Bellapais Abbey - Northern Cyprus (Kyrenia)
#Bellapais #Abbey, or the Abbey of Beautiful Peace (from French: Abbaye de la Belle Paix), is the ruin of a monastery built by Canons Regular in the 13th century on the northern side of the small village of Bellapais, now in Turkish-controlled #Northern #Cyprus, about five kilometres from the town of #Kyrenia. The ruin is at an altitude of 220m above sea level, and commands a long view down to Kyrenia and the #Mediterranean sea.
The site is also a museum, which hosts a #restaurant and a cafe. The Abbey's refectory now serves as a venue for concerts and lectures. In early summer it is also a venue for a local #music #festival.
Opening hours from June to mid-September are 9am to 7pm; the winter hours are 9am to 1 pm and 2pm to 4:45pm. Opening hours from mid-September to May are 9am to 5pm. There is an admission charge of 9 TL.
Structure:
The abbey consists of a church and a cloister, with most of the monastic buildings surrounding the cloister. In #Britain these would normally be built on the south side of the church to shelter the living quarters from the cold air from the north. At #Bellapais, the #monastic buildings are on the north, probably to be cooler, although occasionally the lay of the land dictated position.
The Abbey's main entrance is through a fortified gate on the south side, with a tower that is a later addition, and a forecourt. The gateway replaced an earlier drawbridge.
The church, which dates to the 13th century, itself borders the courtyard and is the best preserved part of the complex. The Italian murals on the facade may date to the 15th century. The church has a flat roof and a belfry, with only one surviving bell, above the entrance. The church consists of a nave with two side aisles, a choir and a sacristy. The surviving decorations include an intricately carved pulpit, the bishop's throne, and five chandeliers. It is possible that the graves of several Lusignan kings rest beneath the floor of the church.
The forecourt leads to the cloister, which has 18 arches. Under one of the arches on the north side there are two #Roman #sarcophagi that the canons once used as lavabos. The sarcophagi are one above the other, with the upper one being decorated, and the lower one plain. Water flowed from the upper to the lower, and then out a channel to the cloister garden.
Behind the sarcophagi there is a door that leads to the canons' refectory. The door's lintel contains coats of arms of #Cyprus, Jerusalem, and the #Lusignans. The refectory is Gothic in design and is the finest room in the Abbey. It includes a pulpit that projects from the north wall, six windows on the north wall that illuminate the space, and a rose window on the eastern wall. The room is 30m long and 10m wide, with seven columns that extend from the side walls to support the roof. While the canons ate their meals, a lector in the pulpit would read to them from the scriptures or the lives of the saints. The six windows provide a lovely view across the countryside to the sea. A door on the western wall leads to the kitchen and to a cellar built under the refectory. The rooms between the refectory and the kitchen may once have been the abbey's lavatories.
The chapter house is on the eastern side of the cloister, as is the undercroft. The chapter house functioned as the abbey's administrative office, and the undercroft contained workrooms. The chapter house has an interesting Gothic stone carving. The carving depicts a man with a double ladder on his back, a second man between two sirens, a woman reading, two beasts attacking a man, a woman with a rosary, a monkey and a cat in the foliage of a pear tree under which there is a man holding a shield, and a canon wearing a cloak. The column in the center of the chapter house may have come from a #Byzantine #church. The canons' cells were on a second floor, above the chapter house and the undercroft.
There are several stairs from the cloisters. Three give access to the roof. On the south side of the cloister there is a pair of stairs that lead to the abbey's treasury room, which is in the northwest corner of the monastery.
Saint Hilarion Castle - Kyrenia (Northern Cyprus)
The Saint Hilarion Castle lies on the Kyrenia mountain range, in Cyprus near Kyrenia (Girne). This location provided the castle with command of the pass road from Kyrenia to Nicosia. It is the best preserved ruin of the three former strongholds in the Kyrenia mountains, the others being Kantara and Buffavento.
Saint Hilarion was originally a monastery, named after a monk who allegedly chose the site for his hermitage, with a monastery and a church built there in the 10th century. Starting in the 11th century, the Byzantines began fortification. Saint Hilarion formed the defense of the island with the castles of Buffavento and Kantara against Arab pirates raiding the coast. Some sections were further upgraded under the Lusignan rule, who may have used it as a summer residence. During the rule of Lusignans, the castle was the focus of a four-year struggle between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Regent John d' Ibelin for control of Cyprus.
