Lefkoşa(Nicosia) Tour:

The city of Lefkosa dates back approximately 2250 years and was developed during the Lusignan persiod. It is now divided in two, with  the North/South border running through it east to west, which is also  known as the Green Line. The city is encircled by ramparts built by the Venetians in 1570, to protect the city from the Turks, they are 4.5km long, include 11 towers and three gates

Some of the sights to be seen during the Asal Tour trip to Lefkosa include:
The Kyrenia Gate one of the three gates built by Venetians. In order  for the walls to be built, houses, palaces, monasteries and churches outside the circumference of the walls were demolished and their stone used in the construction of the walls.
The Dervish Pasha Mansion, built in the 19th Century is in the Arap Ahment region of the city and was owned by Dervish Pasha, the publisher of Zaman the first Turkish newspaper in Cyprus. Renovated between 1978 and 1988 it now serves as a museum of Ethnography.
Formerly the Cathedral of St Sophia, the Selimiye Mosque was built in 1209, resembling the mediaeval architecture of French cathedrals, it was damaged iduring earthquakes in 1491, 1547 and 1735.
St Nicholas Church (Bedesten) was constructed in the 12th century as a Byzantine church, it was enlarged by the Lusignans and more changes were made by the Venetians resulting in different architectural styles. During the Ottoman perios it served as a depot and market.
The external features of the Arabahmet mosque dating back to 1845, typify the simplicity of design used in all mosques in the Middle East. There are hardly any stone carving or ornamentation, except for the Minaret.
The Big Inn or Büyük Han situated in the south west of Lefkosa was built in 1572 and consists of 68 barrel shaped rooms and in the centre of the courtyard there is a small mosque standing on marble columns, the construction was based on the mediaeval Inns where "Caravans" would come into the khan yard at night, cook their meals in the open, wash, pray and "bed" down the donkeys for the night.
The Lefkosa tour also visits:  Atatürk Square and The Venetian Column; the Covered Bazaar; the Great Turkish Bath; the Bdesten Museum of Status; the Library of Sultan Mahmut II; the Haydarpasha Mosgue (St. Catherine Church); the Museum Of Lapidary and the Mevlevi Museum (Tekke of Whirling Dervishes).

Girne (Kyrenia) Tour:

Girne or Kyrenia was founded in the 10th century BC by Achaean settlers and was one of the 10 kingdoms of Cyprus for many centuries. With one of the most beautiful harbours in the Mediterranean it is a favourite holiday destination in North Cyprus. The Asal Tour trip of Girne includes:

Kyrenia Castle is first referred to in the year 1191, when Richard the  Lionheart conquered Cyprus. It is thought to date back to the Hellenistic and Roman period although no exact date of construction has been established. The original castle was built in the 7th Century by the Byzantines and has been added to by the Lusignans and Venetians.
Inside Kyrenia Castle is the Shipwreck Museum which houses a ship believed to date back to 288BC when a  trading vessel, laden with millstones and amphorae (large jars) of wine from Kos and Rhodes set sail for Cyprus. The ship was caught in a storm, and was wrecked outside Kyrenia harbour. The remains of the ship sat on the seabed covered in sand for 2300 years until discovered by a sponge diver in 1965.
Set in the pretty village of Bellapais is Bellapais Abbey. Thought to be a corrupt form of the Abbeaye de la Paix or the Abbey of Peace. It is a masterpiece of Gothic art and the first monks to have settled there were Augustinians who had fled from Jerusalem in 1187 and the original was built between 1198-1205 and a large part of the present day abbey was built during the rule of French King Hugh III.
The Icon Museum is found in Greek Orthodox Arkhangelos Church, which was built in 1860. The museum was opened in 1991 and the icons on show date from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

The Girne tour also visits Kyrenia Harbour; Agha Cafer Pasha Mosque; Saint Hilarion Castle and Lambousa Antique City(Lapithos)


Gazi Mağusa (Famagusta) Tour:

The city of Gazi Mağusa was founded in 3BC by Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt. Originally a simple fishing village, the city grew following the  influx of refugees from Salamis in 648 and then the Christians in 1291 after the invasion of the Holy Lands.

During the 14th century Gazi Mağusa grew to become one of the wealthiest trading ports in the Mediterranean, fortified by defensive walls built by the Venetians to protect the churches, palaces and magnificent cathedral. In 1571 the Ottomans invaded and laid siege to the city, bombarding it with cannon fire for months and destroying many of the buildings. Eventually the inhabitants had to surrender or starve to death, after which the city fell into decline until restoration works began in 1996.

