If you’re not familiar with Turkish Cypriot cuisine then you’re in for a treat as you will experience dishes influenced by Mediterranean, Southern European and Middle Eastern cooking, with plenty of variation to keep your interest going throughout the whole meal.

Mezes are the well-known hors d’oeuvres and starters in traditional Turkish Cypriot cooking, although some people prefer to order a meze for a main course.  A meze usually combines a mouth-watering mix of vegetable, meat, fish, cheese and salad dishes served on small plates, with both hot and cold options being served, allowing you to pick and choose and get to know the local fare.

If you manage to polish all that off, then main courses usually revolve around meat and fish with dishes being either cooked in clay ovens, grilled or barbequed.  Some restaurants will serve main courses with a choice of potatoes, chips and vegetables too, so you feel proud of yourself if you can tuck that lot away as well as your starter!

On the sweet menu you will find that restaurants may often just serve melon or some other fruit at the end of the meal to refresh your palate, but you may also be served the traditional baklava (syrup drenched pastries), or perhaps some Muhallebi which is a popular rice pudding dessert.

To give the finishing touch to any Turkish Cypriot meal then Turkish coffee or tea and brandies are always a welcome sight and often served free of charge.

Some good examples of traditional restaurants include Beyti’s, which is not in the most salubrious place being located in the fairly industrial area behind the Colony Hotel known to the locals as ‘tin pan alley’, but this is always a very busy restaurant with locals, lunchtime workers and tourists too.  A really large menu is available here offering everything from soups, kebabs, pides, and salads, and because everything is so reasonably priced at Beyti’s if you’re on a budget it’s a great place to eat out on a regular basis, and we should know!

One of the more higher-class venues is the trusty Niazi’s which has its original restaurant in Kyrenia Harbour, and then a newer more relaxed style restaurant on the way out of town.  Both offer a great range of traditional fare, with the harbour restaurant being a more stylish and top of the range venue.

Other options would be The Archway restaurant in Zeytinlik above Kyrenia, which has a lovely vibe, is always busy with locals and visitors and serves a select variety of mezes, some of which really differ from other establishments with the likes of dried meats, pickled capers and cow’s tongues on the menu some days!  The Horseshoe Restaurant out towards Kayalar on the coast road west of Kyrenia is also a place favoured – not just for its cuisine, but also for its location above a sandy stretch of beach – it serves a variety of kebabs and salads.

A really popular venue is Charcos in Alsancak which is recommended by mostly everyone who eats there!  Decorated traditional style, it has a really comfy feel about the place, and gets packed in the evenings so booking is essential, especially at the weekends – choose from a range of meze and meat dishes all cooked to perfection.  It’s a perfect place to meet up with friends to share a good meal with some drinks of an evening and its laid back atmosphere means you feel in no rush to leave!  Another certainly worth trying in the same area is Cenap’s which also serves the same kind of menu and is well worth a visit.

In Lefkoşa one of the nicest venues to try Turkish Cypriot cuisine is the Konak Restaurant located next to the Selimiye mosque.  A fascinating and superbly restored 1932 Ottoman house which you are free to walk around and explore, and where you dine in the traditional Ottoman courtyard – perfect for a summers evening of history and a good meal.

Or why not try the small and friendly Halfway House on the way up to Karaman where you will be remembered by mother and son hosts and where you will receive a warm welcome as well as excellent mezes and main courses, these are freshly prepared every day, and please note the restaurant’s motto which is ‘sorry – no booking, no cooking’ – proving how popular a venue it is!

There are many other small establishments catering for the traditional meal seekers, and you will more than likely find yourselves heading back to the same place on a regular basis, so it’s well worth seeking out your own favourites.  Just make sure you share them with the rest of us!

For more articles on European and international eateries, family friendly restaurants, à la carte and hotel dining, as well as take-away and delivery options then please feel free to click any of the links provided.

North Cyprus has a large festival scene, and there are more and more festivals being formed every year it seems!

The festival season spans roughly six to seven months of the year, with the first events being held around April time and the last ones finishing off in late October, early November.  So you can try to catch one when you’re visiting, or even attend a few if you’re living here on the island!

