Kythera (or Kythrea), otherwise known as Degirmenlik
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Just 15km north-east of the bustling Cypriot capital, the tranquil village of Kythera is a world away in spirit. Kythera, also known as Degirmenlik, is the largest of a string of traditional mud-brick villages that lines the fast flowing mountain stream which runs between Nicosia and the ancient city of Famagusta.
Kythera occupied a vital strategic role throughout the last century; grinding the lion's share of the capital's corn. Further evidence of the village's historic importance was recently discovered by a local farmer whose plough unearthed a statue of the Roman emperor Septimus Severus (now on display in Nicosia's archaeological museum). However, today the village is a sleepy place where life slowly ticks by much as it has done for centuries. It's a photogenic spot and a great place to get a taste of local village life, write a few postcards and while-away a lazy lunchtime; otherwise there's not all that much to do.
If you time your visit for spring; the surrounding meadowland erupts in a colourful riot of wildflowers, while the April rains cloak the hills with fragrant morning mists. This is northern Cyprus at its best; a pastoral idyll that blends the region's Hellenic past with a flavour of the Turkish East. In the height of tourist season Kythera remains an oasis of calm and provides welcome respite form the pace of the nearby towns of Nicosia and Famagusta and form the aridity of the surrounding countryside.
Not to be confused with the Ionian island of Kythera, a favourite Greek holiday hot spot (that's also somehow 'associated' with the birth of Aphrodite).
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