VILLAGES AND FESTIVALS

The rich culture of traditional Northern Cyprus is still found in the villages and highlighted in the many village festivals that take part during the year all over the country. At these events there will be displays of Folklore dancing where the young people are dressed in the traditional costume of their area, town or village. Traditional Cypriot dancing is taught in every school and there are many dance troupes in the country. The dances depict the way of life in olden days including the toiling in the fields using the old style scythes, farm implements, the harvest, the betrothal, marriage ceremony, the annual “balo”… At every festival Traditional crafts are exhibited and often there is a workshop with demonstrations given by experts who carry on with these crafts today such as silk cocoon decorations, spinning, weaving, basket making, chair making, lace work and embroidery. Food is always presented and it is an opportunity to taste home baked breads, pastries, sweetmeats, jams, honey, cheese, locally picked olives and village olive oil.

Local artists bring along their paintings, ceramics, sculptures and arrange exhibitions of their work. Turkish Cypriots are talented people in the world of the arts and culture. Local musicians give concerts all over Northern Cyprus with repertoires from the most serious works to modern jazz and pop music, they sing in every language as well as Turkish.
Sport competitions are often organised at the festivals for the children; they love to play volley ball, basket ball as well as football. Chess is a favourite game amongst children as well as adults.

At a village festival there is plenty going on to suit everyone. Most are completely free but you may be asked to pay a small fee for a ticket to some of the concerts.

Some dates for your diary are:
Early spring: The Bellapais Music Festival. 2 weeks of mainly classical music played in the Bellapais Abbey with musicians from all over the world taking part.

Early March: A celebration of Cypriot Crafts held in the School in the village of Camlibel, about 18 kilometres west of Kyrenia. Workshops of traditional crafts are held in the school playground with the children taking part.
The first Sunday of April: The Tepebasi Tulip Festival: held in the village of Tepebasi, about 20 kilometres west of Kyrenia, near the village of Camlibel. This festival focuses on the endemic Black Tulip, Tulipa cypria, which grows nearby. The highlight is an organised visit to the tulip fields nearby during the afternoon.

The last weekend of May: An exhibition of village crafts in the Education Centre in the village of Hisarkoy, not far from Camlibel, west of Kyrenia. Traditional work of decorating with the silk cocoons is made into wall hangings and panels and is one of the main crafts displayed at this amazing exhibition. The ladies of the village meet 3 times a week in the old teacher’s house which is now the Education Centre. The aim is to revive the old crafts of Northern Cyprus and is sponsored by the Ministry of Education; these classes take part all over the country in the towns and villages.

May/June is the time for the Guzelyurt Orange festival: a true extravaganza of parades, shows, competitions centred at The Guzelyurt Festival Park on the left hand side as you enter the town. This “Portakal Festival” goes on for 2 weeks and celebrates the end of the citrus harvest.

June: the Esentepe Apricot Festival: a week long celebration around the apricot harvest. Esentepe is situated east of Kyrenia, about 20 minutes drive.

July: The Famagusta Music Festival: Musical productions staged at the Salamis Amphitheatre are amazing and include visits from International artists and dancers. The Russian Ballet, Jose Carreras have performed at this magnificent venue.

August: The Mehmecik Wine Festival: this focuses on the grapes of the area and runs for a period of 2 weeks. Food competitions, workshops, tutorials in culinary skills are organised in an atmosphere of fun and celebration. Mehmecik is the gateway of the Karpaz region, also known as the “panhandle”.

September: The Nicosia Music festival: includes concerts in the parks of the city and are free.
October/November: The Zeytinlik Olive Festival goes on for several days and is held in the village just outside Kyrenia. The subject is the local olives of the village and all the products that are made from this valuable fruit, some events are also held in Kyrenia.