Archive for June, 2011
Explore Famagusta North Cprus With Your Car Hire
The ancient city of Farmagusta provides some of the finest maintained and restored architecture from medieval times to be found in the entire eastern Mediterranean region. The citys remarkable reminders of ancient days are exhilarating and remind many travelers of some of the worlds best maintained medieval cities.
Although the early history of the town remains shrouded in mystery many historians believe the first settlements occurred here around the 3rd century B.C. Later during the time of the Crusades the town became a principal market of commerce located along the popular trade routes through the Eastern Mediterranean region.
North Cyprus Car Hire Things to See in Famagusta
Much like the walled city of Carcassone France the ancient city of Farmagusta remains encircled by the defensive walls that were originally built in the 12th century by the Lusignan family of western France. Later while the city was under the control of the Venetian forces the walls were improved and strengthened. These walls are huge averaging 60 feet high and 30 feet thick or 18 meters high and 9 meters thick. One particularly interesting section of the wall is the original 15th century iron covered gate to the city Porta del Mare or Sea Gate that still maintains its original appearance. The Venetian control over and improvements to the town are evidenced in the statue of the winged lion of Venice that can be seen at the Porta del Mare as well as prominently elsewhere throughout the old town.
The largest medieval building in the city is the impressive Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque building that dates from the 14th century. This building was the Cathedral of St. Nicholas until the Ottomans conquered the island in the 16th century and converted the cathedral to a mosque. Many visitors have noted that the style of the building is reminiscent of the great medieval cathedrals of France. This is not an unexpected comparison since French families ruled the island of Cyprus from the 12th to the 15th century and it was here in the cathedral that various French family members were crowned as King of Cyprus. This French influence is also obvious in the great rose window that is located above the buildings main entry doors.
Today located just south of the old town the forbidden city of Varosha can only be seen through the wire fence that surrounds it. Prior to the invasion of Cyprus by Turkish forces in 1974 this modern Varosha neighborhood of Farmagusta was the number one tourist area in Cyprus. Many high rise hotels had been built here to accommodate the large number of international travelers that visited the city in the early 1970s. But when the Turkish army seized control of the city in 1974 they fenced the area off and no one was admitted. Even today only members of the Turkish military and United Nations personnel are allowed to enter the abandoned city. After 34 years of abandonment the oncemodern buildings are nowfalling apart and many stores and restaurants look as if they were just abandoned with tables still set for diners and clothing still on the shelves.
North Cyprus Car Hire Things to See near Famagusta
One advantage of having a North Cyprus car hire is that it gives you the ability to visit more remote sites that are located near larger towns like Farmagusta. For example the excavated ruins of ancient Salamis are located just a short drive up the coast and include a Greek theater that seated as many as 20000 people as well as many Roman structures and classical monuments. Another outstanding site in Salamis is the 4th century Kampanopetra Basilica located at a spot near the harbor and overlooking the sea. The Basilicas elaborate floor pattern consisting of 2400 individual diamond shaped stones is exquisite. This important city of ancient Cyprus may have originally been settled by Greek colonists following the end of the Trojan War. Later it was visited by Saint Paul during his first journey as a missionary.
With your North Cyprus car hire you can also visit the nearby ruins of Engomi a powerful city that existed during the Bronze Age around the year 2000 B.C. Treasures that have been recovered from the tombs found here have included gold and ivory as well as glass vases and rare pottery. The settlement of Engomi is believed to have been abandoned around 1000 B.C. when an earthquake destroyed many of the buildings and the residents moved to the nearby town of Salamis.
Whether walking through the city of Farmagusta on foot or driving through the surrounding area in your North Cyprus hire car the time spent in this fascinating town of ancient Cyprus may be the highlight of your trip to North Cyprus.
About the writer: Ayse Berkcan born in Nicosia June 19 1971 is a Cypriot travel writer. She currently lives in London. She wroked many Cyprus based travel agents as reservation manager. She has published few bookes about Cyprus Travel Guide.
