Morphu is a market town located West of Northern Cyprus, and is the regional capital of the Guzelyurt district. It is one of the richest agricultural areas in the North of Cyprus, famous above all for citrus fruits (oranges, lemons and grapefruits) and strawberries. The Morphou area is cultivated for over half of the citrus fruits of Cyprus. A large part of the Harvest is exported and the rest is transformed into fruit juice and canned for local consumption and for export.
The city was founded by the Spartans, who brought the worship of Aphrodite with them. In the Middle Ages, the city was called Morphou and also Theomorphou.
Morphu is not a typical tourist destination, but it is interesting for those who want to see a part of Northern Cyprus less affected by tourism.
It is a center famous for its annual Orange Festival which is a big event that lasts for two weeks every June. It also hosts a culture and art festival every May.
We recommend to visit the former monastery of St Mamas, originally Byzantine with Gothic buildings. St Mamas is popularly known as the patron saint of tax evaders. He was a poor hermit and when the authorities tried to tax him, he escaped him. Soldiers were sent to capture him, but on the way back to the city, he saw a lion attack a lamb. He escaped from the soldiers, saved the lamb, climbed on the lion and rode it to the city. His courage earned him tax exemption, hence his traditional attribute. The church is now a museum of icons and the images of St Mamas on his lion are quite funny. Nobody had seen a lion at the time, so the iconography isn't exactly realistic.
Morphu also houses a natural history museum and an archaeological museum, with a collection ranging from prehistoric to Byzantine times.