The Asal Tour trip of Gazi Mağusa includes:
The Lala Mustafa Pasa Mosque or St Nicholas Cathedral was constructed between 1298-1312 during the Lusignan period. Following inauguration at St Sophia Cathedral in Lefkosa, Kings of Cyprus would then be crowned as the King of Jerusalem at St Nicholas Cathedral. It was turned into a mosque in 1571 by the Ottoman Turks and was named after the Turkish leader that led the siege to the city, Lala Mustafa, who was famed for his bad temper.
Othello’s Tower was built in the 12th century to protect the harbour, it is not so much a tower as a citadel and was originally surrounded by a moat. Although Shakespeare never visited Cyprus, he may have based his play on Cristoforo Moro a governor of Cyprus in the early 1500s and the present day name of the tower came into use during the British colonial period.

The Necropolis of Salamis (Salamis Ruins) date back to the 11th century BC. It is thought the first inhabitants came from Enkomi after the 1075BC earthquake. Legend tells that Salamis was originally founded by a hero from the Trojan War, Teucer, son of the King of Salamis. A flourishing city, it minted it’s own coinage. In 5BC the citizens of Salamis resisted the Persian invasion and helped Alexander the Great. The ruins are still impressive today, covering a site of 1km long, with a sandy beach along the entire length.

The Gazi Mağusa tour also visits: Sinan Pasha Mosque (St. Peter and St. Paul Church); the Venetain Palace (Palazzo Del Provedtiore),  Namık Kemal Dungeon and Museum; the Nestorian Church (Ayios Georgios Xorinos); the Greek Orthodox Church);  Porta del Mare; the Canbulat Museum;  St. George of the Greeks Church
and St George of the Latins Church.

Iskele Tour:

The village of Iskele is found between the Karpaz and Gazi Mağusa. The Greek name of the village is Trikomo, it was changed to Yeni Iskele by the Turkish Cypriots who relocated from the Turkish district of Iskele in Larnaca after 1974. It is the birth place of George Grivas an EOKA colonel and leading spokesperson for the annexing of Cyprus with Greece.

Asal Tours trip of Iskele includes:

Kantara Castle is the lowest of the three crusader castles found on the Kyrenia mountain range. It first appears in records around the time of Richard the Lionheart. In 1228 it was so badly bombarded by royalists that it had to be almost completely rebuilt. The views from the castle are amazing and it is possible to see both side of North Cyprus, to the north are the olive groves and carob trees and to the south are the dusty Mesaoria plains.
The Iskele Tour also takes in  Livayda (Sazlıköy) Panagia Kyra Church; Ayios Yakavos Church and Panagia Theodokou Church.

Güzelyurt (Morphou) Tour:

Situated in the Northwest of Cyprus, Guzelyurt is one of the richest agricultural areas in Cyprus, famous particulary for the Citrus (Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit) and strawberries from the area which thrive in its fertile red soil.
The Asal Tour trip of Güzelyurt includes:
The Soli Ruins perched on a hillside 200 metres inland was a great ancient city founded in 600BC, it was one of the ten ancient city kingdoms of Cyprus and was at its greatest importance dung the occupation of Cyprus by the Romans. It was destroyed during the Arab invasion in 648AD. In 1930 the Roman Amphitheatre was excavated by a Swedish archaeological expedition and later work by Canadian teams brought an early Christian Basilica and mosaics to light, however there is still much work to be undertaken over this huge site.
Vouni Palace is 250 metres above sea level on a cliff top. The views both east and west are stunning and to the south the Troodas mountains are clearly visible. It is thought the palace was built in the 5th century BC during the Persian occupation, although its origins or original name are not known with certainty. It is believed that it was burnt down in 380BC by the inhabitants of Soli and was never reconstructed. There were 137 rooms over two floors, including administration sections, bedrooms, storerooms, offices and bathrooms.

The Piri  Osman Pasha Mosque is the largest of three mosques found in Lefke.
It was a church in Byzantine times, although the exact date is unknown, and was turned into a mosque after an Arab raid in 963AD. It suffered from neglect until the Ottoman occupation of 1570, when it was rebuilt and renamed by the grandchild of Piri Osman Pasa. Allegedly one of the sultan’s Viziers, it is rumoured that Osman Pasa was poisoned as part of a political intrigue and buried there in 1820 and his carved marble tomb is situated in the courtyard.

Karpaz Tour:

The Karpaz has been called the nature reserve of Cyprus with abundant flora and fauna. It is also known as the panhandle, due to the shape of the area. It has beautiful untouched beaches, wild donkeys and has been untouched by development.

The Karpaz tours includes:

Ayios Philon is located on the site of the ancient city of Karpasia and was constructed on ruins dating back to the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Philon was the saint who converted people in the Kapaz region to Christianity in the 4th century. A domed church was built on the ruins in the 12th century.
The Apostolos Andreas Monastery has traditionally been the Lourdes of Cyprus, with pilgrims seeking cures for their afflictions, St Andrew was the great miracle worker and protector of travellers.

Aphendrika was one of six great cities of Cyprus in 200BC. Apart from three churches there is a citadel with many rooms cut into the bedrock.
The Karpaz trip also includes visits to Ayios Trias Basilica (Sipahi Village)
and the Panagia Kanakaria Church (Boltaşlı Village).