Village fairs have grown in popularity over the last few years, and some are extremely popular, enabling the public to see traditions and cultural mainstays of Turkish Cypriot life, as well as giving the local population a chance to show off their skills and wares.  The Olive Festival in Zeytinlik for example has really got on the media bandwagon to promote itself, and you can now find out about the festival and the schedule via its Facebook group!  However, the local press will also always publicise these events with schedules appearing nearer the opening of the event.

You can see cookery displays, arts and crafts demonstrations, competitions and also most popular are the folk dance displays that give a great insight into the skill of the dancers as well as the stories that they tell.  You can see and buy lots of local products made in their traditional fashion, and even have a go at making some of them too at the Büyükkonuk Eco-festival.  Festivals are generally organised by the local municipality, and sponsors are often sought to provide finances for some of the larger exhibitions and displays.

North Cyprus is also becoming well known for its international musical events that never fail to impress – with some big names now attending the most popular events.  You can find out about these via the websites set up to promote and detail the names which will be taking part each year.  There are a wide range of artists who take part, from classical tenors to Turkish pop singers, as well as some old favourites such as Boney M and Bonnie Tyler who have performed here in the recent past!

The International Bellapais Music Festival held in May each year at the stunning Bellapais Monastery venue near Kyrenia, has now been running for over 10 years and has featured some truly international classical groups, orchestras and individuals to amaze the crowds.  Equally the International Famagusta Art & Culture Festival is growing in stature, again running now for over 10 years, with theatre and music events mostly being held at the wonderful Salamis Antique theatre.  Find out more about this festival at www.magusa.org, and also via our article giving festival dates.

Besides music and village festivals there are also the cinematic and arts festivals of North Cyprus, featuring something for everyone to enjoy.  Please visit our other festival page for a round up of the individual festivals in North Cyprus as well as articles on folk dancing, cinema and arts for example.

Folk dancing has very deep roots here in North Cyprus and in fact, across Cyprus as a whole.  The rich history of this island means that its culture and arts such dancing have been influenced by many centuries and the traditions of the latter are being kept alive and well with folk dancing displays being given to the pubic on a regular basis. 

Dances were usually performed on big occasions such as at weddings and harvest days, but because of their popularity with the visiting public, and due to efforts by local folk arts organisation HASDER, dancing has now become something of an international ‘sport,’ with folk dancing competitions taking place in TRNC in which countries from all over the world participate.

One dance you are likely to see in North Cyprus that features both men and women is the traditional ‘kartchilamas’, this is a series of different dances combined, where dancers hold each others wrists and form a circle.  There are twelve basic steps and one main dancer leads the rest, with separate dances performed by both the men and women, with the men throwing swords into the air and catching them, and women dancing with clay pots, depicting their role as providers.

Dancers look brilliant in their traditional colourful attire, and dances can sometimes last for half an hour or so, meaning that training and practice is paramount to enable the performers to carry on for this amount of time!  North Cyprus folk dancing dresses come in a variety of colours depending on which area they are from, and they feature a long colourfully embroidered overdress called the Ucetek.  Brightly coloured shoes and a headscarf with tinkling gold coins are also worn to finish off the costume.  Men usually wear white shirts with black trousers and knee length boots, with a splash of colour provided by a bright waistcoat with a handkerchief, and a fez hat.

If you see a folk dance at a festival in North Cyprus it is likely to be performed to a taped version of the music, but sometimes you may be lucky enough to see the musicians accompanying them with instruments such as the ‘darbuka’ and ‘davul’ which are forms of drums, the ‘zurna’ which is a traditional reed instrument with a middle eastern sound, and also the violin – and sometimes even the mandolin and accordion.

There are also yearly international folk dance festivals and competitions on the island, and countries such as Russia, Serbia, Turkey and even Nigeria and Taiwan are invited to participate in a week-long celebration of traditional folk dancing.  Municipalities from Gönyeli and Iskele amongst others have folk dancing groups that also get to travel and show their art in other countries and at worldwide competitions.

