TANK MONUMENT

This military site (Tarihi Tank) is spectacular: the carcass of a Turkish tank from the 1974 invasion is wedged into a pass in the Pentadaktylos/Beşparmak mountains, 700 m above sea level, where you can enjoy grandiose views of the Kyrenia coast. It can be reached via a small mountain road (not shown on Google Maps) linking Karşıyaka (Vasilia/Βασιλεια) to Saint-Hilarion. The carcass is that of an American-made M47 Patton tank that was lost during the Battle of Lapta on August 2, 1974, in an attempt to break through the Pentadaktylos. A Turkish armored column was ambushed here: one vehicle was destroyed, others were abandoned and recovered by the Cypriot National Guard. The surviving M47 was only damaged by a mine explosion. Its tracks can still be seen nearby. But during the towing operation, the tank slid down the slope and remained in place. The site is laid out with a small parking lot, concrete steps, flags, a memorial and (not very) explanatory panels. It lies along the Lapithos trail (Lapta Yürüyüş Parkuru), which is long and difficult: requiring around 5 hours' walking, it forms a 10.2 km loop from Lapta that passes beneath the Kyparissovouno/Selvili peak, the highest point of the Pentadaktylos, at 1,024 m above sea level. Descending from the monument, however, it takes you 1 km down to the abandoned Byzantine monastery of Panagia Kriniotissa, with its beautiful ^14th-century church.