Today was our second day in Cyprus! We started off the day with a bus ride to Halasultin mosque. I have never been inside a mosque before, so this was a very interesting experience for me. The mosque was situated on a beautiful compound by the water. Inside, i was surprised to see one large room. It was also interesting that women and men had selerste prayer areas in the mosque- with women having their prayer area on a balcony upstairs. I wonder if this is due to the same rule that Orthodox Jews follow— given that they are both Abrahamic religions.

Next we took a bus ride to the St Lazarus church. It was located in a great plaza surrounded by a shopping area. I found the architecture of the church to be most interesting. Our tour guide explained that the original structure was from the Byzantine era, it was constructed relatively cheaply out of stone. Best, there was a side extension that was gothic. It was built later on when the church was a monastery. The last addition is perhaps the most interesting— the church was topped by a contemporary and elaborate bell tower. This is because churches were not allowed to have bells under the Islamic rule of the Ottoman Empire. When Cyprus was handed over the British following World War One in 1917, this rule was no longer in place and the bell tower was added. Inside the church, there were lavish idols and symbols that represent Christianity. It was really unique to see this and different from what im used to, my religion (Judaism) doesn’t allow for symbols of g-d.

Finally, we finished our day at Finikoudes Bay. I love going to the beach, so this was a part of the trip I was extremely excited for. It was really interesting that the city already had chairs set up, and that you would rent them. At home most city beaches are a pay-to-enter instead, or completely free. There was also a restaurant that served food to you right on the beach! My public beaches back home are nothing like this, and it was a great way to maximize the time I spent soaking in the sun!