The castle has three divisions or wards. The lower and middle wards served economic purposes, while the upper ward housed the royal family. The lower ward had the stables and the living quarters for the men-at-arms. The Prince John tower sits on a cliff high above the lower castle. The church lies on the middle ward. The upper ward was reserved for the Royals and can be entered via a well-preserved archway. Farm buildings are located in the west close to the royal apartments. Along the western wall, there is a scenic view of the northern coast of Cyprus, overlooking the city of Kyrenia (Girne), from the Queen's Window.
#SaintHilarionCastle
#Cyprus
Kyrenia Castle - Kyrenia (Northern Cyprus)
Kyrenia Castle (Greek: Κάστρο της Κερύνειας Turkish: Girne Kalesi), at the east end of the old harbour in Kyrenia is a 16th-century castle built by the Venetians over a previous Crusader fortification. Within its walls lies a twelfth-century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals, and the Shipwreck Museum.
History:
Kyrenia has existed since the 10th century BC. Excavations have revealed Greek traces that date back to the 7th century BC, but the site was developed into a city under Roman rule.
Kyrenia Castle, view from the Old harbour
Research carried out at the site suggests that the Byzantines built the original castle in the 7th Century to guard the city against the new Arab maritime threat. The first historical reference to the castle occurs in 1191, when King Richard the Lionheart of England captured it on his way to the Third Crusade. He did so by defeating Isaac Comnenus, an upstart local governor who had proclaimed himself emperor.
After a short period, Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar, and then to his cousin Guy de Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem. This began the 300 years of the Frankish Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192–1489). Initially the castle was quite small. John d'Ibelin enlarged it between 1208 and 1211. The Castle's main function was military and the improvements consisted of a new entrance, square and horseshoe-shaped towers, embrasures for archers, and dungeons.
The castle was subjected to several sieges. A Genoese attack in 1373 almost destroyed the castle, and the longest amongst the sieges, in the 15th century, lasted nearly four years and reduced the unfortunate occupants to eating mice and rats. By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus and in 1540 they enlarged the castle, giving it its present-day appearance. The chief changes, such as the addition of thick walls and embrasures for cannons, were adaptations to changes in warfare in the form of gunpowder artillery. The Venetians also installed gun ports at three levels so that they could direct cannon fire against attackers from the land. Inside the castle, they built huge long ramps so as to be able to drag artillery up on the walls. When the work on the castle was finished, its walls also encompassed the small church of St. George, which the Byzantines may have built in the 11th or 12th century.
Kyrenia Castle's courtyard
In 1570, Kyrenia surrendered to the Ottomans. The Ottomans too made changes to the castle, but the British removed these during their occupation. The castle contains the tomb of the Ottoman Admiral Sadik Pasha. The British used the castle as a police barracks and training school. They also used the castle as a prison for members of the Greek Cypriot EOKA organization.
The Kyrenia Department of Antiquities took over custodianship of the castle in 1950, though it reverted to British control during the EOKA turmoil. The Department regained control in 1959 and since 1960 the castle has been open to the public. However, during the period from 1963 to 1967 the Cypriot National Guard used the castle as a military headquarters. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, in 1974 the Girne Department of Antiquities and Museums took over responsibility for the castle's preservation and use. The Department is keeping icons that were collected from churches in the Kyrenia area pre-1974 and has stored them in the castle's locked rooms for safekeeping. Some of these are now on display in the Archangel Michael Church.
Bellapais Monastery Kyrenia North Cyprus Aerial Filming
DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Flight over Bellapais Monastery, Kyrenia, North Cyprus..
15th February 2017..
Bellapais Abbey, or the Abbey of Peace (from French: Abbaye de la Belle Paix), is the ruin of a monastery built by Canons Regular in the 13th century on the northern side of the small village of Bellapais, now in Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus, about five kilometers from the town of Kyrenia. The ruin is at an altitude of 220m above sea level, and commands a long view down to Kyrenia and the Mediterranean sea.
The site of the Abbey may have served the Bishops of Kyrenia as a residence, and as a place of refuge from Arab raids in the 7th and 8th centuries. The first occupants known to have settled on or near the site were the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, who had fled Jerusalem after its fall in 1187 to Saladin. The canons had been the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Aimery de Lusignan founded the monastery, with the first buildings dating to between 1198-1205. The abbey was consecrated as the Abbey of St. Mary of the Mountain. The White Canons (Norbertines or Premonstratensians) succeeded the founding canons in 1206. Consequently, documents from the 15th and 16th century refer to Bellapais as the White Abbey.
The main building as it can be seen today was built during the rule of King Hugh III 1267-1284. The cloisters and the refectory were constructed during the rule of King Hugh IV between 1324-1359. Hugh IV lived in the abbey and had apartments constructed for his use.
