Discovering villages and the rural world
Cyprus does not have an exemplary "typical" architecture. It has indeed been invaded and conquered over the centuries, but also shaken and destroyed by numerous earthquakes. However, if you visit some of the 600 villages, you will still discover that a traditional habitat does exist. And although 70% of the population now lives in towns on the island, the Cypriot government did not hesitate to launch programmes some 20 years ago to encourage the inhabitants to reinvest in the villages and thus face up to the rural exodus, but also to restore traditional houses and turn them into tourist residences. Villages in Cyprus, such as Tochni, were built according to the topography of the land and the materials available. The settlement of the houses follows the movement of the land and they rise with the height of the hills and mountains. Theorganization of life in the communes is done around the church and in villages such as Lefkara, each district even has its own monastery. Along the cobbled streets, one can see that the traditional houses are built with local stones. They are usually closed by a wall built with these same stones, a wall that protects the courtyard. When the ground floor did not allow for large living rooms, a second floor was usually built, which could be accessed via an outside staircase, made of wood or stone. The end of the staircase ends with a balcony protected by wooden railings. It is a living room in its own right in the traditional village houses, a place where one can meet and be in the fresh air, while being protected from the generous sunshine. Itshould be noted that in Cyprus, while the coastline has seen the development of many seaside resorts designed to welcome travellers and make tourism an important element in the island's economic development, the hinterland is rich in traditional villages and one should not hesitate to leave the beaches and move inland to join the small towns of yesteryear, sometimes perched on top of a hill, such as the authentic village of Kalavasos
Architecture in an urban environment
In an urban setting, it is interesting to note the various influences and the evolution of architecture over time. In cities like Limassol
, one can walk through neighbourhoods with rather recent residential buildings, or one can walk through the old town before stopping later in front of amazing castles, such as Limassol Castle and its structure rebuilt in the 16th century during the Ottoman period, or Kolossi Castle, built in the 13th century. In the capital Nicosia, one has the peculiarity of walking in the last divided city in Europe, you will have to go to the area along the "dividing line". In this multifaceted city, one cannot fail to stop at the foot of its main buildings. Together with the Selimiye Mosque right next door, the Bedesten is one of Nicosia's landmarks. It is the former Catholic Church of St. Nicholas, built from the end of the 12th century. At one time transformed into a "closed market" (bezistan in French, bedesten in Turkish) by the Ottomans, it had an eventful life. But the building has retained some of its formidable Gothic architecture, blending various influences. It is a city whose history we want to be interested in through the presence of ancient monuments. We discover that its evolution over time has not prevented some more contemporary accents as evidenced by the 67-metre high tower designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, which is a new icon in the capital. The White Walls tower consists of ten floors of apartments, six floors of offices and two levels of shops. Its verticality contrasts with the horizontality of the former fortifications. A vertical garden covers almost 80% of the south façade.In the main cities, one should also look at the urban houses to see the notable differences with the rural habitat. Urban settlement emerged at the end of the Ottoman period, when the Cypriot middle class also emerged. Houses were then a means of displaying one's social status. Located on the roadsides in the towns to be clearly visible, they display a neoclassical and colonial style. The influences are very clearly British, with the presence of a floor and ornamentation on the facade (columns, balconies, window frames ...). Colonial architecture has evolved over time, and inspiration is found in the construction of houses that are somewhat less ornate, but which retain certain aspects of this type of dwelling, notably the presence of a single storey and one or more balconies with windows. This is thecase of the Kyriazis Medical Museum
in Larnaka. It should also be noted that in the 1950s and 1960s many Cypriot architecture students who had left the island to study abroad returned and initiated projects that gave rise to the first high-rise buildings, symbols of modernism. These are the buildings found in the largest cities, such as Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaka. They housed residents, but also schools and other institutions.The treasures of Byzantine art
A stay in Cyprus is a wonderful opportunity to explore its deep religious roots. It is a great opportunity to explore the paths that lead to its monasteries and sacred churches, a heritage of which the inhabitants are proud. It is in the Troodos Mountains region that one finds a large concentration of holy places, quite simply one of the most important in the entire Byzantine Empire. Some ten Byzantine churches in this splendid region between valleys and lush forests are included, together, in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nine of them since 1985, the tenth (Metamorfosis tou Sotiros) in 2001. With their modest dimensions, like those of the Archangelos Mihail church, they are reminiscent of large mountain farms: sometimes rough stones, thick walls, imposing roofs, rough wooden frames. But their appearance should not deceive and distract the visitor's gaze. For it is indeed when you go through the doors that you witness a superb spectacle. They are home to some of the most beautiful murals of their kind in the world. And beyond their beauty, these works tell us about the island's eventful past, from the Byzantines to the Lusignans, from the Venetians to the Ottomans, about the struggles of influence, fashions, the evolution of techniques and styles, etc. The church Panagia Forviotissa (Our Lady of Farvion), known as Panagia tis Asinou, reveals a very complete cycle of Byzantine wall paintings. And to see the best preserved frescoes, do not fail to pass through the door of the church Panagia Arakiotissa. The paintings found in these unique buildings bear witness to five centuries of art history in Cyprus. They are, in themselves, a life-size history book
