Before 2003 if you lived in North Cyprus you could only shop in North Cyprus, but with the opening of the Ledra checkpoint in the heart of Lefkosa in April 2003, locals and European shoppers alike were able to explore the delights of what the south of the island had to offer.

Although officially there are duty restrictions in place, which at present are set at a limit of goods worth135 euro per person for shoppers coming back through to the north, there are not too many searches of goods purchased as you come back through the checkpoints – at the moment!  There are also plans to raise this limit to between 250-300 euros (presently it’s 260 Euros for shoppers going back through to the south), and although progress is slow it is likely that this will become reality in the not too distant future.  Sadly the effect on trade and related services since the opening of checkpoints has not been as fruitful as previously anticipated with Turkish Cypriots not feeling the full benefit of trading with their Greek Cypriot counterparts.

However, for the everyday shopper there is plenty to tempt one into a trip across the border.  If you’re craving a visit to a ‘western’ department store or branded high street shop then a cross border shopping trip is sometimes hard to resist!  From well-known Europeans names to small boutiques and stores, there should be plenty to satisfy you in the south if you want a shopping fix!

You can now cross the border on foot at two checkpoints in Lefkoşa, one being Ledra, taking you past the Ledra Palace Hotel which now houses UN staff, and the other being at Lokmacı which takes you straight through to the far end of Ledra Street in the south where you will find large local stores such as the Debenhams department store.  Continue walking south and you will soon reach Makarios Avenue where you will find three more Debenhams stores (yes three!) and other high street chains such as Next, M&S and Top Shop.

For those who had lived in North Cyprus for some time, it was something of novelty to be able to see these shops which were only previously seen on a trip back to the homeland.  Prices were somewhat high though, given that before the euro was introduced in 2007 everything in the south was labelled and priced in pounds – but the actual currency handed over was the Cyprus pound which actually cost British shoppers 20% more than if goods were priced in the pound sterling!

There are also other shopping options in the south which require the use of a car, and the most popular border crossing for many is the Kermiya crossing just on the outskirts of Lefkoşa.  Out of town shopping options include the Cyprus Mall, opened in 2007, which features an Ikea of all things!  Much too hard to resist, the place has been visited for its flat pack furniture and scrumptious interiors on a regular basis by many who live in the North.  The same goes for DIY stores which offer a wide choice for consumers, with Super Home Stores near to the Cyrus Mall and Kermiya.

Again the shopping centre is home to major high street brands like Mango, Zara and Debenhams, and has a wide choice of shops from books stores to computer equipment shops.  Also the Cyprus Mall conveniently has the French Carrefour supermarket chain to tempt those on a food shop too!  You can sit and have a coffee at Starbucks or tuck into a meal from any of the familiar chains at the Food Court such as McDonalds or TGI Friday’s.

Supermarket shopping is a popular pastime for many who like to buy a few treats and things which are not readily available here in North Cyprus, and you can reach the Alphamega supermarket in around 5 minutes by car once you have crossed through Kermiya.  Others include the Carrefour supermarket chain, with branches at the Cyprus Mall as mentioned, but also in a small shopping centre just 5 minutes drive from Kermiya.  Particular delights are things like Häagen-Dazs ice cream or a decent range of cheeses!  Some goods are also quite a bit cheaper than in the north, with major items such as washing powders or electrical items being a better bargain in the south.

As you can see, the pull for consumers is clear, but there is perhaps a downside in that it is having a detrimental effect on trade in the north, as shops and services can neither compete in price nor choice.  With the arrival of more consumer hungry expats who perhaps feel the need to have more choice, or for those who just want to be able to find what they want more quickly it’s a tough call to dismiss or praise the merits of cross border shopping.

However, it’s here to stay, so if you do need a shopping fix of more western proportions then who are we to say no!!

When we talk about cinema in North Cyprus, we don’t just mean the usual blockbuster movies that anyone can see no matter where in the world they live, we also mean that North Cyprus does have its own budding cinematic scene. 

Arts venues are host to various screenings, with offerings from local and international film makers, and you can see them in a variety of places such as at Sidestreets in Lefkoşa.  Often these cinematic events are bought together by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots, who seem to thrive on working closely to provide a vibrant arts scene.