One organisation, formed originally in 1977, is HASDER, its a folk arts foundation and initiative that aims to promote traditional Turkish Cypriot culture – from folk dancing to furniture making – and they have done a lot to instil the importance of Turkish Cypriot culture.

Lefkoşa is the main centre for all things art related in North Cyprus, and you will find a host of galleries and exhibitions to attend in the city throughout the year.  You can also find out about what’s on in the arts scene in Cyprus Today, which has its own culture reporter Heidi Trautmann who often enthuses about several exhibitions at once!  You can find art exhibitions featuring everything from painting, sculpture, ceramics and photography, often with bi-communal participation confirming that art really does have no borders.

There are well-known artists living in North Cyprus, and they sometimes offer tuition on the various art forms that they specialise in for those who wish to study and progress in a particular genre.  Foreign artists sometimes hold talks and shows too, and the British Council, which has offices in Lefkoşa, is heavily involved in bringing the arts to people’s attention.

Although you will often find art exhibitions literally taking place on the streets of North Cyprus, cultural and artistic venues are in abundance, both North and South of the border – and you can find out about what’s going on through various media channels.  You can join art related group outings which are organised, and a lot of organisations have their own websites and are constantly updating their offerings, and if they are really modern thinking then they can also be found on the social networking site Facebook!

You can buy art from a number of places in North Cyprus; the Round Tower in Kyrenia and Büyük Han in Lefkoşa are popular places for artists to display and sell their own work for example.  You can also sometimes find stalls set up in the summer months along Kyrenia harbour, with local people displaying their own wares and arts there.  There is the Archway Gallery in Karaman too, as well as the Crows Nest pub which displays art for sale in the village.  The HASDER Folk Arts Foundation and Institute is also very active within the local community, promoting and keeping the traditional Turkish Cypriot art and culture alive and well.

For those who have the free time and who want to try something different, you can join an amateur painting and drawing group based in Kyrenia, there are weekly lessons for all abilities.  If you would like more information please call +90 (0)533 8485780 or +90 (0)533 8667936.

As well as finding various forms of art on display at many of the yearly festivals in North Cyprus, below are some of the more prominent arts venues and organisations:

Atatürk Cultural Centres

You will find that each of the cities as well as the major towns in North Cyprus all have their own Atatürk Cultural Centre, these being set up to remind people of and continue the efforts made by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to bring Turkish culture into the modern era.  You can find out what’s happening through the local press.

EMAA – European Mediterranean Art Association

Local artists in various disciplines have come together to form this group, and they regularly hold events and exhibitions at venues island wide.  They are also involved in the organisation of many bi-communal events.  You can find out more about them via their website which has some, if limited, English language pages www.emaacyprus.org.

HP Gallery

This venue, based in Lefkoşa, is a former church that then became the Haydar Pasha Mosque; it became home to the HP Gallery in 1994 and now displays exhibitions and shows on a regular basis.

Sacakh Ev (Eaved House)

Located in the Selimiye District of Lefkoşa, the Eaved House is located on the walking path tour of the city and holds regular exhibitions for both local and international artists.  The venue itself is wonderfully historic with parts of the property dating back to the Gothic period, it also features Ottoman style restoration.

Sidestreets

The Sidestreets organisation is based opposite the law courts in Lefkoşa, and they hold regular talks as well as exhibitions, film screenings and workshops in creative writing for example.  You can check out what’s on at the group’s venue through their website www.sidestreets.org.  They also have their own Facebook group – just look up groups in North Cyprus and you will find them.

Universities

Another place to visit exhibitions is at the larger university campuses which often house international and local artists’ work in their own state of the art exhibition and conference facilities.

It is accessible from taking the very scenic coastal road past Esentepe and onto the partially finished new road which will take you to Kaplıca.  You will then venture on to older roads turning right inland signposted for Büyükkonuk and Sazlıköy. Alternatively you can take the inland Geçitkale road to Iskele and Boğaz, turning left at the costal junction, following the coastal road for a few miles until you reach turnings for Tuzluca and Büyükkonuk.

