Northern Cyprus

Cyprus has been contested for millennia by rival nations, who sought its minerals, cotton and control of sea lanes between Europe and the Levant. Turkey was a relative newcomer to this dogfight, as it was only by the 16th century that the Ottomans had substantial control of the mainland and could expand into a maritime empire. They captured Rhodes in 1522 and their next target was Cyprus, where the Venetians were ensconced. That terrible assault succeeded in 1571 and is the background to Shakespeare's Othello. The Ottomans retained Cyprus for 300 years and many Turks settled here, especially in the north, but overall there remained a Greek majority population.

Mainland Greece and almost all its islands likewise fell under Ottoman rule, but by the 19th century that empire was in decline, and Greece won its independence in 1830. That was the springboard for the Megali campaign to regain all the "Hellenistic" territories, which included Crete, Cyprus, and just about every trading port around the east Mediterranean. There were vicious wars that threatened to de-stabilise a much wider region (code for "let the Russians in") so the western powers stepped in, and in 1878 Britain took over Cyprus though still acknowledging the Ottomans as nominal rulers. That pretence ended in 1914 when Turkey entered World War I on the side of Germany and the island became part of the British Empire.

The post-war treaty of 1923 led to extensive population exchanges between Greece and Turkey, but this didn't affect Cyprus, where the two communities continued to detest each other. Throughout all this, Greek Cypriots dreamed not of independence but enosis, a merger with mainland Greece. After World War II Britain's colonies moved towards independence but here one community insisted on enosis while the other imagined that Cyprus would joyfully become Turkish the minute the Union Flag was hauled down. Factional violence became organised into rival militias EOKA and TMT, and Cyprus slid towards civil war.

The outcome was independence on 15 Aug 1960. Britain retained two large military territories on the south coast, but there was no partition, rather a power-sharing agreement and noble declarations about protecting the rights of minorities. One crucial clause in the peace deal gave Britain, Greece and Turkey the right to intervene militarily "to restore the status quo" in case the deal was overthrown. But power-sharing was dysfunctional from the outset and community violence continued; a series of peace initiatives were launched and sank. In 1974 the enosis faction seized power in a coup, and Turkey therefore invaded. By the time a ceasefire was agreed they controlled the northern third of the island, including its chief port Famagusta and half the capital Nicosia.

Talks to convert that ceasefire into a definitive treaty have dragged on ever since, so it's a "frozen conflict", with the United Nations patrolling a buffer zone between the two sides. In 1983, the Turkish-held area declared itself the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", TRNC. So far only Turkey recognizes the TRNC, while all other governments and the United Nations regard it as a puppet state and recognize only the government of the Republic of Cyprus over the whole island, excluding the British military territories. Since the 1990s a thaw between Greece and Turkey has led to easing of tensions within Cyprus, and it's nowadays easy to pass between the two parts, but the razor wire, watchtowers and derelict no-man's land are as stark as ever. The other dynamic from 2004 was Cyprus joining the European Union, a form of enosis stretching to Lisbon and Dublin that Turkey also aspires to join, but which raises questions of border control and trade rules with regard to TRNC.

The Kyrenia or Pentadactylos ("five-fingered") mountain range rises from the coast to 1000 m. It's a limestone ridge with ancient fortresses perched on its heights, which dwindle eastwards to create the panhandle of the Karpaz Peninsula. Inland is a broad plain, fertile and traversed by the main roads. Further south the land rises again towards the Troodos Mountains, the mineral-rich uplands that caused copper (cuprum) to be named after Cyprus, but the Turkish advance halted before it.

TRNC is at 35° N in the east Med, the same latitude as Crete or central Tunisia, so it has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Frost is rare at low altitude but in winter the sea is cold and rough, with a raw wind blowing off it, and many hotels and other facilities close up. April-June is a good season to visit for landward exploring, but Sept-Oct is better for water sports.

Visit North Cyprus is the TRNC tourist agency.

Most visitors can enter Northern Cyprus easily, whether by land from the Republic of Cyprus, or from elsewhere. Difficulty may arise if you enter the Republic from TRNC then leave by a different route, or vice versa, see below.

No advance visa is needed except for citizens of Syria, Armenia and Nigeria. Everyone else can simply rock up at the border by land, sea or air. A national ID card is sufficient for citizens of Turkey, the EU, and other countries within the Schengen Area (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein). All others such as the UK or USA need to show a passport valid for 6 months beyond the date of entry. In theory you might be asked about your finances, accommodation and onward travel but they seldom bother. The outcome is a visitor visa for 30 to 90 days; this may not be extended, does not permit work or residence, and 90 days in any 180 is your maximum. Other visas for work, study, business and property ownership have the same 90-in-180 limit.

