Famagusta, Cyprus

Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island. Since the 1974 Turkish invasion the city has resided in the de facto Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The old city is surrounded by one of the best preserved Venetian fortifications in the Eastern Mediterranean. There are plenty of medieval/renaissance buildings that can be visited. Specially noteworthy are the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and re-named Lala Mustafa Pa?a Mosque) and St. George of the Greeks church with its frescoes. The southern part of the modern city (internationally known as Varosha, Tr. Mara?, Greek Varosia) has been closed to public and is controlled by the Turkish military.


Things to See & Do

* Old City
* medieval/renaissance buildings
* Salamis road – cafes, shops & restaurants
* Namik Kemal Piazza
* Laguna Beach Marina

General Information

Cruise Season – Feb - Dec
Currency – Cyprus Pound (CY£)
Language – Greek, Turkish
Land Area – 9,240 km² (Cyprus)
Population – 38,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time – UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 357

Port Location – The port at Famagusta is located at the edge of the city, approximately .5 km from the city centre.

Travel Links – You cannot cross directly into Famagusta from the southern part of Cyprus. Instead, you must cross the Green Line into the north (known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). The nearest place to do this is from the Strovilia crossing near Agios Nikolaos, which is located inside the British sovereign military base area.
Another option is to cross the border in Nicosia and then take a bus to Famagusta. They are operated by Itimat and leave every half hour.