The village of Büyükkonuk and its surrounding area is beautiful, and with efforts being made by its villagers to create a life of self-sustainability, it is fast becoming a great place to visit to see a unique insight into traditional Turkish Cypriot culture.  Today it is mainly an agricultural village, growing crops such as olive, carob, wheat and barley along with vegetables.  Livestock also forms part of the local population’s livelihood with dairy cows, sheep and goats providing milk and meat.

The community is being helped in its efforts by the Economic Development and Growth for Enterprises (EDGE) under the Cyprus Partnership for Economic Growth (CyPEG) project, and funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Turkish Embassy.  This funding has enabled various restoration projects to get underway, such as restoring the town square and church, and it has helped with initiatives to educate the local community on the importance of their heritage and environment.  The local municipality also has a committee dedicated to the involvement of its eco-tourism status and has received help with training its members from the William Davison Institute in Michigan.

Part of a visit to Büyükkonuk should be to see the traditional arts and crafts being made by the local village women, and Eco-Tourism festivals in April and October time have been held to enable visitors to see, taste and buy some of the local produce available.  So far these festivals have been a great success, and two were held in 2008 with demonstrations from villagers in the art of basket weaving for example, as well as macaroni and mud brick making!  Folk dancing displays and donkey rides were also part of the fun!

You can also visit the restored olive mill factory which has been turned into a functioning museum, with its equipment and explanations of the operation as well as its history, and within its grounds there are also some very interesting species of flora that have been grown to give visitors an idea of what can be found in the surrounding areas.  Büyükkonuk also has various trail walks around the local countryside where you can take in the views whilst watching for migrating birds, and perhaps have a picnic.  Kantara Castle, one of the famous Crusader  castles, is also located to the west of Büyükkonuk, a short car journey away.

In Büyükkonuk you can also find Delcraft, a company set up by Turkish Cypriot Ismail Cemal and his Canadian born wife Lois.  This company is dedicated to eco-tourism efforts, providing information, accommodation and holidays for the eco-tourism hungry visitor, and it also has its own craft shop.  You can learn more about Delcraft by clicking on this related article.

Meze are served in various forms and variations all over the Middle East and certainly the Turkish Cypriot variety have influences which may be recognisable if you have ever eaten meze in another country.  However, there are also some which are definitely unique to this part of the world.  You will also find that depending on the time of year, the offerings will differ slightly due to the seasonal produce on offer, which is nice as you will know that everything is fresh to the table.

Served at the beginning of a meal they come in both hot and cold forms, usually served in batches of 4 or 5 to keep your taste buds fresh and enthused for the next batch (no problems there!).  You’ll find a great mix of choices for meat and fish lovers with vegetarians especially well catered for with a lot of the dishes being vegetable based.  You may find that you eventually end up with around 14 or 15 varieties so be warned!

Now that we have hopefully got your taste buds going and you are interested to know what kinds of meze there are, we will list some of the more popular and common mezes you might expect to be served:

Cacık – (pro. Jajuk) – this is such a lovely, palate cleansing and refreshing dish in summer time.  Combining fresh plain yoghurt made from sheep’s milk, finely chopped cucumber, mint and a dash of lemon.  Often served along with main courses too it’s an excellent accompaniment for meat dishes too – yum!

Calamar – just a different spelling for calamari!  Usually served with lemon juice and some salt, you get the gist of this one!

Chakistes – these are very popular and are definitely a staple of a meze selection.  Not too complicated to explain these are basically crushed green olives served dressed in olive oil, a little crushed garlic, coriander and lemon juice.  More often than not you will also find these on the breakfast menu too.

Dolma/Sarma – These are stuffed varieties of meze which often feature vine leaves, peppers, courgette flowers or pumpkin flowers which are used as wraps and stuffed with a mix of rice, tomatoes, sultanas, meat, herbs and spices.  Very flavoursome and more-ish! We love this variety as it is known as ‘Yalancı Dolma’ – meaning Stuffed Liar!  This is apparently because during the Second World War no one could afford to stuff things with meat, thus being classed as cheating.  Obviously the name has stuck!

