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Bellapais, Ozanköy and Çatalköy: living east of Kyrenia

Five villages between the foothills of the Kyrenia Mountains and the coast. Bellapais Abbey in Beylerbeyi is a Gothic building from the 13th and 14th centuries. Ozanköy was named in 1959 after Osman Türkay, a poet who grew up in the village. At Vrysi, on the coast at Çatalköy, excavations in 1969–1973 uncovered a Neolithic village of stone houses.

Doğanköy (Thermeia), Beylerbeyi and Ozanköy come under Kyrenia (Girne) Municipality, while Çatalköy and Arapköy (Klepini) come under Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality.

Reviewed by: Onur Dokuzoğlu, architect · Updated: 14 November 2026

Prepared with the help of AI.

to Kyrenia Castle
2–15 kmto Kyrenia Castle
listings for sale
168listings for sale
listings to rent
30listings to rent
from Çatalköy to Ercan
31 kmfrom Çatalköy to Ercan
DoğanköyBeylerbeyiOzanköyÇatalköyArapköy

Five villages compared

DoğanköyBeylerbeyiOzanköyÇatalköyArapköy
To Kyrenia Castle (by road)2 km6 km4 km8 km15 km
MunicipalityKyreniaKyreniaKyreniaÇatalköy-EsentepeÇatalköy-Esentepe
Population (2011 census)8689183,0705,110542
Listings: for sale / to rent13 / 119 / 632 / 1294 / 1110 / 0
SchoolsPrivate primary schoolState nursery school; private primary school and collegeState nursery school; private primary schoolState primary schoolNone confirmed in the village
Known forHawthorn festivalBellapais AbbeyMolasses festivalCoast, VrysiEasternmost village

Doğanköy. It is the closest of the five villages to Kyrenia Castle. Its old name is Thermeia. The municipality's festival calendar lists the Doğanköy Hawthorn Festival in November.

Beylerbeyi. A hillside village built around the abbey. Its Turkish name has been Beylerbeyi since 1979, but Bellapais is still widely used.

Ozanköy. Its old name is Kazafani. The main building of the village's Panagia tou Potamou Church dates from between the late 15th and the early 16th century.

Çatalköy. It runs east of Kyrenia down to the coast. Ercan Airport is 31 km away by the mountain road.

Arapköy. It lies beyond Çatalköy and is the easternmost of the villages. Its old name is Klepini.

The arches of Bellapais Abbey
Photo: Jirro, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A church in Ozanköy
Photo: Pot Noodle, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Getting around: Kyrenia is 2–15 km away, Ercan Airport 31 km via the mountain road

Distances and times are Google Maps estimates for a car journey on Friday 13 November 2026 between 11:15 and 11:25.

RouteDistance · estimated time
Doğanköy – Kyrenia Castle2 km · 17 min
Ozanköy (Kazafani) – Kyrenia Castle4 km · 22 min
Bellapais Abbey – Kyrenia Castle6 km · 24 min
Çatalköy (Agios Epiktitos) – Kyrenia Castle8 km · 29 min
Arapköy – Kyrenia Castle15 km · 36 min
Çatalköy – Ercan Airport (mountain road)31 km · 37 min
Çatalköy – Nicosia (Lefkoşa), Dereboyu (mountain road)33 km · 43 min

On 14 October 2026 the Ministry of Public Works and Transport announced that it had given instructions to finish the remaining 2 km or so of the Kyrenia–Çatalköy road. According to the same statement, most of the widening and resurfacing on the Değirmenlik–Çatalköy mountain road is now complete. In the Highways Department's announcement of 9 November 2026, the section of the mountain road between the Acapulco junction and the Alevkayası turn-off was closed to through cars and motorcycles.

New listings in the area

Schools: a state primary school in Çatalköy, nursery schools in Beylerbeyi and Ozanköy

  • Beylerbeyi Anaokulu (state nursery school)
  • Osman Türkay Anaokulu, Ozanköy (state nursery school; Narlı Sokak)
  • Çatalköy İlkokulu (state primary school; also has a pre-school class; Raşit Özuslu Sokak)
  • The English School of Kyrenia, Beylerbeyi (private; primary school and college; Bilim Sokak)
  • Bellapais School, Doğanköy (private primary school; Kurtuluş Caddesi)
  • Doğa International Schools, Ozanköy (private primary school)

The nearest state secondary and high schools are all in Kyrenia: Osman Nejat Konuk Ortaokulu (state secondary school, Karakum), Oğuz Veli Ortaokulu (state secondary school), Anafartalar Lisesi (state high school) and 19 Mayıs Türk Maarif Koleji (state college). Which school your child is placed in depends on your address; check with the Ministry of National Education.

State hospital: Kyrenia State Hospital

The state hospital for the area is Kyrenia State Hospital, on Karaoğlanoğlu Caddesi in the Zeytinlik neighbourhood. Since 2 October 2026, the services of Dr. Akçiçek Hospital have been provided here.

