Books About North Cyprus

If you’re planning a visit to Northern Cyprus or even thinking of moving here to retire or work, there are a number of books that you might find useful, informative, interesting and inspiring.

We’ve picked a few of the best and have reviewed them for you in this article.

The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion

For anyone considering buying property in Northern Cyprus or for anyone who would like to understand more about why Cyprus is a divided island this book is an absolute must read.

The book is written by Brendan O’Malley and Ian Craig. O’Malley is Foreign Editor of the Times Educational Supplement and Craig is Political Editor of the Manchester Evening News. The two writers spent a total of 14 long years researching the hidden history behind the division of the island and the conclusion of their efforts is this fascinating and ground breaking publication.

The book provides an incredible insight into America’s strategic reasons for desiring a divided island and how many countries influence directly led to the situation in Cyprus today. It provides a balanced and factual description of the series of events that led to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and it continues by explaining how the current Green Line was established, and the continued foreign interest in both sides of Cyprus to this day.

The book is not at all speculative, it is entirely factual and unbiased and represents all sides equally, if you’re interested in reading facts rather than propaganda I can thoroughly recommend The Cyprus Conspiracy, and to read more about the book or to order a copy click here.

Bitter Lemons of Cyprus

Lawrence Durrell, the author of Bitter Lemons, wrote his timeless classic about the beautiful island of Cyprus when living in the Northern Cypriot village of Bellapais. When you visit Bellapais not only will you be struck by the stunning abbey, but you can also visit Durrell’s home and the places he writes about in this book.

Bitter Lemons is Durrell’s sometimes hilarious, sometimes melancholic description of his time in Cyprus as a struggling writer and how he lived through Cyprus’ struggle for self determination before the conflict of 1974.

Describing in highly entertaining detail life in the North Cypriot village of Bellapais, Durrell manages to evoke the true spirit of this Mediterranean island and the kind hearted and welcoming people who inhabit it. The book slowly intertwines the sadness Durrell felt as Cyprus moved towards conflict, and as his tranquil life in Cyprus ends so you understand how both the Turkish and Greek Cypriots tranquil lives were shaken to the very core by the division of the island.

The book is an excellent read for anyone thinking of relocating to a new country and buying a house there - Durrell’s descriptions of these event in his life are truly hilarious. The added layer for anyone considering Northern Cyprus is his personal accounts of the deterioration of peace on the island back in the 1950’s and also his descriptions of locations in and around Bellapais that visitors can visit. If you would like to read reviews of this book or order a copy for yourself, click here.

Lonely Planet Cyprus

Lonely Planet Cyprus is one of the few travel books to even mention the Northern third of the island! And while a few of its facts are outdated - like how to cross the green line for example - the rest of the book provides readers with a really good introduction to Cyprus.

The general sections covering ‘facts about Cyprus’ and ‘facts for the visitor’ are informative, helpful and interesting and include the history of the island, the geography, weather, flora and fauna, people, cuisine and they even include suggested itineraries.

Then as the book goes more into detail on the different regions and towns of Cyprus so the book becomes more specific. With sections dedicated to discussing Kyrenia, North Nicosia, Famagusta and the Karpas Region, visitors to Northern Cyprus can find out about the history of these places, the highlights, sights, places to eat, drink and stay as well as all the entertainment possibilities in North Cyprus.

This book provides a good basic introduction to North Cyprus and is a useful handbook especially for first time visitors and you can order a copy by following this link.

Walks of North Cyprus.

Available from The Map Shop in Upton upon Severn in England (telephone +44 1684 593146 or email ), The Round Tower in central Kyrenia (telephone +90 392 815 7130) or the brand new Garden Bookshop at the Five Fingers Restaurant in Ozankoy (telephone +90 392 815 2010) is this invaluable short guide to 30 walks all of about 10kms or less. The walks cover all areas of Northern Cyprus from the tip of the Karpas to the centre of Nicosia and from up high at Buffavento castle to down low on Alagadi beach.

For anyone interested in exploring some of the hidden sights and secret views on the island this book is a brilliant guide. The author provides a good description of the walk, for whom it is most suitable, how long it will likely take and what you’ll see and experience on the way. With excellent maps and very informative directions the author Alison Dowey (email ) guides walkers of all ages and ability around the island.

I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wants to get out into the wilds of Northern Cyprus and experience more of the visual delights of the island.

North Cyprus

Diana Darke’s guide to Northern Cyprus was written in 2003 and since then North Cyprus has seen a slight surge in tourism numbers so some of her comments about the size of the tourist industry in the North are out of date. Other than that the guide offers readers another insight into the hidden beauty of the Northern, most fertile and beautiful region of Cyprus. Darke explains why North Cyprus has been annexed for such a long time and details how most visitors (at the time of her writing) that she came across in the North were loyal devotees to the Turkish Cypriot people.

To read more or to order a copy of Diana Darke’s book, click here.