Monastery Camp Nicosia

Sir Garnet Wolseley’s headquarters was based at this camp near a monastery at Nicosia in the centre of Cyprus. It was named as Monastery Camp, the building behind the tents being the monastery with towers topped by crosses. The soldiers in the foreground have kukri knives on the back of their waist-belts, indicating that they are Gurkhas from the 2nd Sirmoor Rifles. Wolseley operated from this camp initially, then a building was erected on Snake Hill, prefabricated in London and intended for Ceylon, but diverted to Nicosia to be used as Government House. It was destroyed in 1931. The hills in the background are part of the mountain range that divides the central plain from the north coast.

Cyprus | Cyprus Colony Military Occupation 1878 Images