Renovation work at the village square in the Kyrenia district village of Bellapais will be completed by the end of January, Turkish Cypriot Kyrenia mayor Murat Senkul said on Sunday.

Work has been ongoing over the past few weeks to repave the village square and ensure it is accessible for people with physical disabilities, with the village and the adjacent monastery a popular tourist destination for people from across Cyprus and further afield.

Senkul said on Sunday the project “is continuing regardless of rain or mud”, and that “a small and beautiful square is being created in the village centre”.

Increasing traffic to Bellapais has been on the north’s agenda in recent times, with ‘tourism minister’ Fikri Ataoglu having announced plans a year ago for a cable car line to be constructed linking Kyrenia with Bellapais, and another linking Kyrenia with St Hilarion castle.

Work at Bellapais has been one of a number of such projects carried out in Kyrenia in recent years, with the old harbour and coastal promenade having both undergone extensive renovations since 2022.