Places to see in Guzelyurt (Morphou) 

Photo by: www.cypnet.co.uk

The peasant had a vision of St. Mamas telling him to take the sarcophagus to the site of the monastery and build it.  The Monastery itself dates back to the 18th century and the entrance with its columns was built on the ruins of a Byzantine Church.  The museum holds many icons and other valuable national treasures, including – possibly – St. Mamas in his sarcophagus. 

Tumba Tou Skuro (The Dark Man’s Mound)

It is believed that this Bronze Age city existed between 1550 BC and 700 BC and was built by traders who sailed in off the Aegean Sea.  There is evidence that a river ran through the area, long since silted over and leaving the city ruins three miles inland still sitting on the artificial mound it was built on.  Only a small portion of the city has been excavated and much of the mud brick wall that surrounded it is long gone, due to the orange groves that were planted in the area during the 1950s and 1960s.  Until the political situation in the country settles, the rest of this city will never be excavated.  However, during the three years of work that was performed on the site, a ceramics workshop – complete with over 800 pieces of clay, gold, silver, bronze, and ivory – six tombs, and houses were uncovered and are now housed in the Guzelyurt Museum of Archaeology.  

Akdeniz Village Tomb

Another Bronze Age tomb site, Akdeniz (Ayia Irini) was discovered and excavated in 1929.  It is in a very secluded site surrounded by additional settlements and burial chambers.  It is more famous for the 2000 clay figurines found still sitting around the altar where they had been placed.  It is believed that they were an offering to a god and the statues were a fairly good size and possibly made from the same pottery shop.  It is interesting to note that only two of the statues were distinctively female.  Half of the statues were sent to Sweden with the archaeological team and the other half can be seen in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia. 

Mavi Kosk (The Blue House)

This attraction was built in 1973 by Byron Pavlides, a Greek Cypriot who quite a few rumours and myths now surround.  Born to a respected family and the main agent for Vauxhall, Opel, and General Motors, he was rumoured to be an EOKA gun runner who built his house in its current location in order to watch the sea for his gun running ships.  Going hand in hand with that rumour is the one stating there are underground passages and chambers built beneath the house.  Pavlides fled the area in 1974 when the Turkish army invaded the island.  Everything in the house is…well…blue and it has recently been turned into a museum.  Pavlides had built a similar White House outside of Kyrenia and was forced to flee it in 1963 when trouble between the two political groups on the island bubbled up again.  Pavlides passed away in 1986 having never seen either of his homes again.  Visitors to the house should be forewarned that it is located within military boundaries and that they will be required to leave their passports at the gate.

Ayios Georgios Maronite Church

Located in the village of Korucam, this church services the majority of the North Cyprus Maronite population.  This sect of Middle Eastern Christians is an offshoot of Catholicism in that they recognize the Pope as the supreme head of the church, but their church celebrations and culture are more like the Orthodox practices.  The Maronites came to Cyprus sometime between the 7th and 12th centuries.  Popular belief leans towards the 12th and the fact that they arrived with the Crusaders.  Because the Maronite population has remained neutral during the fighting and feel that the tension is due to the government policy prior to 1974, they were allowed to remain in the north.  There is a priest in the village that tends the church but if the church happens to be closed when visitors arrive, they can get the key from the municipal coffee house next door. 

Back to top