In 1373, the Genoese raided Kyrenia, almost destroying Kyrenia Castle. The Genoese stripped Bellapais of anything that was portable and of any value.
By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus. They shortened the Abbey's name to De la Pais (Of Peace), which in turn became Bellapais. By the time of the Venetians, the inhabitants of the Abbey had abandoned the Premonstratensian Rule. Reportedly, canons took wives, and then to keep the business within the family, accepted only their children as novices.
Following the Ottoman conquest of Kyrenia and Kyrenia Castle in 1571, the Ottomans expelled the Premonstratensians and gave the abbey to the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which they appointed as the only legal Christian church on Cyprus. The Church of Cyprus neglected the Abbey, which fell into disrepair. However, the abbey church itself came to serve as the parish church for the village that grew up around it, and whose inhabitants may have used the abbey as a quarry for stone.
During the period of British control of Cyprus (1878-1960), the British Army initially took control of Bellapais. In 1878 they cemented the floor of the refectory, which they then used as a hospital. Unfortunately, the soldiers also fired off small arms in the refectory; one may still see bullet holes in the east wall. Then in 1912 George Jeffery, Curator of the Ancient Monuments of Cyprus, undertook repairs of the abbey.
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Kyrenia Castle, Northern Cyprus
Kyrenia Castle, at the east end of the old harbour in Kyrenia is a 16th-century castle built by the Venetians over a previous Crusader fortification. Within its walls lies a twelfth-century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals, and the Shipwreck Museum. Research carried out at the site suggests that the Byzantines built the original castle in the 7th Century to guard the city against the new Arab maritime threat. The first historical reference to the castle occurs in 1191, when King Richard the Lionheart of England captured it on his way to the Third Crusade. After a short period, Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar, and then to his cousin Guy de Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem. Initially the castle was quite small. John d'Ibelin enlarged it between 1208 and 1211. The Castle's main function was military and the improvements consisted of a new entrance, square and horseshoe-shaped towers, embrasures for archers, and dungeons.
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Bellapais Monastery - Kyrenia - Cyprus
The site of the Abbey may have served the Bishops of Kyrenia as a residence, and as a place of refuge from Arab raids in the 7th and 8th centuries. The first occupants known to have settled on or near the site were the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, who had fled Jerusalem after its fall in 1187 to Saladin. The canons had been the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Aimery de Lusignan founded the monastery, with the first buildings dating to between 1198-1205. The abbey was consecrated as the Abbey of St. Mary of the Mountain. The White Canons (Norbertines or Premonstratensians) succeeded the founding canons in 1206. Consequently, documents from the 15th and 16th century refer to Bellapais as the White Abbey.
The main building as it can be seen today was built during the rule of King Hugh III 1267-1284. The cloisters and the refectory were constructed during the rule of King Hugh IV between 1324-1359. Hugh IV lived in the abbey and had apartments constructed for his use.
In 1373, the Genoese raided Kyrenia, almost destroying Kyrenia Castle. The Genoese stripped Bellapais of anything that was portable and of any value.
By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus. They shortened the Abbey's name to De la Pais (Of Peace), which in turn became Bellapais. By the time of the Venetians, the inhabitants of the Abbey had abandoned the Premonstratensian Rule. Reportedly, canons took wives, and then to keep the business within the family, accepted only their children as novices.
Following the Ottoman conquest of Kyrenia and Kyrenia Castle in 1571, the Ottomans expelled the Premonstratensians and gave the abbey to the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which they appointed as the only legal Christian church on Cyprus. The Church of Cyprus neglected the Abbey, which fell into disrepair. However, the abbey church itself came to serve as the parish church for the village that grew up around it, and whose inhabitants may have used the abbey as a quarry for stone.
During the period of British control of Cyprus (1878-1960), the British Army initially took control of Bellapais. In 1878 they cemented the floor of the refectory, which they then used as a hospital. Unfortunately, the soldiers also fired off small arms in the refectory; one may still see bullet holes in the east wall. Then in 1912 George Jeffery, Curator of the Ancient Monuments of Cyprus, undertook repairs of the abbey.
Die Abtei Bellapais, im 13. Jh errichtet, gilt als gotisches Kleinod. Nebenan befindet sich ein berühmter Maulbeerbaum, dessen Geschichte Lawrence Durrell in dem Buch Bittere Limonen veröffentlicht hat.
Die Stadt Girne (die Griechen nennen sie Kyrenia) wird als schönste unter Zyperns Städten gerühmt. Die Zitadelle mit dem 2300 Jahre alten Schiffswrack ergänzt den Eindruck.
