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Kyrenia (Girne)

Kyrenia (Girne) has always been governed by the sea. Its natural harbour, once coveted by anyone with dreams of empire and bustling with traders and exporters, is today just as popular with visitors whose only desire is to stroll the seaside strand and hop on a boat cruise around the bay.

Catch a whiff of the days long gone by strolling the narrow twisty lanes of the Old Town. Then climb up the honey-coloured fortifications of the Byzantine castle, lording it up over the horseshoe-shaped inlet, and stare down at the fishing boats bobbing in the water. Afterwards, join the flocks of day-trippers and travellers taking up residence outside the former carob warehouses that now house harbourside restaurants. Here on the waterfront is the ideal spot to ponder this ancient port’s mammoth history while staring out to sea.

Explore Kyrenia (Girne)

  • Kyrenia Castle

    If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over…

  • O
    Old Town

    Wrapping around the Old Harbour, the diminutive Old Town is an atmospheric area for a wander. Its winding alleyways hold a jumble of abandoned stone…

  • A
    Archangelos Michael Icon Museum

    The 19th-century Archangelos Michael Church, with its white bell tower rising up above the surrounding harbourside buildings, displays icons dating from…

  • C
    Cyprus House

    This lovingly restored old carob warehouse on the harbour contains interesting ethnographic exhibits of traditional clothing, furniture and Cypriot…

  • C
    Chysopolitissa Church

    This small roofless ruin is Kyrenia's oldest church, dating back to the 1500s. It's usually kept open so you can check out the two intricately carved wood…

  • G
    Greco-Roman Tombs

    These ancient tombs, carved into the rock face, and usually partially obscured by parked vehicles, are thought to have been used in the Hellenistic and…

  • S
    St Andrew's Anglican Church

    Built in 1913, this unassuming, whitewashed church still holds Sunday services for Kyrenia's small Anglican community of foreign residents.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Kyrenia (Girne).

  • See

    Kyrenia Castle

    If the grand fortifications of Kyrenia Castle could talk, they could sure tell some tales. The castle was first built by the Byzantines – possibly over…

  • See

    Old Town

    Wrapping around the Old Harbour, the diminutive Old Town is an atmospheric area for a wander. Its winding alleyways hold a jumble of abandoned stone…

  • See

    Archangelos Michael Icon Museum

    The 19th-century Archangelos Michael Church, with its white bell tower rising up above the surrounding harbourside buildings, displays icons dating from…

  • See

    Cyprus House

    This lovingly restored old carob warehouse on the harbour contains interesting ethnographic exhibits of traditional clothing, furniture and Cypriot…

  • See

    Chysopolitissa Church

    This small roofless ruin is Kyrenia's oldest church, dating back to the 1500s. It's usually kept open so you can check out the two intricately carved wood…

  • See

    Greco-Roman Tombs

    These ancient tombs, carved into the rock face, and usually partially obscured by parked vehicles, are thought to have been used in the Hellenistic and…

  • See

    St Andrew's Anglican Church

    Built in 1913, this unassuming, whitewashed church still holds Sunday services for Kyrenia's small Anglican community of foreign residents.

Guidebooks

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