B U Y E R ' S G U I D E

Ozanköy - famous for its olives, carobs and lemons

Ozanköy is one of the most beautiful villages on the foothills of the Kyrenia Range. The perpetual charm of this village is due to its closeness to nature. Its wide residential area is engulfed by acres of olive, carob and lemon trees. Moreover the gardens of the village houses have a variety of trees and plants, thus completing a wonderful picture of Cypriot landscape.

Olives, carobs and lemons are considered to be important assets for the villagers. The main profit-making economic item is the olive and olive oil. The village has its own oil mill which works constantly to introduce pure olive oil to the market. The Carob harvest also enables the production of 'PEKMEZ" Syrup. I met Omer Bey who has been producing this sweet syrup for forty years. Omer Bey is an example of a good Cypriot who works hard to earn a livelihood.
The lemons of Ozanköy have a very special aroma. During my visit I was given some lemons from which we made lemonade and it was very delicious. All Cypriots love to make recipes at home with olive oil, pekmez and lemon juice.
Ozanköy is within the sphere of influence of Kyrenia town because of its close proximity. Economic activity is channeled towards the city. Most people in Ozanköy have jobs there and supplies are obtained from Kyrenia. There is no large scale industrial activity in and around the village; therefore it has become a purely residential area. Peace and quiet make this charming village a good place to live; there are no multistoried buildings and no heavy tram c. A better infrastructure will improve the conditions of this lovely part of Northern Cyprus. I observed the care taken by the villagers to protect the environment. There is no felling of trees. But a forestation and new plantations of trees should be encouraged. Encouraged Private building projects should be in harmony with nature, so that the encroachment of ugly constructions can be prevented.
The other close neighbor to Ozanköy is Bellapais Monastery and its village. The private houses of both villages have almost mingled with each other. If you go up the "Fehim "Fehim Bey Hill" the old crusader road takes you up to Bellapais. Both settlements have a common historical background. Ozanköy which was previously called "Kazaphani", was located away from the sea to protect the villagers from threatening pirates. It used to be a "fief" during the Lusignan rule, most probably a residential area which supplied provisions to the monastery. "Kazaphani" is a corruption of the the words "Casal Epiphani" or village of St. Epiphanius. The old road between Ozanköy and Bellapais dates back to the times of the Crusaders.
In Ozanköy there is a small well-preserved medieval church dedicated to the Virgin of the River (Panayia tou Potamou). There are aisles on the north and west sides of the church. There is a medieval tomb with no inscriptions. It is believed that it belonged to the founder of this church and according to traditions daughters were buried in the same grave. The whole church was covered with frescoes but most are his three decayed. The visible mural paintings are the Day of Judgment, St. Spyridon and St. Nicholas. This church has been restored by Advocate Ylker Nevzat and Painter Emin Çizenel. The church is currently used for art exhibitions. The second church in Ozanköy is near the village square and dates from the 18.th century.
The mosque in Ozanköy is from the Ottoman period. It is believed that it was built towards the end of the 18' century. The masonry is original and the sanctuary is a rectangular plan. There are two tombstones in the courtyard. The one with the cypress tree belonged to ALTUNZADE ISMAIL and the other one to Mesut Efendi. The latter carries a beautiful stone relief from the year 1798. Both of these gentlemen are said to have contributed in founding the mosque. The domed fountain in the village square belongs to the same period. The old structures in Ozank6y reflect the traditional Cypriot way of life. There are many houses and sites which belong to old Turkish Cypriot families. One of the well known characters is KAZAFANALI FEHIM BEY, the descendants of who are the family of Advocate Ilker Nevzat.
The tranquil life in Ozank6y has attracted newcomers. There are many European friends of North Cyprus who have settled in this village. This is quite rewarding for our country. It means that these people have decided to share this "enchanted' island with us. During my visit to Ozanköy I met Peter and Janet. They greeted me in their house with proper English hospitality. They have been in Cyprus for two years, bought land and built their home. There is a magnificent view of mountains and sea from "CERATONIA', a good choice of name for their house. It is the Latin word for carob. I was glad to hear that they were having a good time in North Cyprus. Peter enjoys gardening and he is very keen on keeping his garden in good condition. He is a mechanical engineer and was very much involved in the architecture of his house. Peter's neighbour is Arnold. He is from Holland, an experienced engineer who started business from the far away land of Canada. Days of hard work ended ten years ago when he discovered North Cyprus during a yacht tour of the Mediterranean. Here he built a wonderful house, the ORANGERIE, taking the name from the Dutch royal family of William of Orange. Now, North Cyprus is home for him. And he is sharing this haven with Peter and Janet. I learned from Arnold that they brought down the garden fences between the two houses. This was quite an interesting bit of information. Doing away with the borders reminded me of the European Community where all borders are abolished. This intimacy is quite natural because their shared garden is absolutely beautiful. There are plants of many different varieties and fruit trees, almond, olives, oranges, kaki etc. According to Arnold, "gardening" is a "never ending story". He is a permanent resident of North Cyprus and he occasionally goes on "holiday" to Holland. Seeing the hopes and the will of these people I felt that they had found their happiness in Ozanköy.
Nature and the traditional Cypriot way of life are here to stay. For people who believe that this village is their home, local civil organizations should be established to extend social and cultural activities to the people of Ozanköy. I believe that Ozanköy will be a much better place in the future.