Nähere Angaben stehen als Kommentar unter den entsprechenden Fotos.
A journey through yesterday and today with the Latin religious group of Cyprus (part 1)
A documentary about the contribution of the Latin religious group into the multicultural mosaic of Cyprus. It starts from the conquest of Cyprus by Richard the Lionheart in 1191, followed by the majestic Lusignan (Frankish) period (1192-1489), the controversial Venetian period (1489-1570), the dark Ottoman period (1571-1878), the progressive British period (1878-1960), and the Independence period (1960-...), showing all major monuments built by the Latin Catholics in Cyprus
Medieval City of Famagusta, Cyprus (Oct 29, 2015)
Filmed in Famagusta, Cyprus by Chris Krzentz on Oct 29, 2015. If you like the videos, feel free to subscribe to the Chris Krzentz global youtube channel.
Antiphonitis (Church of Christ Antiphonitis) - Northern Cyprus
#Antiphonitis -- more correctly the Church of Christ Antiphonitis (Χριστός Ἀντιφωνητής) -- is a domed church in #Cyprus, in #Kyrenia District, located in the mountains near the village of Kalograia. It is reached from the network of tracks and small roads in the area of the Herbarium and Agios Amvrosios. It is under the de facto control of #Northern #Cyprus.
The name Christ Antiphonitis means Christ who responds and a number of Greek churches are so designated. The epithet appears to derive from a miraculous icon of some kind which responded to prayers, but no account of this icon in Cyprus is known. The name is testified in the late medieval period. Writing in the sixteenth century, Stefano Lusignan in his Description de toute l'isle de Cypre (Paris, 1580) recalls that Antifoniti was a fief belonging to his family, that his maternal grandmother Isabella Perez Fabricius founded the monastery of Antifonite and that his brother John (who had become a monk under the name Hilarion) died there.
Architecture:
The church—built on the site of a natural spring at the head of a valley—was constructed in the twelfth century and belonged originally to a Greek Orthodox monastery. It consists of a single building with a spacious dome carried on eight pillars and is the only surviving example of this type in Cyprus. A ruined and partly restored example is in #Saint #Hilarion #Castle and there was once a similar church at the centre of the Monastery of #St. #John Chrysostomos at Koutsovendis before the church there was rebuilt at the end of the nineteenth century. The narthex on the western side and the arcade on the south were added a later time, probably in the fifteenth century when the building was under the Latin church. The irregular shape of the dome is perhaps due to damaged sustained during the 1222 Cyprus earthquake. Paintings:
The Church of Christ Antiphonitis is notable for the array of frescoes on the walls and on the pillars. The oldest paintings belong to the end of the twelfth century and are thought to be a local interpretation of the style of the late Comnenian period as it appears at Panagia tou Arakou at Lagoudera.
When first studied, the Virgin Mary and prelates in the apse were damaged, but the saints in the sanctuary were well preserved. Early painting also include decons, martyrs and stylites. There was a Baptism on the south-west pillar of the nave.

Church of Christ Antiphonitis, St. Endoxus in one the arches under the dome, twelfth century, as photographed in 2010.
The remaining paintings are later in date and belong to the 1400s. They are executed in a post-Byzantine local revival style. On the south wall was a Tree of Jesse, and on the north an elaborate Last Judgement or Μέλλουσα Κρίση. In the dome is Christ Pantocrator surround by angels. A. and J. Stylianou report that the paintings of the dome were already badly damaged at the time of their studies in the 1960s and 1970s.
Coordinates: 35°20′0″N 33°37′0″E
Famagusta Cyprus Occupied North
#walkingcyprus #famagusta #northcyprus
The city was founded around 274 BC, after the serious damage to Salamis by an earthquake, by Ptolemy II Philadelphus and named Arsinoe after his sister.[3] Arsinoe was described as a fishing town by Strabo in his Geographica in the first century BC. It remained a small fishing village for a long time.[4] Later, as a result of the gradual evacuation of Salamis due to the Arab invasion led by Muawiyah I, it developed into a small port.
Medieval Famagusta
Palazzo del Provveditore (the Royal Palace) entrance, Famagusta.
Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1359) was converted into a mosque in 1571 and renamed as the Sinan Pasha Mosque.
The turning point for Famagusta was 1192 with the onset of Lusignan rule. It was during this period that Famagusta developed as a fully-fledged town. It increased in importance to the Eastern Mediterranean due to its natural harbour and the walls that protected its inner town. Its population began to increase. This development accelerated in the 13th century as the town became a centre of commerce for both the East and West. An influx of Christian refugees fleeing the downfall of Acre (1291) in Palestine transformed it from a tiny village into one of the richest cities in Christendom.
