Cyprus

Cyprus is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia. It lies south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon. Since 1974, the island has been divided. The Republic of Cyprus, an EU member, holds the south, while a Turkish Cypriot administration holds the north. Nicosia, the capital, sits on both sides of the line. Meanwhile, Paphos and Larnaca lie on the southern coast.

Paphos Castle

The castle stands at the end of the harbour in Paphos, with the sea on three sides. Moreover, its story runs through every ruler of the island. First came a Byzantine fort. Then, after an earthquake in 1222, the Lusignans built a castle here. In 1570, the Venetians dismantled it before the Ottoman invasion. Finally, the Ottomans rebuilt it in 1592. Later, under the British, it served as a salt store.

When we visited, the castle hosted an exhibition about refugees and the war in Syria. Inside those cold, old walls, the work hit harder than on any gallery wall.

Outside, however, the sun was shining and people were laughing. On the rocks beside the castle, we found a bronze figure lying on a boulder, looking out to sea. Following the exhibition, we could only read it one way. It brought back the images of people who drowned trying to reach Europe. That reading is in the frame: the fort, the open water, and the figure watching it.

Paphos

Paphos is the island’s western city, and it has its own airport. Kato Paphos, the lower town around the harbour, sits below Ktima, the upper town. Most of the archaeology, however, lies down by the water.

Its archaeological sites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are best known for the floor mosaics of the Roman villas, together with the rock-cut Tombs of the Kings.

Our own find came on the way from the hotel to the supermarket. Beside the road, the late sun lit a domed bath ruin under an old tree. Small round openings pierce the dome. Originally, they let light into the bath rooms below. We looked for its history afterwards and found almost nothing. Indeed, no guidebook we had even mentioned it. Still, the frame needed no history: warm stone, green leaves and a blue sky streaked with cloud.

Larnaca

Larnaca has the island’s main airport, so most trips to Cyprus start or end here. Ours ended here. We had one afternoon in the city before our flight back to Berlin.

The castle sits right on the seafront, at the end of the beach promenade. The Ottomans rebuilt it in 1625. Later, the British used it as a prison. Today, it houses the Larnaca Medieval Museum.

The conditions that afternoon were hard. The sky was dull, and a strong wind also blew in from the sea. Then, as we passed the castle, the sun broke through. For about a minute, it lit the castle walls above the sand. I had the camera ready, so I took it. That minute warmed the stone and gave the sky its structure. A minaret also rises behind the walls. Shortly afterwards, the clouds closed again.

Church of Saint Lazarus

Larnaca is the ancient city of Kition. According to Orthodox tradition, Lazarus came here after Jesus raised him from the dead. He fled Judea, became the first bishop of Kition, and lived another 30 years. Here, too, he died a second time.

The church stands over his tomb. Emperor Leo VI built it at the end of the 9th century. Its carved bell tower came much later, in the 19th century.

Because of the legend, the square around the church fills with visitors from all over the world. I soon understood why. There is something timeless in the place. The church in its square under a heavy sky was my attempt to hold it. The stone glows, and the flags hang across the square. Even so, I hold this one to a higher bar than the others. For me, something is still missing from it, and that question is what brings me back to a subject.

Nicosia

Nicosia is the last divided capital in Europe. A United Nations buffer zone, the Green Line, runs through the old town inside its Venetian walls. As a Berliner, I find that line impossible to ignore. Our full Nicosia guide covers the city in depth. This section, therefore, gives the short version, built around the photos.

The best overview comes from the observatory at the top of the Shacolas Tower on Ledra Street. We paid the entrance fee, and the views were worth it. In fact, I could open a window and shoot without any glass marks. From up there, the yellow roofs of the city fill the frame at noon. Behind them, the Kyrenia mountains rise in dark slopes. Furthermore, a huge Turkish Cypriot flag is painted on one of them.

Below the tower, Ledra Street takes its name from Ledra, an ancient city-kingdom on this site. During the day, it fills with people eating meze. At sunrise, however, the street lies empty under its orange sail shades.

On the walls stands the Liberty Monument, unveiled in 1973. It honours the EOKA fighters of 1955 to 1959 against British rule. We came across it while walking along the walls. At blue hour, Liberty rises above two fighters opening a prison gate, while the freed prisoners step out below. The detail in their faces kept us there for an hour.

North Nicosia

Crossing to the north takes a passport and a few minutes on foot at the end of Ledra Street. Then the language changes, and there are more minarets than bell towers. Otherwise, daily life looks much the same.

Büyük Han, the Great Inn, was built in 1572 as a caravanserai. Initially, merchants and travellers slept here after the road. Today, the old rooms hold galleries and craft shops, and restaurants fill the courtyard. In the centre stands a small Ottoman mosque on columns. Looking through the stone arch into the courtyard, I put the sun right behind its dome.

A few streets away, the Selimiye Mosque began as the Latin Cathedral of Saint Sophia. Construction started in 1209, and the cathedral was consecrated in 1326. After the Ottoman conquest in 1570, it became a mosque, and two minarets were added. Since 1954, it has carried the name of Sultan Selim II. We were there in the middle of a spring day. Inside, sharp light from the tall windows falls on the red carpet under white Gothic vaults. The carpet swallows every footstep, so only whispers remain.

Photographing Cyprus

Cyprus is an island of hard light. Away from sunrise and sunset, the sun is high and the sky is often cloudless. As a result, the strongest frames here came from timing rather than luck.

In Nicosia, that meant Ledra Street at sunrise, before the cafés opened, and the Liberty Monument at blue hour. At Büyük Han, I used the sun instead of fighting it. The arch became the frame, with the sunstar over the dome. In Larnaca, it meant being ready for the one minute the clouds opened.

Height also matters. Nicosia is flat, so few places allow a real panorama of the city. Therefore, the Shacolas Tower is worth the ticket. Finally, the golden local limestone carries colour well in low sun. Every castle, church and bath ruin on this island glows at the end of the day.

When to Visit Cyprus

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for photography. In March and April, the fields turn green and the light is clear. Meanwhile, the air is still cool enough to walk all day. We travelled in spring.

Summer, by contrast, is long, dry and very hot, especially inland. In Nicosia, July and August regularly pass 35°C. The coast stays a few degrees cooler, but the midday light is flat and white.

Winter is mild on the coast, with most of the year’s rain. Snow, however, falls only on the Troodos mountains.

Frequently Asked Questions