Language/Currency

In Northern Cyprus the official language is Turkish however English is also widely spoken as a second language. Although the official currency is Turkish Lira (TL); UK Sterling (£) is accepted almost anywhere, as well as Dollars and Euros in most places. You just need to be careful of exchange rates as these can be pretty low in Hotels and sometimes Petrol stations; although most restaurants, bars and shops restaurants will exchange at that day`s rate.

Religion

The great majority of Turkish Cypriots are Muslim and although very few regularly wear religious attire or attend mosque services, most celebrate religious festivals and holidays.

Cuisine

We all know that the culture of a country is always reflected in its kitchen, and Northern Cyprus is certainly no exception... in fact Northern Cyprus is an excellent example of this as Cypriot cooking – like its people – is totally unique. Eating out is very popular amongst locals and the choice of cuisine certainly reflects this, combining many wonderful tastes from the Mediterranean, Turkey and the Middle East. In larger towns, a wide range of International restaurants also offer dishes from around the world including Indian, Chinese, Italian, French and Thai.

A typical Turkish Cypriot restaurant meal consists of a wide range of Meze, delicious kebabs (chicken or lamb) or fish, followed by fruit and coffee. Meze is a selection of cold and hot appetizers (although they are generally a meal in itself) - the Turkish Cypriot equivalent of Tapas – such as hummus dips, kofte (meatballs), hellim (goat’s milk cheese), mint yogurt, and many other dishes. A Turkish Cypriot speciality is the şeftali kebab (peach kebab), made with minced meat, chopped onion and spices, wrapped in lamb fat and grilled. Some of the other mouth watering dishes include marinated fish and squid - and as for dessert; lokma (small doughnuts in syrup), Ekmek Kadayifi with Cream (Turkish Cypriot bread pudding) or the famous baklava, as well as freshly-picked fruit such as sweet melon, figs and oranges. Wash your delicious meal down with a glass of traditional rakı (alcoholic aniseed drink), or the many good wines, beers and spirits, including the famous brandy sour drink (one for the ladies) – a cocktail made with brandy, lemon juice and angostura bitters. If you still have room, you may want to finish off with a traditional Turkish coffee or tea.

Cypriot home cooking is absolutely delicious, but is generally found in the village restaurants in North Cyprus, so make sure you do look out for them. Traditional cuisine makes fine use of the abundant fresh fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs in North Cyprus that can be bought and enjoyed in the many farmers markets and food festivals, also in shops and supermarkets as Turkish Cypriot cuisine is also packed with many vegetarian dishes such as stuffed peppers and tomatoes, yalancı dolma (stuffed vine leaves with rice, onions and tomatoes), melt-in-the-mouth aubergine meals, bulgur koftesi (cracked wheat balls), sigara börek (fried white-cheese rolled in pastry) and homemade baked beans. Fresh herbs such as calamint, wild thyme, oregano, fennel and sage flourish are found in the mountains, ready for picking in June.

Family Life

For Turkish Cypriots, family life is certainly 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. Because family life plays such an important role in Turkish Cypriot culture, there is an old school respect for the elderly and a true love of all children. This makes North Cyprus an incredibly safe place for the whole family to enjoy.

Handicrafts

Lefkara embroidery is an old Cypriot tradition dating back to the Venetian period, where intricate and beautiful items such as table cloths, bed covers, 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 also known as the “Leonardo da Vinci design”. There are also many other handicrafts to be picked up on your travels through North Cyprus villages, as well as from the many market stools that line the streets of Kyrenia (Girne) on the warm and beautiful summer nights.

Kilims (small floor rugs) with wonderful colourful designs and patterns make ideal gifts or souvenirs, whilst wicker basket weaving is also a Cypriot art form that is popular with tourists and locals. Carpet weaving is yet another age-old Cypriot tradition and is mostly found in the Gazimağusa region however it can also be found in local shops around Kyrenia, Guzelyurt and Nicosia.