In 1372 the port was seized by Genoa and in 1489 by Venice. This commercial activity turned Famagusta into a place where merchants and ship owners led lives of luxury. The belief that people's wealth could be measured by the churches they built inspired these merchants to have churches built in varying styles. These churches, which still exist, were the reason Famagusta came to be known as the district of churches. The development of the town focused on the social lives of the wealthy people and was centred upon the Lusignan palace, the Cathedral, the Square and the harbour.
In 1570–1571, Famagusta was the last stronghold in Venetian Cyprus to hold out against the Turks under Mustafa Pasha. It resisted a siege of thirteen months and a terrible bombardment, until at last the garrison surrendered. The Ottoman forces had lost 50,000 men, including Mustafa Pasha's son. Although the surrender terms had stipulated that the Venetian forces be allowed to return home, the Venetian commander, Marco Antonio Bragadin, was flayed alive, his lieutenant Tiepolo was hanged, and many other Christians were killed.[5]
Famagusta citadel walls
With the advent of the Ottoman rule, Latins lost their privileged status in Famagusta and were expelled from the city. Greek Cypriots were at first allowed to own and buy property in the city, but were banished from the walled city in 1573-74 and had to settle outside in the area that later developed into Varosha. Turkish families from Anatolia were resettled in the walled city but could not fill the buildings that previously hosted a population of 10,000.[6] This caused a drastic decrease in the population of Famagusta. Merchants from Famagusta, who mostly consisted of Latins that had been expelled, resettled in Larnaca and as Larnaca flourished, Famagusta lost its importance as a trade centre.[7] Over time, Varosha developed into a prosperous agricultural town thanks to its location away from the marshes, whilst the walled city remained dilapidated.[6]
In the walled city, some buildings were repurposed to serve the interests of the Muslim population: the Cathedral of St. Nicholas was converted to a mosque (now known as Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque), a bazaar was developed, public baths, fountains and a theological school were built to accommodate the inhabitants' needs. Dead end streets, an Ottoman urban characteristic, was imported to the city and a communal spirit developed in which a small number of two-storey houses inhabited by the small upper class co-existed with the widespread one-storey houses.[8]
Famagusta Gate, Nicosia Cyprus • Ворота Фамагусты, Никосии Кипр
The Famagusta Gate is a gate in the Nicosia walls, Cyprus. It is the chief gate of the city: the Porta Giuliana, or di sotto of Fra Stefano Lusignano's Chorograffia, known as Famagusta Gate in modern times.
Filmed with Dji Osmo
BLUE TRAVEL PLUS © COPYRIGHT 2017
3D Reconstructed Medieval French Cathedral Of Cyprus - Lusignan Dynasty
Original archaeological reconstruction with superior rendering of High Medieval Cathedral, Saint Nicholas, built circa 1200’s AD in Famagusta, Cyprus. Modern Cypriots being ancestrally a synthesis of all the peoples whom occupied the island, reflected here in their French Lusignan (Frankish) heritage of the Middle Ages – the Lusignan dynasty colonised Cyprus from 1192 to 1489AD. The most significant archaeological remnants through material-culture of this particular period and peoples on the island is of this great Gothic cathedral, later converted into a Mosque (Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque) following the Ottoman conquest (1571ad). Now largely in ruins, I hope to show the viewer this monument in its former glory, emulating the early Gothic architectural style of Medieval France including characteristic flying buttresses (typical of crusader architecture) whilst accurately depicting its proportions to scale. The surrounding medieval sea-shore city of Famagusta has also been included reflecting the stone-masonry type dwellings of the era. The flags of Lusignan Dynasty Kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem (Quarterly, 1 and 4 in silver, a cross of gold, between four crosses of the same and 2 and 3 barry silver and azure eight rooms, a lion gules armed langued and crowned with gold stitching on the whole) has been included in the interior of the structure flying from two columns. The later Ottoman Minaret additions have been omitted from the original plan. This structure was said to have been modelled on Reim's Cathedral, France. Archaeological reconstruction created by Christopher Antoniou ©.
NOTE: This is a sample preview of my work, hence the use of the Lumion watermark on the screen for non-commercial use.