You can ask for your entry stamp to go on a separate slip of paper, though TRNC passport stamps are no longer a problem for later visits to Greece or Cyprus. The need might arise if you had to shuttle between TRNC and the Republic, and didn't want to fill up your passport.

Visas in advance for citizens of Syria, Armenia and Nigeria are obtained in person from a TRNC "Mission Abroad" (since they're not accredited as an embassy or consulate). There are two dozen, for instance in New York, Washington DC, London and Berlin, but none in the three source countries; perhaps one of the seven Missions in Turkey would be convenient.

North-south itineraries are nowadays only a potential problem. The south maintains that entering the island through the north is illegal. They equally maintain that EU citizens have freedom of movement throughout Cyprus and the Schengen Area. They also have border posts along the Green Line that they claim isn't a border. The upshot of this muddle is that EU citizens have no difficulty, but others (eg British) are at the whim of north-south politics. These are nowadays pragmatic, but any diplomatic rift with Turkey might suddenly lead to Cypriot immigration officials blocking your crossing from TRNC. On south-to-north itineraries, non-EU passport holders should ensure they're stamped out, to avoid later accusations that they've overstayed in the EU.

Do not bring a dog. The island of Cyprus is free of dog rabies, but it's common on mainland Turkey so cross-infection in TRNC is a risk.

🌍 Ercan International Airport (ECN ^IATA) is 13 km east of Nicosia. It has frequent flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW), and seasonal flights from across Europe. Since Northern Cyprus is not internationally recognised (including by IATA), all flights from other countries must touch down briefly in Turkey to perform a feegle-fogle with the paperwork then continue on their way.

You could also fly to Larnaca in the south and take a taxi to the border in Nicosia.

Akgunlerdenizcilik ferries connect Kyrenia (Girne) to Alanya, Taşucu and Mersin in Turkey, and Famagusta (Mağusa) to Mersin.

The fast ferry from Alanya only sails in summer: from Alanya Th & Su at 12:00, from Kyrenia W & Sa at 10:00. This is a catamaran (shown in timetables as deniz otobüsü) for foot passengers taking 2 hr 30 min.

A similar fast-cat ferry, summer only, takes 80 min from Mersin. It sails from Mersin Su Tu & Th at 21:00, from Kyrenia M W & F at 23:00.

The third fast-cat route, summer only, takes two hours from Taşucu. It sails Fridays only from Taşucu at 14:00 and from Girne at 10:00.

The only car ferry is from Taşucu and takes six hours. It sails four times a week in summer: from Taşucu on Su M Tu & Th at 23:30 and from Kyrenia M & Tu at 14:00, W & F at 23:30. This ferry sails all year.

Ferries from Madenli south of İskenderun are not sailing, as the earthquake of 2023 damaged the port.

With your own boat, Kyrenia and Famagusta are the designated Ports of Entry to clear TRNC immigration and customs.

The land crossings between TRNC and the Republic are:

• Yesilirmak (by car) is the westernmost tip of TRNC, beyond Lefke.
• Lefke (by car) south of Lefke village. A new route south of Lefke is under construction in 2024.
• Astromeritis / Zodhia (by car) south of Güzelyurt.
• Agios Dometios / Kermia / Metehan is the chief crossing by road, and pedestrians are permitted, at the west edge of Nicosia.
• Ledra Palace (pedestrians only) is the oldest crossing, west flank of the old city walls of Nicosia.
• Ledra Street (pedestrians only) is the most convenient for day-trips, an alley through the bazaar in old Nicosia.
• Pergamos / Beyarmudu (by car) via Dhekelia military zone.
• Strovilia near Agios Nikolaos (by car) in the east of the island near Famagusta.

If you hire a car from the south, check their small print to ensure they allow their vehicles to go north.

Car insurance from the Republic is not valid in TRNC, so you have to buy at the border; you can't buy elsewhere. And while the border posts are open 24 hours for immigration and customs, the kiosks for insurance are not. The main crossing at Agios Dometios / Kermia / Metehan has a kiosk open 08:00 to midnight, check the latest hours if you intend to use the others. You buy for a minimum of one month, which in 2024 costs €120 and is only valid for third party not comprehensive.

A car is by far the best way to travel around Northern Cyprus. There are rental desks in Nicosia city, Ercan Airport, Kyrenia and Famagusta - best book ahead, as their fleets are small and their opening hours limited. They can arrange to pick up / drop off at Kyrenia ferry port or at Ledra Palace border crossing in Nicosia.

Check the deal with fuel, they usually rent empty-to-empty, so the first task is to find a filling station. The second task is to estimate how much fuel you might use, as there's no credit for unused fuel.

If you hire in the south, you may take the vehicle north but must buy extra insurance at the border, see above.

The highways are in good repair, well-signposted, pleasantly uncongested by western standards, and local drivers are less frenetic than on the Turkish mainland.

Hitch-hiking is usually easy along these roads.

