River and foothills of the Troodos mountains, Lefke, Northern Cyprus.
The town of Lefke, near Güzelyurt, overlooks Morphou Bay and is a mixture of coastline and vast mountains, lush with citrus groves. It is the only place in Cyprus where the Yafa oranges are grown, and it is also popular for growing soft fruit. Three dams provide constant water all year round, which is why agriculture is so successful in this region.
Lefke is the burial place of Mehmet Nazım Adil, commonly known as Sheikh Nazim. He was a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Muslim sheikh and spiritual leader of the Naqshbandi tariqa. He was born at Larnaca, Cyprus on 21 April 1922 and died in the Near East University Hospital, Nicosia, aged 92, on the 7 May 2014.
The coastline has a number of restaurants where you can enjoy Turkish Cypriot cuisine, fresh fish or just enjoy the beach facilities. The small town is overlooked by the Troodos mountain range, so close that you can see its snow capped summits in the winter.
The area was dominated by the Ottomans for over 300 years, and there are some interesting examples of Ottoman architecture to be seen in the town. Lefke was once a prosperous mining area and its mountains were rich with copper and gold ore. It was the centre of mining in ancient times. Lefke may not be the island's capital, yet the name Cyprus originates from the ancient word for copper, so at one time it surely was the heart.
Close to Lefke you will find the ancient city of Soli. The origins of Soli can be traced back to the 6th century BC, but it came to prominence during the Roman period and was destroyed by Arab invaders in the 7th century. You can see a Roman theatre, Basilica and Agora which were discovered in 1929. The theatre is still used today for concerts and plays.
Slightly further away are the remains of the Palace of Vouni. Set on top of a mountain, it is thought to have been built during the Persian occupation in the 5th Century.
River and foothills of the Troodos mountains, Lefke, Northern Cyprus.
The town of Lefke, near Güzelyurt, overlooks Morphou Bay and is a mixture of coastline and vast mountains, lush with citrus groves. It is the only place in Cyprus where the Yafa oranges are grown, and it is also popular for growing soft fruit. Three dams provide constant water all year round, which is why agriculture is so successful in this region.
Lefke is the burial place of Mehmet Nazım Adil, commonly known as Sheikh Nazim. He was a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Muslim sheikh and spiritual leader of the Naqshbandi tariqa. He was born at Larnaca, Cyprus on 21 April 1922 and died in the Near East University Hospital, Nicosia, aged 92, on the 7 May 2014.
The coastline has a number of restaurants where you can enjoy Turkish Cypriot cuisine, fresh fish or just enjoy the beach facilities. The small town is overlooked by the Troodos mountain range, so close that you can see its snow capped summits in the winter.
The area was dominated by the Ottomans for over 300 years, and there are some interesting examples of Ottoman architecture to be seen in the town. Lefke was once a prosperous mining area and its mountains were rich with copper and gold ore. It was the centre of mining in ancient times. Lefke may not be the island's capital, yet the name Cyprus originates from the ancient word for copper, so at one time it surely was the heart.
Close to Lefke you will find the ancient city of Soli. The origins of Soli can be traced back to the 6th century BC, but it came to prominence during the Roman period and was destroyed by Arab invaders in the 7th century. You can see a Roman theatre, Basilica and Agora which were discovered in 1929. The theatre is still used today for concerts and plays.
Slightly further away are the remains of the Palace of Vouni. Set on top of a mountain, it is thought to have been built during the Persian occupation in the 5th Century.