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WELCOME - ARCHAEO RECONSTRUCTIONS” is a channel depicting all original 3D archaeological reconstructions, art/design and animation, whilst interpreting their significance both symbolically and functionally. Purely functional expression of human material-culture extends as far back as 3.4 million ybp, yet the emergence of human symbolic culture is as recent as circa 100,000ybp (first evidence in 'Blombos Cave'). Symbolic intention within material-culture allows one to appreciate how artefacts have/continue to act as cognitive 'Material-Anchors' in the tangible conceptualization and transmission of abstract ideas, an evolutionary extension of the human mind. Diachronic works spanning all mankind are notable. NOTE: THE CLIPS ON THIS CHANNEL ARE SAMPLES OF MY WORK, I CREATE QUALITY FULL HD ANIMATIONS AND DESIGNS BOTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GENERAL, AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR ALL. YOU MAY CONTACT ME VIA EMAIL FOR TERMS & CONDITIONS. Channel and all designs, reconstructions by Christopher Antoniou ©.
“ARCHAEO RECONSTRUCTIONS”: I CREATE QUALITY FULL HD ANIMATIONS AND DESIGNS BOTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND GENERAL, AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST FOR ANYONE INCLUDING PRODUCERS AND EDUCATORS. YOU MAY CONTACT ME FOR TERMS & CONDITIONS. EMAIL: christopherantoniouwork@gmail.com
#Medieval #Archaeology #Cathedral
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus dispute or Cyprus issue is an ongoing issue centred on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and dating back to at least the end of the 19th century. Ever since, it has been present under different forms. In its current phase, it is primarily an issue of military invasion and continuing Turkish occupation of the northern third of the island, a situation described and deplored in multiple UN reports and resolutions. Although the Republic of Cyprus is the sole legitimate state, sovereign over all the island, the north is de facto under the administration of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is under Turkish Cypriots and Turkish army control.
Initially, with the annexation of the island by the British Empire from the Ottoman Empire, the Cyprus dispute was identified as the conflict between the people of Cyprus and the British Crown regarding the Cypriots' demand for self determination. The dispute, however, was finally shifted, under the British administration, from a colonial dispute to an ethnic dispute between the Turkish and the Greek islanders. The international complications of the dispute stretch far beyond the boundaries of the island of Cyprus itself and involve the guarantor powers, the United Nations and the European Union, along with the United States .
This video is targeted to blind users.
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Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
Kyrenia Castle, Northern Cyprus / Girne Kalesi, Kıbrıs (March 2nd, 2016) HD
March 2nd, 2016 - Kyrenia Castle, Northern Cyprus / 2 Mart 2016 - Girne Kalesi, Kıbrıs
Kyrenia Castle at the east end of the old harbour in Kyrenia is a 16th-century castle built by the Venetians over a previous Crusader fortification. Within its walls lies a twelfth-century chapel showing reused late Roman capitals, and the Shipwreck Museum.
Kyrenia has been created and been around since the 10th century BC. Excavations have revealed Greek traces that date back to the 7th century BC, but the site was developed into a city under Roman rule.
Research carried out at the site suggests that the Byzantines built the original castle in the 7th Century to guard the city against the new Arab maritime threat. The first historical reference to the castle occurs in 1191, when King Richard the Lionheart of England captured it on his way to the Third Crusade. He did so by defeating Isaac Comnenus, an upstart local governor who had proclaimed himself emperor.
After a short period, Richard sold the island to the Knights Templar, and then to his cousin Guy de Lusignan, the former king of Jerusalem. This began the 300 years of the Frankish Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus (1192–1489). Initially the castle was quite small. John d'Ibelin enlarged it between 1208 and 1211. The Castle's main function was military and the improvements consisted of a new entrance, square and horseshoe-shaped towers, embrasures for archers, and dungeons.
The castle was subjected to several sieges. A Genoese attack in 1373 almost destroyed the castle, and the longest amongst the sieges, in the 15th century, lasted nearly four years and reduced the unfortunate occupants to eating mice and rats. By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus and in 1540 they enlarged the castle, giving it its present-day appearance. The chief changes, such as the addition of thick walls and embrasures for cannons, were adaptations to changes in warfare in the form of gunpowder artillery. The Venetians also installed gun ports at three levels so that they could direct cannon fire against attackers from the land. Inside the castle, they built huge long ramps so as to be able to drag artillery up on the walls. When the work on the castle was finished, its walls also encompassed the small church of St. George, which the Byzantines may have built in the 11th or 12th century.
Kyrenia Castle's courtyard
In 1570, Kyrenia surrendered to the Ottomans. The Ottomans too made changes to the castle, but the British removed these during their occupation. The castle contains the tomb of the Ottoman Admiral Sadik Pasha. The British used the castle as a police barracks and training school. They also used the castle as a prison for members of the Greek Cypriot EOKA organization.
