Week 10: Cyprus

During my tenth week of study abroad, a group of us from the program traveled to Cyprus, an island located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We landed in Larnaca, on the coast of the island, and then traveled inland to Nicosia. Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, marks the division between the Greek Cypriots, occupying the southern half of the island, and the Turkish Cypriots, occupying the northern half of the island. The area dividing the island is known as the Green Line or the Line of Ceasefire, and is patrolled by the United Nations. This area has remained uninhabited since the Turkish Invasion of 1974, and is referred to as the dead zone because of the many abandoned buildings. It was very interesting to see the area of division and the stark contrast between the dead zone and the bustling city of Nicosia on the Greek Cypriot side of the island. 

Next, we traveled to Paphos, and stopped on our journey to see the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite:

We continued on to the archaeological site of Paphos, where we saw some of the most amazing mosaics in the world. 

After stopping for lunch, we traveled to the Tomb of the Kings, a site containing many elaborate underground tombs carved out of rock.

On the way back to Nicosia, we stopped for a short time at Khirokitia, a very well preserved Neolithic settlement. 

The next day, we visited the Cyprus Museum, home to a large number of Cypriot antiquities.

Next, we stopped at the Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, a museum dedicated to the unique history of Cyprus. 

Our last stop was at the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque on the way back to the airport in Larnaca. The mosque is considered to be the third holiest place in the world for Muslims. On our way out of the mosque, everyone was attacked by the many cats loitering around the area, which most people didn't seem to mind.