Northern Cyprus Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
de facto state on the island of Cyprus
About 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'sOthello. 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
Northern Cyprus Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 20 sections including: