This article covers the Cypriot city of Morphou, which is also called Güzelyurt. The description of the place of the same name in Cappadocia (Turkish mainland) can be found in the article Güzelyurt.
 | |
| Güzelyurt / Omorfo · Morphou Μορφου /Morfou | |
| province | Morphou |
|---|---|
| Residents | around 15,000 |
other value for residents on Wikidata: 7465   | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | |
Morphou (Turkish Güzelyurt or Omorfo, Greek Μορφου /Morfou) is a city in Northern Cyprus.
background
Morphou is an economic center in Northern Cyprus. The main branch of the economy is the cultivation of citrus fruits and their marketing. For tourists, the city is usually only a transit station or starting point for excursions to Lefka or to the beaches at Agia Irini (west of Morphou).
getting there
By plane
Via Ercan or Larnaca.
In the street
Of Nicosia, Kyrenia and Lefke there are regular shared taxis. There is an expressway to Nicosia. The best way to get from the southern part of the island to Morphou is via the crossing at Astromeritis, about 10 km away in the south. This crossing has been open to vehicle traffic between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. since August 2005.
mobility
Dynamic cards- The few sights of the city are easy to explore on foot.
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Agios Mamas Monastery: The monastery church ("Heiliger Mamas") surrounded by arcades with the tomb of St. Mamas is the main attraction in the old town of Güzelyurt. The current church was built in the 18th century. The outer side portals and the columns in the nave come from an earlier Gothic church from the Lusignan period. The Gothic church, on the other hand, stood on ruins from the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) period. The upper part of the icon wall ("iconostasis") is made of wood, painted in the colors blue and gold, an exquisite example of the wood carving of the late 16th century. The lower part is made of marble and shows ornaments made of figs, grapes and acorns, as well as a Venetian shield, which was formerly emblazoned with colored coats of arms. Mama's sarcophagus has two holes from which a balm against eye and hearing ailments and other diseases oozed, which is also said to help calm a troubled sea.
- St. Mamas was probably a hermit living in the region. There are several legends about his grave from the 12th century: As a hermit, Mamas could not or would not pay taxes. Because of his default, he was summoned to court by the Byzantine or Eastern Roman governor and two soldiers picked him up. On the way, the group met a wild lion who was about to tear a lamb. Mamas soothed the lion, saved the lamb, and turned the danger away from the people. Riding on the tame lion, holding the lamb in his hand, he came into town. The governor was so impressed by it that he exempted Mamas from paying his tax debt. Since then, the Holy Mamas has been considered the patron saint of late taxpayers, but also of tax evaders and evaders. There are 14 churches dedicated to St. Mamas on the island of Cyprus.
- The monastery church is also an icon museum.
- 2 Archeology and Natural History Museum: The archeology and natural history museum was set up in the former bishop's palace next to the Agios Mamas monastery. The rich archeology section shows finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to antiquity. You can see weapons, jewelry and vessels made of bronze, all sorts of clay vessels and utensils with linear, graphic and colored decorations, as well as various gold jewelry from the Hellenistic period. Particularly worth seeing is the statue of Artemis from Ephesus, as well as a golden vine leaves diadem, both found in Salamis. The natural history section has a rich collection of specimens from animals and plants in Cyprus. In the garden there is a lapidary made up of columns, capitals, a torso and a stone sarcophagus.
- 3 Morphou mosque: Just a stone's throw from the Agios Mamas monastery is the city's magnificent mosque.
- There isn't much else to see in Morphou itself. The city was largely abandoned after the civil war and only sparsely repopulated. Much of the structure is in poor structural condition.
- The "old town" is around and near the monastery. There are small street cafes and shops to meet daily needs.
activities
- …
shop
There is a large supermarket on the road to Lefka (Lemar), which is open every day.
kitchen
nightlife
There are many night clubs along the road to Nicosia, which are mainly frequented by visitors from the south. As a tourist you should avoid these if possible.
accommodation
In Morphou itself there are only a few accommodations, it looks better in the season west of the city directly on the bay of Morphou near Karavostasi.
health
Practical advice
- Tourist Information: 90 392 7278 491-2-3
trips
Morphou is a good starting point for excursions in the area. Worth seeing are:
- 1 Lefka: A picturesque town near Morphou Bay.
- 2 Karovostasi: A village on the Bay of Morphou - tourist infrastructure and some nice restaurants, even if the rusted loading bridges of the former copper mines are a bit annoying.
- 4 Soloi very close to Karovostasi
- The beaches west of the city
- 3 Cormacitis: An important place for the Maronite minority of Cyprus with a beautiful church.
