REAL TIME

The voltage is 240 volts, and English-type plugs are used.

To call Italy from Cyprus is very simple: dial the country code for Italy 0039, then the Italian area code - including zero for fixed net numbers - and the number you wish to call (for example: to call a fixed net telephone number in Milan from Cyprus just dial 0039 02 63 ...; to call a mobile phone number from Cyprus just dial 0039 392 28 ...).
To call Cyprus from Italy, dial the country code for Cyprus 00357, followed by the number you wish to call.
The GSM network perfectly works in the whole country, therefore also our mobile phones can be used there without problems. Since rates vary according to the operator, it is advisable to get informed about costs before departure to avoid having a bad surprise as soon as you come back to Italy.
Reading or sending an e-mail is no problem at all: each hotel is equipped with internet workstations and several internet points may be found in the main cities.

There are no particular restrictions to take pictures or make amateur videos for private use. As in any other country, it is advisable to politely ask local people for their permission before taking pictures of them, in order not to find yourselves in unpleasant situations. In Northern Cyprus many Muslim women do not like being photographed by strangers.

Southern Cyprus offers many shopping possibilities, especially in the tourist areas of the main cities, where you may find shops selling any kind of souvenirs. Clothing and handicraft as laces and pots are the most remarkable. On the contrary, Northern Cyprus does not offer such a wide range of shops. You may find nice local handicraft, though, such as woven cane items, ceramic vases, and hand woven fabrics, especially in the handicraft centre of Nicosia and in the characteristic streets of Famagosta. The clothing produced in Turkey is sold at very low prices, Italian branded garments too.

The Cypriot cuisine owes its heritage to a mixture of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences and is characterized by a large availability of raw materials. Cypriots devote much of their time to the preparation and the consumption of their meals. Just imagine that their main dish, mezé, consists of 20-30 small portions of hot and warm hors d'oeuvres served with delicious sauces, such as: haloumi, a goat cheese often garnished with mint and grilled, kolokithakia, i.e. courgettes - sometimes stuffed, koupepia and dolmades, vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat, lountza, smoked pork fillet marinated in red wine, tahini, a sesame-seed sauce with lemon, garlic and parsley, and hummus, another sauce prepared with chickpeas, garlic and lemon juice. With such a selection you will definitely find something of your liking. Several are the meat-based dishes: afelia, smoked pork cooked in red wine and coriander seeds, keftedes, fried meatballs, kleftiko, lamb roasted in the traditional terracotta oven, and the famous moussaka, a sort of lasagne prepared with eggplants, potatoes, chopped meat and béchamel sauce. The Cypriot desserts are particularly sweet, since they are prepared with a large quantity of honey. The traditional pudding is the soujoukko, made of almonds soaked several times in a warm grape juice, so as to form a thick layer over them, and then sun dried. The Cypriot wines are excellent, too. The most famous of them is the commandaria, produced since the XII century: it is a dessert red wine made from the blend of grapes left withering in the sun in the vineyards of Zoopigi, Ágios Konstantinos and Kalon Korion. Highly appreciated are also sherry, a local fortified wine, the Greek liqueur ouzo and the Turkish aperitif raki. A well-known Cypriot cocktail is the brandy sour prepared with angostura. Coffee is the national drink to start and finish the day: it is prepared by boiling the powder with sugar, then pouring it in the hot cup without filtering: in short, a Turkish coffee.

Many music festivals take place both in the north and in the south, such as:

Southern Cyprus:
June - Pafia Festival in Paphos
July - Larnaca Festival in Larnaca
June/July - Festival in Agia Napa
October - National Festival in the whole country

Northern Cyprus:
June/July - Orange festival in the town of Guzelyurt
June/July - International music festival of Bellapais
June/July - International festival of Famagosta
September/October - The Music Festival of northern Cyprus, taking place in extremely evocative sites, such as Bellapais abbey, Salamina amphitheatre and Kyrenia castle.
Obviously, the programmes may differ in the course of the year. It is therefore advisable to ask your tour operator for further information before leaving, or else to apply to the hotel staff at you arrival.

Cyprus offers a wide range of nightlife opportunities. You can enjoy the folkloristic exhibitions with traditional music and dances in many clubs and restaurants both in cities and villages. Nearly all hotels in Southern Cyprus include casinos and discos. Limassol is very well-known for its lively nightlife, but Nicosia offers a wide choice of different places, too. Coffee-bars are an institution in Cyprus, a long-established custom that allow people to meet and have a chat in total relax.

The festivals in the Republic of Cyprus are the same of Greece. The most solemn event for the Orthodox church is Easter, celebrated with suggestive processions by candlelight, fireworks and banquets. The date is not always the same, since it is 50 days after the first Sunday in Lent - another highly-celebrated feast. On the 1st of October the population celebrates the Independence Day. The most representative Carnival festival takes place in February in Limassol, with parades of people wearing typical costumes. The same city organizes in August the renowned wine festival, an oenological exhibition with tasting and gastronomy. On the contrary, in the north people observe the Muslim festivals, the most important being the Ramadam - a month characterized by the daytime fasting, from dawn to sunset. The end of the Ramadan is marked by the festival of Eid al-Fitr, during which the believers pray together, visit friends, make presents to each other and prepare banquets. The Proclamation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is celebrated on the 15th of November.

1) The old town of Nicosia
2) The Byzantine Museum in the Archbishop's Palace of Nicosia, where you may admire a wonderful collection of mosaics and sacred icons.
3) Büyük Hammam, the largest Turkish bath in Nicosia.
4) The city of Paphos: the Tombs of the Kings and the Dionysos mosaics.
5) Troödos Mountains and its monasteries.
6) Famagosta, the city in which Shakespeare set his Othello.
7) The Othello's Tower in Famagosta - according to the legend, Christophoro Moor (the governor of Cyprus from 1506 to 1058) killed here his wife Desdemona.
8) Kyrenia (Girne), the nicest coast city of the island
9) Polis and the Akamas peninsula, an ideal place for promenades or mountain biking routes.
10) Salamis, the best archaeological site in the country.

1) Windsurfing and sailing towards peninsulas and promontories where the wind is stronger.
2) Diving in the most famous tourist places
3) Excursions on foot and by mountain bike in the Akamas peninsula and in the region of Troödos.
4) Skiing on the north-eastern face of Olympus Mount.
5) Golf in the district of Pathos.

- Not to forget
It is advisable to bring light clothing for the summer period, while in-between-season garments could be needed at night in the month of May, June, September and October.

- Religious places- Tourists are invited to respect the religious traditions and to wear proper clothing while visiting churches, monasteries and mosques. Short and scanty garments are not adequate to visit the traditional, still partially unspoiled villages of some areas of the Troödos Mountains.
- Tips - Tips are not compulsory, but it is quite a common habit.

- Safety - Cyprus is not a dangerous country. It is anyway advisable to take the usual small precautions in order to avoid any problem.

Via S. Sofia, 6 - Milan - Italy
Phone: 0039 02 5831 9835
Fax: 0039 02 5830 3375
E-mail: info@turismocipro.it
www.turismocipro.it

Via F. Denza, 15 - Rome - Italy
Phone: 0039 06 8088 365
Fax: 0039 06 8088 338
E-mail: emb.rome@flashnet.it 

25th Martiou 11, 2408 Egkomi
Lefkosia - Nicosia
Phone: 00357 22 357 635
Fax: 00357 22 357 616
E-mail: ambnico.mail@esteri.it
www.ambnicosia.esteri.it/Ambasciata_Nicosia