Fasülye – In short, beans!  There are loads of different types of beans that are served, black eyed beans, green beans, butter beans with our favourite being long green beans cooked in stock with pieces of chicken and tomato.  Great served hot or cold with yoghurt and bread.  Simple but so tasty and very healthy too.

Hellim – (or Halloumi!) – a salted or unsalted sheep’s or goats cheese served sliced and grilled or fried as a meze.  It has a unique taste and when grilled is crispy and chewy with some people finding it tastes a bit like bacon – each to their own!

Humus – great with bread just as a dip on its own and even better when served with a full meze!  This dish is made from blended chickpeas and tahini paste with various spices to add to its flavour which is quite sharp but delicious.

Köfte – a general term for meatballs, as they can come in various forms, but the ingredients are usually the same with minced meat, onion and herbs all mixed together and either fried, baked or grilled.  Bulgur köfte for example is bulgar wheat used as the outer coating for the meatball and deep fried to make a crisp coating – not the most healthy of meze but absolutely scrummy!

Molehiya – also served as a main course, you will often we have this as part of a meze meal.  We have to say that it’s personal taste with this one, but plenty of people love it!  Molehiya is a green leaf vegetable unique to Cyprus.  The leaves are dried in the sun and then boiled, usually along with pieces of chicken to make a kind of stew.  The leaves have quite a bitter taste when eaten but along with a few herbs and spices it makes for a very healthy dish.

Mucver – (pro. Mujver) – one of our personal favourites!  This is a batter mix of courgette flowers, milk and eggs whipped together and small spoonfuls of it then dropped into a hot pan of oil and cooked until crispy on the outside.  Absolute heaven on a plate!

This is just a selection for you to get the general idea of how delicious a Turkish Cypriot meze meal can be.  There are so many more to add such as cracked almonds on ice, salted fish, fresh beetroot, ox tongue, brain (no thanks!), dried meats and other vegetable dishes, and you should try and sample as many as you can! There are plenty of traditional Turkish Cypriot restaurants to eat at every day of the week, so why not partake of a few!

Given the fact that for locals it is an important part of a social gathering such as family get-togethers, weddings, parties and other functions, the meze meal is the most popular way of eating for the majority of the population in North Cyprus.  It is also sometimes the easiest way to eat given the heat in summer; you can eat as much or as a little as you like, take your time over it, and no one is expected to polish off the whole lot!

Oh and don’t forget the main course and dessert as well – we’ll save that for another time!

Unsurprisingly most of the traditional food and drink in North Cyprus nowadays is very similar to mainland Turkish cuisine, though more modern European influences are now beginning to become apparent, as are Asian influences. You can also find traces of tradition in the food and drink of Northern Cyprus today from as far away as the Balkans and Northern Africa.

Mezes are the mainstay of traditional Cypriot meals – a meze is a selection of hors d’oeuvres and in North Cyprus they are plentiful in variation and come in both cold and hot forms. However there are plenty of other popular dishes, including soups and pilaffs, pides and meats, the most common of which are kebabs, (or kebaps) and fırın-cooked, or clay oven cooked lamb. Desserts are generally very sweet indeed and tend to be pastry, fruit or nut based.

Lastly, but really rather importantly, a meal would not be quite complete without a Turkish tea, coffee or fruit tea! Traditional Turkish coffee is strong, and can be made to your liking with or without the addition of sugar. It’s a great way to finish your meal, normally to be accompanied by a brandy or two!

To find out more about traditional food in North Cyprus, restaurants and other types of cuisine available please check our related articles for more information.

As North Cyprus is predominantly a Muslim population, there are certain religious holidays that are observed, such as Ramazan or Ramadan.  This is a month of fasting followed by celebrations described for Christian understanding as the Muslim equivalent of Christmas.  There are also dates in the calendar that pay tribute to landmark historical events such as the TRNC’s declaration of independence.

If you’re thinking of travelling to North Cyprus at any time, it is well worth checking the dates to make sure that you won’t be caught out, as all government offices and banks will be sure to be closed for the duration of any bayram!

Below is a list of the main bayram holiday dates which are observed in North Cyprus, although we haven’t included New Year as the date and significance of this event are pretty obvious!

