Guzelyurt

The town of Guzelyurt is the region capital of the Guzelyurt district and is known as the fruit bowl of Northern Cyprus. The town, located in the west, is surrounded by extensive citrus groves, which makes this area the greenest on the island. The reason for this is the abundance of water running down from the Trodos Mountains, which lie, to the south.

Guzelyurt is not a typical tourist destination, but is interesting to those who wants to see parts of Northern Cyprus not in the least affected by tourism. Besides, Guzelyurt houses a history and archaeology museum, a covered market and some rather beautiful Orthodox churches. Also within Guzelyurt district is the picturesque town of Leftke (the site of Cyprus’ now defunct copper mines), the Roman ruins at Soli, and the hilltop palace of Vouni.

LEFKE

A visit to the oasis like town of Lefke, with its date palms and citrus orchards, is a must for those who wish to view some excellent examples of Ottoman architecture.

Lefke has been predominantly inhabited by Turks since 1951 and possesses some of the most fertile soil on the island, giving its fruit the reputation of being the best in Cyprus. Running through the town are remains of ancient Roman aqueducts used for irrigation. There are two sites of particular interest. One is the Piri Osman Pasha mosque in the upper part of the town. The other is the tomb of the Wesir Osman Pasha with its highly decorative sarcophagus.

VOUNI PALACE

The ruins of Vouni Palace are located on a hilltop offering fantastic panoramic views of the Troodos mountain range, the Girne mountains and the central plain of Cyprus. The Palace was build by the Pro-Persian Pheonician King of Doxandros of Marion as a vantage point from which to keep a watchfull eye on his potentially rebellious pro-Greek subjects in Soil and probably dates back to the fifth century BC.