Travel Guide Akanthou - Tatlisu

Situated in the foothills of the Pentadactylos, 200 m above sea level and 3.5 km from the shore, Akanthou/Tatlısu is the first village on the Karpas peninsula from Kyrenia. It was founded around the 7th century by inhabitants of the ancient town of Pergamon (6.5 km to the south-west), where today you can see the beautiful church of Panagia Pergaminiotissa, ancient and Neolithic remains and the uninteresting Cyprus Miniature Park. The village itself, once populated by Greek Cypriots, has been inhabited since 1974 by Turkish Cypriots from the Larnaka district and by Turkish settlers. There are a few shops and a restaurant, as well as monuments from the early 20th century, including the large Chrysosotiros church (1935), now a mosque. On the shore, near the pretty beach of Giali/Yali, stood the ancient Aphrodision/Ἀφροδίσιον. The site of this city dedicated to Aphrodite is now occupied by two vacation home complexes. Finally, on the heights, near the hamlet of Platani/Çınarlı, lies the largest cave in Cyprus.