The Eastern Karpas Peninsula

The Ayios Synesios Orthodox church and mosque in Dipkarpaz (Rizokarpaso), one of the largest towns on the Karpas Peninsula. Before 1974, it was predominantly inhabited by Greek-Cypriots. During the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the peninsula was cut off by Turkish troops, and this prevented the town’s Greek-Cypriot inhabitants from fleeing to the south. As a result, with 250 Greek Cypriot inhabitants, Rizokarpaso is the home of the largest Greek population in the North, mainly elderly.