N. Cyprus: Exploring The Büyük Han

Nicosia - Start off your sunny morning with a filling pide topped with melted halloumi cheese nestled with bits of egg or beef sausage.

Order a glass of çay (tea), and soon it's delivered by a local man riding a bicycle and balancing the tray of delicate tea glasses at the same time. (I wasn't quick enough to get a photo of this moment.)

That's how we started our weekend with our Turkish and Cypriot friends in North Cyprus (also known in Turkish as Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti) last Saturday.

We have wanted to visit Cyprus for awhile and jumped at the opportunity to travel with our Turkish friends - Ceren and Huseyin. We had a blast exploring this much-bigger-than-envisioned island with our friends - checking out the local haunts and eating until our bellies burst! 

Our Cypriot friend, Umut, first took us to Bereket Asmaaltı – a small bakery located near the Büyük Han (Grand Inn) in Nicosia. He ordered a round of pide for our group; soon we were diving in and soaking up the sun – a much-needed respite from all the snow in Istanbul.

The pide was delicious - a bit of a twist on the traditional Turkish pide, usually smothered in kaşar peynir (Turkish cheddar cheese), we've sampled on our travels. We started chatting with the owner, Ilker Bey, who has been running the business for nearly 50 years. His grandfather started the bakery about 90 years ago, and now Ilker Bey is training his children to take it over someday.

In addition to the pide, you must try the tahini-flavored pastry and the local olive bread.

After our satisfying brunch, we headed over to the nearby Büyük Han, a restored stone structure originally built in 1572 shortly after the Ottomans took over the island. The han once served as a major trading point for merchants from the Orient, Anatolia and Europe and as a place to stay/sleep. It also served as the Lefkosha Central Prison from 1878-1895 during the English rule of the island. 

Today, the han is frequented by locals and tourists alike. There are a few cafes and many shops selling local handicrafts and handmade souvenirs such as shawls, paintings, pottery and jewelry.

Many beautiful handmade scarves and vests like these were available here.

Being a foodie, Umut told me I must try the island's famous candied green walnuts so we stopped at Shiffa Home on the top floor. The shop's owner, Ayperi Gurdur, cans, candies and dries just about anything edible so you will find tons of edible delights like jams, marmalades and dried teas.

I plan to do some baking with the carob syrup and candied walnuts that I bought  in North Cyprus.

I found another interesting shop, Koza, that specializes in creating framed wall decorations, bookmarks, jewelry and hair accessories from silkworm cocoons. I had no clue Cyprus once was well-known for its silkworms and mulberry trees. People all over the island "raised" the silkworms at home to produce silk, and the women used the cocoons to create antique picture frames.

I bought one of these cute headbands decorated with silkworm cocoons to wear this spring and summer.

We enjoyed a splendid afternoon walking around Nicosia thanks to our friends and the sunny weather. Imagine our surprise when our photo ended up on page 4 of the local newspaper the next day.

We kept a copy of the local newspaper. It's not the best photo, but it does show us enjoying the sunshine and the fresh Cypriot pide.

Apparently, we're already "famous" in N. Cyprus. I just hope we don't have to ward off the paparazzi upon our return visit. Ha ha!

On the left, Umut and Jason standing in the center of the Büyük Han.