April 23 – Turkish National Sovereignty and Children’s Day
This is a Turkish bayram that is also observed by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.  It is to celebrate the establishment of the Grand National Assembly in Turkey in 1920 which then formed the foundations for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s modern republic of Turkey.  The reference to children in the celebrations is to emphasise how important children were for the future of this new republic.

May 1 – Labour Day
Labour Day, also known as May Day, is also celebrated with the rest of Europe, and recognises the efforts of the labour union movement.  However, here in North Cyprus it is sometimes a movable date!

May 19 – Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day
This is another Turkish bayram noted in North Cyprus, this one is to commemorate the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence and the liberation of Anatolia and Istanbul by Atatürk.  Ceremonies are held all over Turkey and North Cyprus with the main focal point being military and civilian officials attending a ceremony at Anitkabir, which is the location of Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara.

July 20 – Turkish Intervention (Peace and Freedom Day)
This is a very significant date for Turkish Cypriots, coming five days after the failed coup by Greece to overthrow Archbishop Markarios, aimed at uniting Cyprus with Greece.  Turkey intervened to protect Turkish Cypriots, and on 20^th July, now known as the Turkish Peace Operation, Turkish forces arrived in the north of the island, successfully preventing any further bloodshed.  Peace & Freedom day is celebrated by everyone, with dignitaries coming from Turkey to attend the festivities.  You can also enjoy the air force jet plane display which happens every year at the old harbour, which never fails to impress.

August 1 – Establishment date of T.M.T (Social Resistance Day)
The TMT (Turk Mukavement Teskilati or Turkish Resistance Organization) was formed in 1958 and was active until around 1974, and was formed in response to the Greek Cypriot organisation EOKA (Ethnikí Orgánosis Kypríon Agonistós or National Organization of Cypriot Fighters), whose sole aim was to achieve ENOSIS (meaning union) of Cyprus with Greece, at the same time striving to get away from British rule.

August 30 – Zafer Bayram (Victory Day)
Another Turkish bayram but an extremely important one.  Atatürk’s forces, in a huge offensive that lasted only four days, liberated Turkey from the invading Greeks.  Zafer Bayram is marked with top military officials, the president, and cadets laying wreaths at Atatürk’s mausoleum in Ankara.

October 29 – Turkish Republic Day
One more Turkish bayram and this is to commemorate the declaration of an independent Republic of Turkey in 1923, the culmination of the War of Independence and the victory of Turkish troops on 30^th August.

November 15 – Republic Day of T. R. N. C.
This is quite an emotional bayram for some, as this was when The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) was established on 15 November 1983.  Sadly as an independent state it was and still is only recognised by Turkey.  A new constitution was drafted and adopted two years later, in 1985.

Some bayrams are based on the Islamic lunar calendar, and therefore are more migratory each year, they include the following:

Şeker Bayram or Ramazan Bayram
Ramazan (Ramadan) is a month of fasting for many Muslims and at the end of this there is Şeker Bayram (Sugar or Sweet Bayram).  Generally in North Cyprus fasting is entirely dependent on the individual or family and is not practised by everyone, but the bayram holiday is celebrated by all, usually lasting four days depending on when the date falls.  There are lots of festivities, with artists and pop stars coming from Turkey to entertain at the larger hotels.  People gather and visit friends and family, handing out sweets and presents.  The older members of the family and society are very much respected at this time, and tradition dictates that their hands are held and kissed with the hand then being raised to the holder’s forehead.  It is also a time for reflection and is an important time for the more devout Muslims who will also attend the mosque and visit the graves of friends and relatives.

Ramazan Bayram in 2009 will fall on the 19^th – 22^nd of September and in 2010 it will fall between the 8^th -11^th of September.

Kurban Bayram (Feast of the Sacrifice)
This Muslim bayram happens two months after the Şeker/Ramazan Bayram, and also takes place over four days.  It is practised by the worldwide Muslim community.  It is not so widely practised in North Cyprus, but it is to commemorate the sacrifice of Ishmael by Abraham.  Tradition dictates the slaughter of animals such as sheep and cows, with meat being given to poorer neighbours and relations.  Again it is a time for reflection, visiting family graves, and also abstaining from alcohol.

