Güzelyurt. The Turkish name means “beautiful place”. St Mamas Monastery, built originally in the Byzantine period, on the site of an Aphrodite temple.
It has been reconstructed at various times over the centuries, with most of the current buildings dating from the 18th century, when the large central dome was added.
The church is now an icon museum (closed when we visited!), while the other buildings are now used for a variety of business purposes.

Legend has it that Mamas was a 12th century hermit who lived in a cave near Güzelyurt, and refused to pay the taxes demanded by the Byzantine Duke who ruled at the time.
The Duke commanded two soldiers to arrest Mamas and bring him to Lefkoşa (Nicosia). On the way, they were confronted by an aggressive lion who was about to pounce on a lamb.
Mamas saved the lamb and continued on the journey, entering the city riding on the lion with the lamb in his arms. The Byzantine authorities were so impressed that they
decided to exempt Mamas from paying taxes for the rest of his life. Since then, St Mamas has been the patron saint of tax avoiders.