The west of Northern Cyprus

Cape Kormakitis (Koruçam Burnu in Turkish) is the northwesternmost point of Cyprus. The cape is accessible via the coastal road and lies about 40km west of Kyrenia. About 20km to the southeast of this cape and a few km from the coast near Myrtou/Çamlıbel lies the Byron Pavlides villa, also known as the Blue house or Mavi Kösk. This site is guarded by the Turkish army. To access it is necessary to leave the passports at the Turkish army checkpoint. The villa was built by the Greek lawyer Byron Pavlides in 1957. About 15km to the southwest, in the village of Morphou (Güzelyurt in Turkish) there is the St Mamas Byzantine church or monastery. This was originally built by the Byzantines on the site of Aphrodite temple and reconstructed several times later. The Roman amphiteatre of Soli lies 20km southwest of Morphou. It is the most visible structure of a larger archaeological site dating back to the 11th century BC. The ruins of the palace of Vuoni lie on a hilltop 5 km west of Soli. It was built during the Persian period in the 5th century BC. Not much is left of this palace, except the foundations of the buildings.