Kurban Bayram 2009 will fall on the 27^th to the 30^th November and in 2010 it will be between the 16^th and 19^th of November.

These venues not only draw the crowds, they draw some significant names as well, and are famous for hosting both classical and modern music events.  Prominent musicians take part in many of these events, and famous Turkish Cypriot national Turgay Hilmi, who himself is an artist of international fame, features heavily in the promotion of these events.

If you’re not particularly into music then there are plenty of local town and village festivals held every year such as the Olive Festival in Zeytinlik, and the Eco-tourism festival in Büyükkonuk.  These give a great introduction to the island, and an insight into traditional Turkish Cypriot culture.

Other events which may be of interest are the regular trade fairs, which form part of the festival season, these are held at the ‘Fuar’ venue in Lefkoşa.  These events often turn into a family outing, with a funfair, music and great cooking all enjoyed!  There is also an international film festival in North Cyprus which of course features foreign language films, so you have to be careful which one you pick to go and watch as it may not be in your native tongue!

Below is a list of the most regular festivals and the months in which they usually occur.  Exact dates vary from year to year, so keep an eye on this site and the local press for updates: -

April/May – International Spring Concerts

May – International Film Festival

June – Iskele International Folk Dance Festival

June/July – Güzelyurt Orange Festival & Iskele Festival

June/July – International Bellapais Music Festival

July – Esentepe Apricot Festival / Gönyeli Folk Dance Festival / Alsancak Folk Dance Festival

August – Mehmetçik Grape & Wine Festival

August – Yeniboğaziçi Pulya Festival

August – Golden Grapes Film Festival

September/October – North Cyprus International Music Festival

September/October – International Carob Festival

October – Zeytinlik Olive Festival

October – Büyükkonuk Eco-Tourism Festival

If you would like to know more about some of these events, please visit our more in-depth article on Festivals in our See & Do Section.

Muslim

Islam in Cypruswas introduced when Uthmanthe 3rd Caliphconquered Cyprus in 649.  Turkish Muslims then settled in Cyprus during the Ottoman rule between 1571 and 1878.  The Ottoman Empire gave land grants to its soldiers under the condition that they and their families would stay there permanently. During the 17th century the Turkish population grew rapidly, and it is now the main religion practised in North Cyprus.  You can hear the call to prayer five times a day from most places on the island, but the faith is not practised to such an extent that women cover themselves, nor do people abstain from alcohol in North Cyprus!

Maronite Cypriots

The Maronite community is based in the very north-east of the island in Kormacit/Koruçam, the people are of Christian origin, descended from those who came to North Cyprus from Lebanon and Syria around 1200 years ago.  They speak in an Arabic dialect, although many Turkish and Greek words are used.  The Maronites belong to the Greek Cypriot community to which, owing to similar religious, linguistic and cultural bonds, they are much closer.  They have a Maronite Archbishop who is elected by the Holy Synod of the Maronite Church in Lebanon and confirmed by His Holiness the Pope.

Anglican

There are a large number of Church of England protestant expats and foreigners who attend the Anglican churches in North Cyprus.  There is the St. Andrews Church in Kyrenia which holds services on Sundays and Thursdays, and St. Marks which has services on a Sunday both at the Boğaz Hotel and also St Georges Chapel in Famagusta.

Roman Catholic

There are also people who practise the Roman Catholic faith in North Cyprus, and mass is held at noon at the St Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church in Kyrenia near to the Dome Hotel every Sunday.

Bahá’i

This religion is based upon the spiritual and is an independent religion practised worldwide.  Its principles are to bring about the oneness of humanity, and that due to there only being one Creator, the spiritual truth of all religions is the same.  There is a small group based in North Cyprus which practises this faith.

There are also smaller religious and ethnic groups, such as the Armenian Cypriots who first arrived on the island in around 1915, and also the Latin Cypriots who practise Catholicism as well as Romany Gypsies who are reported to have arrived in Cyprus at the time of the Lusignans.