The Kyrenia Department of Antiquities took over custodianship of the castle in 1950, though it reverted to British control during the EOKA turmoil. The Department regained control in 1959 and since 1960 the castle has been open to the public. However, during the period from 1963 to 1967 the Cypriot National Guard used the castle as a military headquarters. Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, in 1974 the Girne Department of Antiquities and Museums took over responsibility for the castle's preservation and use. The Department is keeping icons that were collected from churches in the Kyrenia area pre-1974 and has stored them in the castle's locked rooms for safekeeping. Some of these are now on display in the Archangel Michael Church.
* * *
Girne Kalesi
Girne Kalesi, Kıbrıs'ın Girne şehrinde bulunan, 7.yy'da, Arap-İslam akınlarına karşı kentin korunması için Bizanslılar tarafından yapılmış kaledir.
Lüzinyanlar döneminde, Kantara kalesi gibi önemli bir yer olmuştur. Bu dönemde kale bazı yapısal değişikliklere de uğramıştır. Bu restorasyon çalışmalar 1373 yılındaki Cenevizliler kuşatması ile ara bulmuş, daha sonra yeniden devam etmiştir.
Kale yapılırken o dönemin savunma taktikleri zırhlı şövalye ve okçulara göre düşünüldüğünden, 1489'dan sonra kaleyi kontrole alan Venedikliler, Osmanlı topçu saldırılarını gözönüne alarak yeniden inşaya girişmişlerdir. Kuzeybatı ve güneydoğu kulelerini ekleyerek, önlemler almaya çalışmalarına rağmen, Lefkoşa'daki Osmanlı zaferinden sonra, kaleyi direniş göstermeden 1570 yılında Osmanlılara teslim etmişlerdir.
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Nicosia
Nicosia (/ˌnɪkəˈsiːə/ NIK-ə-SEE-ə; Greek: Λευκωσία; IPA:[lefkoˈsi.a], Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the capital and largest city on the island of Cyprus, as well as its main business centre. It is located near the centre of the Mesaoria plain, on the banks of the River Pedieos.
Nicosia is the capital and seat of government of the Republic of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost capital of the EU member states. The northern part of the city functions as the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a disputed region recognized only by Turkey, and which the international community recognises as Cypriot territory under Turkish occupation, and has done so since the Turkish invasion in 1974.
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360° VR Bellapais Abbey Kyrenia Walking Tour North Cyprus Virtual Reality 5K HD 4K
Bellapais Abbey (also spelled Bellapaïs[1]) is the ruin of a monastery built by Canons Regular in the 13th century on the northern side of the small village of Bellapais, now in Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus, about five kilometres from the town of Kyrenia. The ruin is at an altitude of 220m above sea level, and commands a long view down to Kyrenia and the Mediterranean sea.
The site is also a museum, which hosts a restaurant and a cafe. The Abbey's refectory now serves as a venue for concerts and lectures. In early summer it is also a venue for a local music festival.
Opening hours from June to mid-September are 9am to 7pm; the winter hours are 9am to 1 pm and 2pm to 4:45pm. Opening hours from mid-September to May are 9am to 5pm. There is an admission charge of 9 TL (aprox. 1,5 Euro).
History
The site was formerly named Episcopia or Piscopia,[1] suggesting that it may have served the Bishop of Kyrenia as a residence, and as a place of refuge from Arab raids in the 7th and 8th centuries. The first occupants known to have settled on or near the site were the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, who had fled Jerusalem after its fall in 1187 to Saladin. The canons had been the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Aimery de Lusignan founded the monastery, with the first buildings dating to between 1198-1205. The abbey was consecrated as the Abbey of St. Mary of the Mountain.[1] The White Canons (Norbertines or Premonstratensians) succeeded the founding canons in 1206. Consequently, documents from the 15th and 16th century refer to Bellapais as the White Abbey.[1] The common explanation of the modern name Bellapais is that the French name Abbaie de la Pais (Abbey of Peace) was corrupted after the Italian takeover into Bellapais, reinterpreted as Bella Paese Beautiful Land.[1] George Francis Hill was unconvinced of both the French and Italian portions of this derivation.[1]
The main building as it can be seen today was built during the rule of King Hugh III 1267-1284. The cloisters and the refectory were constructed during the rule of King Hugh IV between 1324-1359. Hugh IV lived in the abbey and had apartments constructed for his use.
In 1373, the Genoese raided Kyrenia, almost destroying Kyrenia Castle. The Genoese stripped Bellapais of anything that was portable and of any value.