You can also attend films shown as part of the yearly North Cyprus International Film Festival, which normally occurs in May each year.  This festival combines films from an international perspective, including many small independently made films.  Films are generally available to see on a rotation basis via the main cinema venues, which are detailed at the end of this article.  However, most of them are shown in their native language with Turkish subtitles, so it’s worth checking out the local press for those films that will be shown in your mother tongue.

Another film fest is the Golden Grapes Film Festival, (we like the name!), held in August every year, and this is aimed at both local professional and amateur film makers who present their offerings and are then judged by a panel which features some prominent filmmakers in their own right.

The main cinemas in North Cyprus show the usual American and British blockbusters, and are the films often rotated weekly between each city and town venue.  Trusty Cyprus Today publishes the weekly film guide, and at the time of writing you can find cinemas at:

Lefkoşa

Galleria Cinema Club – +90 (0)392 2277030

Mısırlızade Galleria Cinema club – +90 (0)392 2289698

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 2235395

Kyrenia

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 8223565

Famagusta

Galleria Cinema Club – +90 (0)3651270

Güzelyurt

Lemar Cineplex – +90 (0)392 7146940

It’s also worth noting that due to North Cyprus presently not having any form of copyright law, you can purchase most of the blockbuster movies at a fraction of the cost that you would pay across the rest of Europe.  There are various outlets and DVD clubs all over North Cyprus that have the latest films for rental or sale, and the cost of  movie is usually around 4-5ytl (approx. £2), so you will find it quite affordable to buy the odd new release!

So, you’ve finally relocated to Northern Cyprus and you want to get around and need some independence – i.e., you want to look around for that ideal form of transport, the car!

Buying a car here is actually really quite easy, and there are heaps of car dealerships for both brand new and second hand vehicles.  We will offer some tips and advice on how to get the best deal, what to expect within the cost of buying a car, and what you need to do to keep it legally on the road!

If you fancy getting an idea of prices before venturing out to look at the thing in all its metal glory, then it’s a great idea to get a copy of the Alım Satım Magazine (Buying & Selling) which you can find in supermarkets and newsagents.  It has hundreds of cars, mostly advertised by the dealerships themselves, as well as some private sales too.  If you know the type of car you want then you will know straight away whether it’s affordable for you.  If you are not sure, then again the magazine will give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay.

From time to time you may also find someone selling their vehicle in the classified ads section of the Cyprus Today newspaper, and also it’s sometimes worth checking the web forums to see if someone is flogging their motor on the cheap!

Other things to think about are the running costs of a vehicle too.  Road tax here is based on the weight of the car, which is aimed at trying to reduce the amount of juggernaut Hummers and other big off-road vehicles that have become a popular purchase in the last few years!  Insurance is available either as a standard third party policy, which will only cover costs to a certain limit should you have an accident, or there is also fully comprehensive which is calculated based on car type and purchase price.

The engine size is not really taken into account it would seem, although the smaller the engine the cheaper to run and less polluting from an owner’s point of view!  Just to note that MOTs are not required for newly registered cars, (unless it’s a commercial van for example which needs an MOT each year).  MOTs are only required after a car has been registered for around 4 years (no matter how old it is!) – so that’s a great bonus.  This is the same for emissions tests as well which are only required at the time of an MOT.

It’s also worth noting at this juncture that the cost of both brand new and second hand cars in North Cyprus are pretty expensive compared to what you would be expected to pay in the majority of European countries.  Again, because of the status of North Cyprus, the embargoes against it and the fact that it is an island of course, the import costs of bringing cars onto the island are high, so this is then passed on to the consumer unfortunately.  As an example for you to keep in mind, think of a small car such as the popular Suzuki Swift (there are hundreds of them here!), at around 2 years old when imported here it will set you back the same price as a brand new model in the UK.

When you are looking around make sure you visit a few dealerships.  The main ones tend to be in the Lefkoşa area along or around the main airport road.  After you reach the main roundabout after coming down the mountain from Kyrenia you will see the roads to the right and left are packed with dealerships.  As you approach the roundabout there is the big Opel dealership, and all along the road to the left you will find dealerships for Mercedes, Fiat, Renault and Toyota for example, all mingled together with second hand dealers as well.

