Wherever you go in North Cyprus, you can be sure of a warm welcome. This is not some "tourist charm offensive", however, it’s very much part of the North Cyprus customs and traditions.
Every village in North Cyprus probably has a coffee house or café somewhere, and all you need to do is listen to find it! The chatter and laughter of men will lead you to two opponents playing "tavli", or Cyprus backgammon, mixes with the gentle banter of those watching the game.
The Romans may have first built bath houses on Cyprus, but it was the Ottoman Empire that ensured every citizen had access to a public bath complex, or "hamam". Only two of these original North Cyprus bath complexes still survive, both in Nicosia, of which the most famous is the Grand Turkish Baths. Some major hotels in North Cyprus, feature their own modern Turkish Bath complexes.
In the last decade or so, there has been a great resurgence of interest in North Cyprus folk traditions, including folk dancing and traditional handicrafts. After all, Leonardo da Vinci bought the finest lace from Cyprus for Milan Cathedral!
If you are given a blue bead pendant, it’s to ward off the "Evil eye". This is an example of how old pagan-originated superstitions have lived on despite thousands of years of religion and scientific progress!
For Turkish Cypriots, family life is of ultimate importance and therefore a great amount of their free time is spent at family gatherings, barbeques and weddings. All towns and even some villages hold festivals many of which are in the early summer.
Lefkara embroidery is an old Cypriot tradition dating back to the Venetian period, where beautiful and intricate items such as bed covers, table cloths, doilies and head-scarves were weaved using drawn and counted thread embroidery on lace. It is said that on a visit to Cyprus, Leonardo da Vinci was so impressed by the Lefkara adaptation of Venetian embroidery that he took some of the embroidery bearing the “potamos” design back to Italy to drape on the altar in the Milan Cathedral. Today, this design is known as the “Leonardo da Vinci design”.
Carpet weaving is another age-old Cypriot tradition and is mostly found in the Gazimağusa region. Kilims (small floor rugs) with colourful designs and patterns make ideal souvenirs or gifts, whilst wicker basket weaving is another Cypriot art form that is popular with locals and tourists.
Handicrafts