Experience A Thrilling Adventure Of A Lifetime!
Dublin is the biggest city in Ireland. It is rich in literary history that raised a number of renown poets like James Joyce William Butler Yeats George Bernard Shaw Samuel Beckett Oscar Wilde Jonathan Swift the famous maker of Dracula Bram Stoker and host of other talented artists. This is just a testament to the rich well of prolific writers that Ireland has produced. Dublin is also a home to Ireland’s biggest libraries and museums. Tourists visiting Dublin may be treated to the several theaters that has made countless of seasoned actors who also made names throughout the world. It is more convenient to experience and see the rich literary history of Dublin and of Ireland through a car where you can drive and visit museums and libraries at your own pacing. In case you need one our car hire services may be availed of at Dublin Airport and at prices suitable to your budget.
In Dublin one can experience a host of variety of live music dancing and film. Nightlife in Dublin is alive and full of energy. One can spend the night away in a good number of the most popular nightclubs and pubs that abound in the city. A visit into the famous Temple Bar is a must once you touch the city of Dublin. People from Ireland is also dubbed as the friendliest city in Europe. Who will not love going to a place where friendly people abound? Everybody else does. You can best enjoy the experience of visiting the city of Dublin with a car. Hire car now.
If you are an avid fan of sports have a share of Dublin’ s fantastic sports like Gaelic football soccer rugby union and hurling. Witness various competitions lined up for this event all year long. In case your family fancy a visit to landmarks Dublin has it. You can visit the famous Christ Church cathedral at the heart of the city. Pay also a visit to the world renown Bram Stoker Dracula museum which every traveler must see. The Writer’s Museum should be also included in your list of itineraries for one’s enjoyment of Dublin’s vast heritage. A great way to visit Dublin is through the convenience of your own car. In case you don’t have one. Our car hire services is available to bring you to the majestic tourist spot of Dublin. Book now.
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Enjoy The Beauty Of Thai Wildlife At The Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo
The Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo is an attraction consisting of a 60acre park reserved exclusively for wildlife conservation. Located in Samphran district which is about one hour’s drive from Bangkok the Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo puts on elaborate themed shows presenting acrobatic and entertaining elephants as well as a popular crocodile wrestling show. These shows take up the morning hours at the zoo so you can visit the buffet afterwards to enjoy a scrumptious spread.
The elephant show at Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo includes dancing baby elephants elephant football a reenactment of the Yutha Hathi historical elephantback battle during the Ayuthaya period acrobatic entertainment and much more. More than 10000 crocodiles live at the Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo and the majority of them participate in the crocodile wrestling show which includes a great performance of a master and crocodile battling each other. Other than the shows visitors can also enjoy elephantback rides photography sessions with the animals feeding and petting the animals and water bike rides along the stream to see catfish. The zoo has been accredited by CITES as one of the cleanest and most impressive public wildlife displays in the world.
Besides the entertainment and wildlife preservation sections the Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo hosts a massive international cuisine buffet everyday from 11:30 to 14:30 in the afternoon served with traditional Thai hospitality.
The Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo hosts the Jumbo Banquet Ceremony on an annual basis. Held on 1st May between 3:00 pm and 4:30pm the ceremony features elephants feeding on 6 tons of vegetables and fruits. The ceremony is organized as a means of showing appreciation to the elephants for their efforts throughout the past year.
The zoo also hosts a special Children’s Day where the grounds are reserved for kids’ entertainment throughout the day. From 9:00 am to 15:00 pm the Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo provides special shows free games and activities for children.
Since visiting and enjoying the Samphran Elephant Ground Zoo can take up a whole day or more you should consider spending the night at a nearby Bangkok serviced residence. These Bangkok serviced apartments provide comfortable accommodation with modern conveniences at affordable rates.
About the writer: Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers integrated Internet marketing services and specializes in hotel Internet marketing industry.