If you’re looking for more of a bargain basement vehicle that may have seen some better days but is still in reasonable condition, then try the road off to the right by the Fiat dealership.  Here you can often find some good deals on older vehicles which are more than likely to have been made in Turkey, such as Renault, Tofaş and Fiat.  All the costs of running these types of cars are much cheaper due to the availability of spare parts and low tax costs.  All along this road you will also find plenty of dealerships – both new and second hand – including the Ford dealership called Çangar which also sells BMWs if your budget stretches that far.

Our main advice is that it’s sensible to shop around.  There are some dealerships in Kyrenia and also Famagusta, but they do tend to be a little more expensive for some reason, so it’s always better to take a trip into Lefkoşa as this is where the car fraternity appears to congregate!  The majority of second hand dealerships seem to mainly offer cars from the Japanese market.  This could be because they have plenty of nearly new car auctions there and their cars are easy to purchase over the Internet and get shipped here – plus the steering wheels in Japanese imports are on the correct side for Cyprus, ie., the right hand side!  One particular car service company has a relative working in Japan, so it’s an even easier process for them to get their cars to North Cyprus!

When you have finally chosen a car that you like and it suits your needs perfectly, then you can haggle with the dealer a little bit, but you would be surprised how little flexibility in price there is!  From our own experiences here at Essential Cyprus there is not much you can get thrown in for free to add some incentive to get you to buy a car!  However, prices do come ‘on the road’ which includes a year’s road tax, the car transferred into your name, number plates registered and put on and the car will have already had the import duty paid on it.  If you’re lucky the dealer might just throw in a key-ring and an air freshener for you!  If you’re a first time car buyer, just watch out for some sharp practices that can occasionally occur and ensure that the price you are quoted includes all of the above ‘on the road’ elements before you agree to buy.

Some dealerships will do you a deal for your old car should you own one already, and in particular if you have brought from them previously and are taking your first purchase back to them to change it for a new one – they may give you a few hundred pounds more than if you were a new customer for example.

So, once you have the keys to your new or second-hand car and all the paperwork has been done and you’ve remembered to get some temporary insurance cover in the form of a cover note, you can drive your new toy home!

All that you need do now is remember to have all the requirements in place to run it legally here in North Cyprus, with the obvious insurance documentation, service schedule and emissions tests, MOT and Road Tax.  We shall save all that for other articles in the future though!  In the meantime, if you need to know more about obtaining a TRNC driving license please click the link provided.

Shopping – don’t we love it!!  Well, in North Cyprus you are spoilt for choice when it comes to what you can buy and where you can shop, whether you’re in the market for practical items such as DIY materials, food etc., or indeed you want to indulge in shopping for pleasure for gifts, clothes and entertainment.

Besides just looking around the offerings on the north side of the island, there is now the opportunity to partake of some cross-border shopping too.  Since April 2003 when the borders were opened,  shoppers have been able to purchase items which are not readily available in North Cyprus, or to treat themselves to some items from western chain department stores.

Shopping for Pleasure

High street shops in North Cyprus can offer anything from mobile phones to jewellery, and you can pick up some good bargains depending on exchange rates.  You will notice that there is plenty of named/branded jewellery available such as Bvlgari for example, but do bear in mind that although these items may be gold, they may not be strictly legitimate in brand terms – if you know what we mean!

You can pick up perfume, sunglasses, watches, clothes, handbags and many other items on the high street for a fraction of the price you would pay in Europe.  Again, a lot of items are copies but we like to refer to them as being ‘genuine fakes’rather than knock off, and with Turkey being one of the world’s major textile manufacturers there are plenty of true brand names to buy!

Gift shops display an array of traditional knick knacks and handcrafted items, so if you are gift hunting then there is plenty to choose from.  Popular gifts items include various permutations of the ‘evil eye’ – the blue glass decorations that adorn houses, cars and other items to ward off bad spirits – colourful hand woven mats and baskets, and beautiful hand painted plates often featuring the Prophet Mohammed’s signature.  You can also find gift shops at the more well-known historical sites in North Cyprus. Or how about the must have box of Turkish Delight?!  There are some great little sweet shops selling a wide range of flavours from carrot to the traditional rose, as well as plenty of other sweet treats to tempt you!

