Bellapais Abbey

Bellapais

When famous British author Lawrence Durrell bought a house in the village of Bellapais, he felt "guilty of an act of fearful temerity in trying to settle in so fantastic a place". He wrote: "Bellapaix, even in ruins, was a testimony to those who had tried, however imperfectly, to grasp and retain their grip on the inner substance of the imagination, which resides in thought, in contemplation in the Peace which had formed part of its original name, and which in my spelling I have always tried to retain. The Abbey de la Paix, corrupted by the Venetians into Bella Paise. . . . It was to take me nearly a year to gain currency for the spelling Bellapaix, which is as near as one can get today to its original. "But no such thought was in my mind that first spring morning as I walked in those deserted cloisters, touching the rosy stones of the old Abbey with an idle hand, noticing the blaze of flowers . . . and here and there, bursting from a clump of fallen masonry, cracking the rock triumphantly, the plumes of yellow fennel. In that silence the light airs of the plain climbed up to us, full of the small sound of birds as they stooped and dived in the blue gulf below. Somewhere near at hand came the rustle and dribble of spring-water feeding the flowers." Lawrence Durrell in Bitter Lemons - "The Tree of Idleness" Situated south-east of Kyrenia on the side of a mountain, this twelfth-century monastery is a fine example of Gothic architecture of the Lusignan period and combines a church, refectory, dormitory and storage rooms grouped around an inner courtyard. Perched precariously on a natural terrace, unchanged and unhurried since its colonial days, Bellapais abbey stands guard over the whole of the northern coastline, and is perceived to be one of the most important Gothic buildings in the Near East. Here, you can explore the impressive remains of the abbey, or simply relax with a cold drink and some quality food at one of the fabulous restaurants situated in and around the area. This 14th century Lusignan abbey with its fabulous location and pervasive atmosphere of calm is the perfect place to visit for anyone wishing to capture the true essence of Cyprus. Ancient folklore suggests that those seated beneath the famous tree of idleness, become lazy and unwilling to work... the laid back atmosphere of Bellapais would certainly make this come across as being true! Above the abbey lies the charming Bellapais village which is a maze of tiny lanes and narrow streets to get lost in. Bellapais, and its beauty, is legendary... so put Bellapais at the top of your list of places to see and sample the Cyprus of a bygone age.