Travel Guide Lefka – Lefke

This small "white" town(lefka in Greek) enjoys a beautiful setting, in a fertile region at the foot of Mount Troodos and near the Bay of Morfou. Founded in the 3rd century B.C. by Lefkos, son of the Egyptian Greek king Ptolemy, it was an important mining (copper) and agricultural center in antiquity. It retains an interesting Ottoman heritage, with an aqueduct (1609) and three mosques, as well as some fine colonial houses dating from 1900-1930. The surrounding area also boasts several beaches and two archaeological sites (Soli and Vouni Palace). Lefka also benefits from two gateways to the south: Lefka-Alpiki to the Troodos and Kato Pyrgos-Limnitis to the north-west coast, the Turkish enclave of Kokkina/Erenköy and the Paphos forest. The region has changed little since 1974. Already predominantly Turkish Cypriot before the invasion, it cultivates its difference from the rest of the northern zone, which is mostly populated by recent settlers from Turkey.