By 1489 the Venetians had taken control of Cyprus. By the time of the Venetians, the inhabitants of the Abbey had abandoned the Premonstratensian Rule. Reportedly, canons took wives, and then to keep the business within the family, accepted only their children as novices.
Following the Ottoman conquest of Kyrenia and Kyrenia Castle in 1571, the Ottomans expelled the Premonstratensians and gave the abbey to the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus, which they appointed as the only legal Christian church on Cyprus. The Church of Cyprus neglected the Abbey, which fell into disrepair. However, the abbey church itself came to serve as the parish church for the village that grew up around it, and whose inhabitants may have used the abbey as a quarry for stone.
During the period of British control of Cyprus (1878-1960), the British Army initially took control of Bellapais. In 1878 they cemented the floor of the refectory, which they then used as a hospital. Unfortunately, the soldiers also fired off small arms in the refectory; one may still see bullet holes in the east wall. Then in 1912 George Jeffery, Curator of the Ancient Monuments of Cyprus, undertook repairs of the abbey.
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Melusine Tower & medieval curtain wall.wmv
The Melusine Tower in Vouvant with curtain wall and steep drop to the village below. Last vestige of the original castle built by the Lusignan family whose most famous member was Guy de Lusignan, the medieval knight captured by Saladin at the Battle of Hattin in 1187 and later released, only to go on to fight at the side of Richard The Lionheart; thereafter he ruled the Kingdom of Cyprus until his death in 1194.
The Round Tower, Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus
To read about the old Round Tower, Kyrenia in North Cyprus on cyprusscene.com please follow this link :
North Nicosia | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
North Nicosia
00:01:42 1 History
00:03:30 2 Administration
00:04:39 2.1 Mayors of Nicosia Turkish Municipality
00:05:43 2.2 Quarters
00:06:17 3 Cityscape
00:06:26 3.1 The walled city
00:10:57 3.2 Metropolitan area
00:12:36 4 Demographics
00:14:28 5 Economy
00:17:53 6 Culture
00:18:22 6.1 Popular culture
00:19:43 6.2 Fine arts
00:20:39 6.3 Museums
00:21:51 6.4 Performing arts
00:24:28 7 Education
00:27:41 8 Transport
00:29:51 9 Sports
00:33:37 10 International relations
00:33:49 11 Gallery
00:33:58 12 See also
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
North Nicosia or Northern Nicosia (Turkish: [Kuzey] Lefkoşa [kuˈzej lefˈkoʃa]) is the capital and largest city of the de facto state of Northern Cyprus. It is the northern part of the divided city of Nicosia and is governed by the Nicosia Turkish Municipality. As of 2011, North Nicosia had a population of 61,378 and a metropolitan area with a population of 82,539.
Following the intercommunal violence of the 1960s, the capital of Republic of Cyprus was divided between the island's Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in the south and north respectively in 1963. A coup by the Greek military junta in an attempt to unite the island with Greece in 1974 led to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the international community considers North Nicosia to have been under Turkish occupation since then.
The city is the economic, political and cultural centre of Northern Cyprus, with many shops, restaurants and shopping malls. It is home to a historic walled city, centred on the Sarayönü Square, and a modern metropolitan area, with the Dereboyu region as its centre of business and entertainment. Described as a city with high levels of welfare, it has seen great urban growth and development in the 21st century, including the construction of new highways and high-rises. It hosts a significant number of tourists and a variety of cultural activities, including its international festivals of theatre and music. With a student population over 34,000, North Nicosia is an important centre of education and research and is home to three universities, of which the Near East University is the biggest.
Self-determination | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Self-determination
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
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- improves your listening skills
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- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
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The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a jus cogens rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It states that a people, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference.The concept was first expressed in the 1860s, and spread rapidly thereafter. During and after World War I, the principle was encouraged by both Vladimir Lenin and United States President Woodrow Wilson. Having announced his Fourteen Points on 8 January 1918, on 11 February 1918 Wilson stated: National aspirations must be respected; people may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent. 'Self determination' is not a mere phrase; it is an imperative principle of action.During World War II, the principle was included in the Atlantic Charter, signed on 14 August 1941, by Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, and Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who pledged The Eight Principal points of the Charter. It was recognized as an international legal right after it was explicitly listed as a right in the UN Charter.The principle does not state how the decision is to be made, nor what the outcome should be, whether it be independence, federation, protection, some form of autonomy or full assimilation. Neither does it state what the delimitation between peoples should be—nor what constitutes a people. There are conflicting definitions and legal criteria for determining which groups may legitimately claim the right to self-determination.By extension the term self-determination has come to mean the free choice of one's own acts without external compulsion.