Travel guide Cyprus

The donkey most often represented in Cyprus is brown with the outline of the eyes and the belly in beige. It is quite close to the species found in the Pyrenees. Some sources seem to attest that this animal was introduced in Cyprus by the crusaders. Until quite recently, the donkey was the main means of transport used in Cyprus.

To the ancients, she is the goddess of love and beauty. For today's Cypriots, she has above all become an excellent ambassador. She is said to have appeared from the waves at Petra tou Romiou, near Paphos. The beautiful statue of her, found in Soli in the North, on display in the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, has become the symbol of the island.

You will be amazed by the thousand and one ways of preparing coffee in Cyprus. There is of course Greek coffee, which is similar to Turkish coffee. To order it, say "éna elléniko", which means "a Greek". Take your time to drink it, because the grounds must settle at the bottom of the cup. But in summer, there is nothing like an iced coffee that is drunk "chilled".

Copper has been mined in Cyprus since the 3rd millennium B.C. and it was the source of the wealth of ancient cities such as Soli or Salamis. But more than that, it gave the island its name. Copper is called kypros in Greek and that is where the word Cyprus comes from. The colour of copper was also given to the silhouette of the island on the national flag.

A former British colony, Cyprus only recently discovered a passion for golf, with the first course opened in 1994 and the National Federation created in 2000. It's a bit of a heresy to maintain such green courses in such a sunny country, but with the demand from tourists, the sector is booming.

Kleftiko means "stolen". This is explained by the fact that in the early 1920s, during the struggle for independence against the Ottomans, shepherds used to steal cattle and prepare delicious goat or lamb dishes. If the meat is bought today in a more civilized way, the lamb is still cooked in the same clay ovens.

Or how to write Cyprus in Turkish. You'll even hear Kuzey Kıbrıs hoşgeldiniz, or "Welcome to Northern Cyprus". On the other side of the green line, it's both the same and another country. Another currency (Turkish lira, TYR), another official language (Turkish) and a state not recognized by the international community (apart from Turkey).

The largest collection in the country is in the Byzantine Museum of the Makarios III Foundation in Nicosia's Old Town. In the Agios Kassianos Church, the remarkable 18th-century wooden engraved iconostasis preserves magnificent 15th and 16th-century icons from the Basilica of Saint Sophia. A wonderful example among others.

Why green? This color that evokes nature does not suit this no man's land. The "Green Line" or "Attila Line" is the name given to the buffer zone that divides the island in two since 1974. The UN peacekeepers are camped on this demarcation line, which runs from Kato Pirgos, in the west, to the region of Famagusta, in the east, and crosses Nicosia.

A great Cypriot figure of this century, and undoubtedly one of the most important in its history, Archbishop Makarios knew how to turn his country into a modern country as a religious leader and statesman. Elected Archbishop of Cyprus in 1950, he became President of the Republic after a genuine plebiscite, at the time of independence in 1960.

If the sea is of a remarkable azure and clarity and that one often wants to take a dive, the sand is rather dark and rarely fine. Except in a few places, in the region of Agia Napa, there are hardly any large sandy areas. But some places are beautiful and the rocks often add to the charm of the beach.

Among the local production, the wines of the Kommandaria region have been famous since ancient times. They made history in 1224. In that year, the first world wine ranking ("La Bataille des Vins") was held in France and a bottle from the region won. Since then, the grape juice has flowed under the bridge ..