Public beach project in Çatalköy

Çatalköy-Esentepe municipality's announcement on the public beach gives an area of 6,500 square metres and a 130-metre swimming lane. You can ask the municipality whether the beach has opened. The municipality's project records dated 2025 also list Çatalköy Sports Park and, in Arapköy, Arapköy Park and Arapköy Sports Park.

Questions to ask at a viewing: water, sewerage, electricity, internet

Water

Check the size of the water tank and the water pressure in the house. According to a statement from Kyrenia Municipality on 28 January 2025, drinking water, rainwater and underground electricity works in the centre of Beylerbeyi village are nearly complete.

Sewerage

Ask to see documents showing whether the house is connected to the municipality's sewer or uses a septic tank.

Electricity

Ask which appliances the backup system keeps running during a power cut.

Internet

Check with the provider which internet connection is active at the address.

Municipality

Find out which municipality the house is in: Doğanköy, Beylerbeyi and Ozanköy come under Kyrenia Municipality, while Çatalköy and Arapköy come under Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality.

Coast or hillside: indoors in summer

In measurements taken in 92 homes in Kyrenia in August 2025, with air conditioning or fans running, the thermal comfort calculation put 36 of the 46 hillside homes (150–300 metres above sea level) and 25 of the 46 coastal homes in the "neutral" class. This result is calculated from the measurements; it is not what residents reported. Indoor humidity was higher in the coastal homes. In the January measurements, the calculated thermal comfort indicators of the two groups showed no significant difference; indoor humidity and air speed did differ.

Bellapais Abbey and things to see nearby

Bellapais Abbey, Beylerbeyi

It is one of the main Gothic monastic buildings still standing in Cyprus. Most of what you see today was built between 1267 and 1284: the church dates from the 13th century and most of the cloister from the 14th century. In the cloister, two Roman sarcophagi were later reused as water troughs, and the coats of arms of Cyprus, Jerusalem and the Lusignans can be seen on the walls. The abbey is also used for concerts, and a Republic Concert was announced here for 31 October 2026. In winter (1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027) it is open from 08.00 to 17.00, with last entry at 16.00. Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons of Cyprus, published in 1957, is one of the books most often read about Bellapais.

Panagia tou Potamou Church, Ozanköy

The main building is dated to the late 15th or early 16th century, and its L-shaped porch most likely to the late 17th century. Emergency conservation work was carried out on the wall paintings between 2015 and 2017.

Vrysi, Çatalköy

This Neolithic village on the coast was excavated between 1969 and 1973, uncovering stone houses, passages and courtyards. Some of the finds are on display at Kyrenia Castle.

Festivals

The Kyrenia Ozanköy Carob Molasses Festival (edition no. 18) was held from 28 to 30 August 2026, with carob molasses, paluze and syrup halva made on site and a talk on Osman Türkay. The municipality's festival calendar also lists the Doğanköy Hawthorn Festival in November.

Which villages are Bellapais, Kazafani and Agios Epiktitos?

Sources also refer to Beylerbeyi as Bellapais, Ozanköy as Kazafani, Çatalköy as Agios Epiktitos, Arapköy as Klepini and Doğanköy as Thermeia. Çatalköy takes its name from the fork in the road in the village.

Agencies with listings here

Nearby areas

Frequently asked questions

How far are Beylerbeyi, Ozanköy and Çatalköy from Kyrenia?

By road to Kyrenia Castle it is 2 kilometres from Doğanköy, 4 from Ozanköy, 6 from Bellapais Abbey, 8 from Çatalköy and 15 from Arapköy.

How far is Ercan Airport from Çatalköy?

It is 31 kilometres via the mountain road. Google Maps estimates 37 minutes (checked before noon on Friday 13 November 2026).

Are Bellapais and Beylerbeyi the same place?

Yes. The village's Turkish name has been Beylerbeyi since 1979, but the name Bellapais is still widely used.

Where does the name Ozanköy come from?

The village was named Ozanköy in 1959 after the poet Osman Türkay, who grew up here. Its former name is Kazafani.

When is Bellapais Abbey open?

In the winter season (until 31 March 2027) it is open from 08.00 to 17.00, with last entry at 16.00. Check current opening hours with the Department of Antiquities and Museums.

Which municipality are these villages in?

Doğanköy, Beylerbeyi and Ozanköy are in Kyrenia Municipality; Çatalköy and Arapköy are in Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality.

Are there secondary schools and high schools in the area?

There is a private college in Beylerbeyi. The nearest state secondary schools and high schools are in Karakum and Kyrenia; ask the Ministry of National Education which school you would register at.

Sources and check dates

Prices and listing counts come from Evlek listings. Distances and travel times come from Google Maps. Sources for all other information, with the dates they were checked, are listed below.

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