There are plenty of bargains to snag at the local markets too, with the weekly open markets in Kyrenia, Lefkoşa and Güzelyurt being good places where you can pick up cheap clothing, shoes and gift items.  Markets are great places to go to just browse too as these are really the locals’ markets where they buy and sell fruit and vegetables and household items, and you can sit and have a coffee and watch the tradesman ply their trades and fare.

You also have the closed bazaar in Lefkoşa, originally built in 1932 and otherwise known as ‘Bandabuliya’.  Here you have a wide choice of items from clothes to sweets, fish, meat and vegetables, as well as the older traditional copperware stalls.  You can pick up a traditional belly dancing costume whilst snacking on some lokma and browsing the gift items available perhaps!

The shopping area surrounding the bazaar is known as Arasta, (a name given to traditional Turkish Bazaars that carry the traces of Ottoman trade and social life), a long road running down to the Lokmacı border crossing in which you can buy more ‘genuine fakes’ such as Levi and Prada.  It’s also a textile lovers paradise where you can pick up some wonderful materials, and find a tailor to make you an item or two.

Kyrenia also has its own restored market called the ‘The Old Bazaar’ or ‘Bandabuliya’, it opened in the last few years – here you can visit the stalls selling their locally made handicrafts and have a beer or a lunchtime snack.

Practical Shopping

Food shopping in North Cyprus can be fun, as you may need to visit more than one supermarket to complete your shopping list!  Generally speaking weekly supermarket shops will incorporate visits to Lemar, Tempo and Astro, the three largest supermarket chains, – although Starling is not far behind!  As all sell similar products for similar prices there’s not a lot to differentiate, apart from personal preference, though sometimes one supermarket will be right out of a series of items you need while another one will still have plenty of stock!

Sometimes it seems deliveries get stuck somewhere on the mainland meaning you’ll sometimes have a month without your favourite toothpaste or dog food for no known reason!  It’s just one of the small idiosyncrasies that makes North Cyprus cool!

There are a million mini-markets selling just about every item you might need – from toilet paper to cigarettes, from fresh fruit and veg to Efes beer – and these shops are often open all day and half the night seven days a week.

Imported goods tend to be quite steeply priced – bottles of wine, non-local spirits, branded cosmetics…all the things you don’t really need!  Whereas local produce and items sourced from Turkey are often unbelievably cheap.  During the citrus season you can buy a bag of oranges, lemons and clementines for pennies for example.

Despite the fact that the island has had embargoes against it for some thirty years you can get almost everything you could possibly want, and far more besides!!  Electrical items, designer kitchens, hand built kitchens, furniture built to your design, the latest fashion in tiles and bathroom suites, every make of car (including Ferraris and Chevrolet Corvettes…yes, it’s true we’ve seen both with Turkish Cypriot number plates).

Hand tools, power tools, teeth whitening gel, marmite, the latest films on DVD before they even come out in the cinema in the UK…every single item you could possibly want is available for sale in North Cyprus.  You just have to know where to go to get what it is you want!

If you go into a shop and they don’t have what you’re after, chances are they’ll point you to another shop that sells what it is you need or which can order it from the mainland for delivery in a matter of days.

When it comes to getting things made, from furniture to curtains, from kitchens to wrought iron, again there is always a man (or woman) who can and who will for a fair price.  A lot business is made through word of mouth, so it also worth asking around to see if there are any good recommendations for the particular item you need.  There are some very good craftsmen who are more than happy to sit with you whilst you describe what you need in minute detail!

Shopping in North Cyprus may not be quite what you’re used to, but it is rewarding when you finally find exactly the one elusive item you’ve been after.  Prices these days are more than they used to be, but still fair given the world markets and fluctuations in the money markets – think about the price of goods in Europe and then do some comparisons, and most of the time you will find that they are still cheaper in North Cyprus.