Dolmuşes - minibuses - are the main public transport. They don't have a fixed timetable and set off whenever full, but reckon on runs between Nicosia and Kyrenia every 30 minutes, and between other towns hourly. They're designed for locals not tourists and become very sparse by early evening. Some sights (such as St Hilarion) are several km from a dolmuş route, and the east peninsula beyond İskele and the west end beyond Lefke have infrequent services.

There are many taxi ranks, but you won't see many taxis around to wave down, so make sure to get some numbers. Taxis wait at the airport, and at Ledra Palace and Kermiya crossings. A trip from Nicosia to Kyrenia in 2024 is about €60.

The Turkish lira is the official currency in Northern Cyprus, one and the same as the mainland lira, denoted as TL (ISO code TRY). That means that Northern Cyprus suffers the same hyper-inflation as the mainland, about 50% per annum, so exchange rates and prices quoted on these pages go out of date quickly. Don't exchange until you get here, and don't leave with a wad unspent. Euros, UK pounds and credit cards are accepted by all but the smallest businesses. These may even quote prices in or insist on euros to counter inflation.

Lira banknotes are 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 TL, see Turkey#Money for specimens. You need the E9 series from 2009, previous issues are no longer valid. You might encounter coins of 1 TL or less, worth next-to-nothing. One lira is divided into 100 kuruş, an amount you could barely see with a microscope.

Exchange desks are honest, and the standard scams are unheard of.

• AVM means a shopping centre, AlışVeriş Merkezi, and these are found in the main towns along with convenience stores. TRNC doesn't have big western-style supermarkets.
• Tourist souvenirs are likewise sold in the main towns. The cuter the surroundings the higher the price, so Büyük Han the Great Inn of Nicosia costs most.

Northern Cyprus property is low cost compared to the Republic of Cyprus, but you're going to need a good lawyer. The long list of pitfalls in buying property in the south also applies to the north, and is compounded by the problem of title. Thousands of Cypriots driven out in the war of 1974 still hold titles to their land, which courts may enforce over later purchasers.

The landmark case was Apostolides v Orams 2009. Apostolides and his family fled in 1974 from Laptos, nowadays Lapta on Kyrenia resort strip. It was only with the easing of border restrictions in 2003 that they were able to return, to find a villa built there by David and Linda Orams from England, who'd bought the land in good faith from a local agent. Apostolides sued in the Cypriot courts but their judgement was not enforceable in the north, so the case bounced around the British and European courts before a definitive ruling in Apostolides' favour by the European Court of Justice. It was a pyrrhic victory, as the Orams abandoned the property and Apostolides got nothing out of it, but the lawyers still got paid plenty.

So a wave of further cases never materialised. The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2013 and 2015 that though TRNC was not recognised, it did have de facto an independent judiciary and legal system, and that future disputes should be heard there, specifically by the Immovable Property Commission. That body is more likely than a southern court to rule that those who've paid money for land in the north also have enforceable rights.

The electricity is 240 volt and the UK-style of rectangular 3 pin plugs and sockets are used. Be warned that power cuts are fairly frequent and that the voltage fluctuates, which can damage anything connected.

Although 99% of Turkish Cypriots are Sunni Muslims, the vast majority of Turkish Cypriots are secular. Unlike mainland Turks and Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots are not conservative and many do not practise any religion. For example, alcohol is frequently consumed by Turkish Cypriots and women dress casually (headscarves and veils are very rare and are limited to very few deeply religious women and some elderly women). Religion only plays a limited role within the community, for example, with the circumcision of Turkish Cypriot boys at a young age due to religious reasons, as well as with funerals, and occasionally religious weddings by an imam, which are symbolic, as only civil weddings are recognized by the strictly secular Turkish Cypriot state.

But however secular and liberal the Turkish Cypriots are on religion, it is extremely rude to insult or mock Islam. For example, do not mock or mimic the five times daily calls to prayer, as Turkish Cypriots would be deeply offended.

It is best to avoid discussion of the Greek-Turkish divide and the violent events beginning in 1963 to 1974, with the end result being the occupation of the northern and eastern 40% of the island by Turkey, as the vast majority of Turkish Cypriots are very nationalistic and sensitive on this issue.

Openly denigrating or insulting symbols of the state, especially the flag or Kemal Atatürk, is liable to cause deep offence and possibly result in charges.

One should also show respect in approaching people of the opposite sex or be mindful of any gestures which are regarded as very offensive, such as staring and addressing the locals in a loud voice (because it is regarded as condescending).

Homosexuality, long officially banned, was legalized in 2009, but same-sex relationships are not recognized by the government and open displays of same-sex affection are very likely to draw stares and whispers. Nevertheless Northern Cyprus is considered to be safe for gay and lesbian travellers, and violence against homosexuals is unheard of.