Famagusta
Cyprus · Northern Cyprus · 10 m
Description
Famagusta (Gazimağusa) holds the most complete set of Venetian walls in the eastern Mediterranean, thrown around a walled town that once counted a church for every day of the year. Their ruined shells still stand between the houses, and the Gothic cathedral of Saint Nicholas has served as the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque since the Ottoman conquest, a minaret rising from a French facade. Othello's Tower guards the old harbour. South of the walls the fenced ghost quarter of Varosha, abandoned since 1974, remains the strangest sight on the island. The walled town is small enough to cross on foot in a single morning.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – May or October – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, the former Saint Nicholas Cathedral
- Varosha ghost town
- Venetian city walls and Land Gate
- Othello's Tower
- Salamis archaeological site(Day trip)
- Ruined churches of the walled town
- Saint Barnabas Monastery and icon museum(Day trip)
- Namık Kemal dungeon and square
- Sea Gate and the Venetian arsenal
- Palazzo del Provveditore
- Ancient Enkomi(Day trip)
- Glapsides and Silver Beach
- Canbulat Bastion museum
Getting there
- Airports:
- ECN
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry