Sojourn | Sovereign Magazine Winter 2023

A Cat Monastery
Located southwest of Akrotiri Salt
Lake, the country’s largest lake,
lies one of the oldest monasteries,
which has an unusual claim to fame
as it’s dedicated to cats. There are
many legends as to why you’ll find
so many cats here. Some believe it
was because there was a plague
of snakes brought on by drought
in the 4th century, which almost
prevented the monastery from
being built, so cats were brought in
to help exterminate them. Today the
cats are taken care of by local nuns
and volunteers.
A Capital City Between
Two Nations
Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, is
the only one of its kind in the world
that is divided between two nations,
so that it’s part Middle Eastern and
part European. A UN-patrolled buffer
zone, which is physically seen with a
Green Line border wall, was created
in the 1960s when fighting took place
between the country's two ethnic
majorities, the Turkish-Cypriots and the
Greek-Cypriots. Today, it’s a sleepy,
oft-forgotten patchwork city that invites
exploration, with outdoor tavernas and
wine bars, monasteries, and mosques.
A Town Teeming with Antiquity
Did you know that all of Paphos - not
just the archaeological areas - is a
UNESCO World Heritage site? That’s
because it has a fascinating amount
of antiquity at every turn. Paphos has
been inhabited since the Neolithic
period, with finds through the Roman
and medieval areas. You can see
ancient tombs, villas, palaces,
fortresses, and temples, including the
12th century BC Temple of Aphrodite,
a short drive from the town’s harbour.
You’ll also find some of the world’s
finest mosaics here, which wonderfully
record daily life in bygone days.
A Wishing Tree
If you head to St Solomon’s
Catacombs in Paphos, you’ll see
a large terebinth tree covered in
ribbons, while its roots emerge from
stone. Previously underground, this
catacomb belonged to a Jewish
lady who became a saint. Legend
says she refused to give up her belief
in God - even when her sons were
tortured and killed at the hands of
the King of Syria. Nowadays, if you tie
a scarf or handkerchief to the tree,
the belief is that she will grant you
your wish.
An Underwater Forest
From Jason deCaires Taylor, the same
award-winning British underwater
sculptor we mentioned in our
autumn edition, comes a unique
underwater forest just off the coast
of Ayia Napa. MUSAN holds 93
imaginative artworks installed right
on the seafloor of the Mediterranean
Sea. These resemble trees, with forest
children playing among them. The
materials used create an attractive
environment for marine flora and
fauna, which you can observe when
snorkelling and diving.
A Hotel with
Village Traditions
We adore Casale Panayiotis in
the Troodos Mountains, as it’s so
incredibly integrated into village life
and is helping preserve traditions.
One minute the villagers might be
teaching you how to make halloumi
or weave Cypriot baskets, the
next you're learning how to make
spoon-sized sweet preserves from a
variety of local fruits, or how to keep
the bees that make the famed local
honey of Marathasa valley. There’s
just so much to do here!
Which curiousity would you like to explore? Speak to one of our Personal Travel Planners on 01293 765004
Winter 2022/23
so Journ