Church of Christ Antiphonetes and the Castle of Kyrenia
One of our most beautiful and best preserved castles built by the Lusignans on the sea front. An amazing and robust construction entirely out of limestone from the nearby quarries of the Kyrenia range. The castle has an interior court yard, a little chapel dedicated to St. George and houses today the original shipwreck of the Kyrenia ship that sailed in the 3rd century BC from Samos to Cyprus with a rich cargo of wine amphorae and stone mills. The ship sunk a few miles out of the little town of Kyrenia; marine archaeologists and scientists studied the shipwreck for years and managed to preserve the hull which today is exhibtied in one of the rooms of the castle.
Antiphonitis Church
A most important wall-painted church, both through its structure and its iconograpy, situated in a beautiful setting of pines and cypresses of the Pentadactylos range. The church is a single aisled building with a large dome dating to the 12th century AD. It is a monument of extreme beauty and elegance, unique in its kind. The wall paintings date from the 12th and the 15th century.
Description: We will drive to Kyrenia first and visit the Castle and the Museum of the Kyrenia shipwreck, and take a stroll at the little harbour. We will then take the coastal road towards the village of Kalograia where we will visit one of the most important wall painted churches of Cypus. We will drive back to Nicosia through the lush and beautiful forest of Halevka.
Necessary documents to have: valid passport or ID