North Cyprus village guide · Kyrenia

Esentepe, Kyrenia: land, development order and planning information

Esentepe is a village in the Kyrenia district of North Cyprus, part of Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality, covering about 36.9 km². Almost all of its area is within the Kyrenia Region 2 Development Order; the largest plan zone type is Forest Area (35%). About 20% lies within the Kyrenia SEPA. It is 21 km from Ercan Airport and 24 km from Kyrenia town centre as the crow flies.

Esentepe in orange. Hover over or tap the villages to see their names and key facts; click to open a village page. Boundaries are simplified.
Area36.9 km²
DistrictKyreniaNorth Cyprus
MunicipalityÇatalköy-Esentepemunicipality
Planning zone
?
In short: A regulation issued by the Town Planning Department for an area that controls building there. The area is divided into colour zones (yellow, blue, brown, green…); the permitted uses, density (floor area ratio), number of storeys and height for each colour are set out in the development order. For the exact rules, see the text published in the Official Gazette and ask the Town Planning Department.
Kyrenia Region 2 Development Order95%
Environmental protection
?
In short: An area declared to protect natural and biological assets (sand dunes, turtle nesting beaches, wetlands, forest). Building inside is very restricted or prohibited; the rules come from the area's environmental protection plan and decisions of the relevant departments.
20%Kyrenia SEPA
Ercan Airport21 kmstraight line

Planning zone
?
In short: A regulation issued by the Town Planning Department for an area that controls building there. The area is divided into colour zones (yellow, blue, brown, green…); the permitted uses, density (floor area ratio), number of storeys and height for each colour are set out in the development order. For the exact rules, see the text published in the Official Gazette and ask the Town Planning Department.

Esentepe village is almost entirely within the Kyrenia Region 2 Development Order; the rest falls in Chapter 96 area (under 5%). In Chapter 96 areas the general building rules apply instead of a development order
?
In short: Where there is no development order or zoning plan, building is governed by the Streets and Buildings Regulation Law (Chapter 96 — Fasıl 96) and needs a permit from the competent authority, usually the municipality. Each application is assessed individually; road access, infrastructure and neighbouring uses matter.

Main plan zone types
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In short: The type of zone in a development order or zoning plan that shows what land may be used for: housing development, agriculture, forest, tourism, coastal strip, development order colour zones and so on. Percentages show the approximate share within the boundary; the exact type for your plot is shown on the map with a point query.

The exact plan zone type, development order colour and map sheet of your plot are shown on the map with a point query.

Open the planning layer on the map

Shares are approximate (rounded to 5%). For building rules, the text of the development order published in the Official Gazette and the Town Planning Department prevail.

Special Environmental Protection Areas
?
In short: An area declared to protect natural and biological assets (sand dunes, turtle nesting beaches, wetlands, forest). Building inside is very restricted or prohibited; the rules come from the area's environmental protection plan and decisions of the relevant departments.

About 20% of Esentepe village lies within the Kyrenia SEPA and about 15% lies within the Alagadi SEPA. Building in these areas is very restricted or prohibited; you can check on the map whether your plot is inside.

Map sheets
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In short: A sheet of the cadastral map. In North Cyprus, properties are referred to by the new sheet index or the old 1:5,000 index. It helps when you deal with the Land Registry (Tapu ve Kadastro Dairesi) or an architect.

The Esentepe area spans about 44 sheets in the new sheet index and about 65 in the old 1:5,000 index. You can see the sheet number of your plot on the map with a point query.

Nearby amenities
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In short: The number of schools, health facilities, supermarkets, parks and service points recorded within this boundary in OpenStreetMap (the open world map kept up to date by volunteers). Coverage is good in towns; villages may have gaps. The distance from your plot to the nearest amenities is shown on the map.

School2
Hospital1
Pharmacy1
Supermarket8
Park5
Mosque1
Beach3
Fuel station2
Police / gendarmerie1
Post office (PTT)1
Bank / ATM2

Points recorded in OpenStreetMap within Esentepe village. The distance from your plot to the nearest school, supermarket, health centre and park, and a liveability score, are shown on the map with a point query.

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Data is maintained by volunteers and may be incomplete, especially in villages.

Earthquake history
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In short: Earthquakes come from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) catalogue and fault traces from the GEM Global Active Faults Database. Cyprus is an earthquake zone because it lies near the Cyprus Arc, where the African and Anatolian plates meet; most of the largest earthquakes occur south of the island and offshore. For any building, a soil survey and the earthquake regulations in force prevail.

M5+ earthquakes (since 1900)0within the boundary or 10 km of it
Nearest active fault trace11.9 kmfrom the centre point

No earthquakes of magnitude 5 or above have been recorded within Esentepe village or 10 km of it since 1900. Cyprus is an earthquake zone because of the Cyprus Arc, which runs south of the island; the distance from your plot to the nearest fault and nearby earthquakes are shown on the map.

Source: USGS earthquake catalogue, GEM Global Active Faults Database (CC BY-SA 4.0). For any building, a soil survey and the earthquake regulations in force prevail.

Transport

Ercan Airport21 kmthe only airport with scheduled flights
Nearest passenger port23 kmKyrenia Tourist Harbour
Nicosia26 kmcapital, city centre
District centre24 kmto Kyrenia town centre

Distances are straight-line and measured from a representative point in the middle of Esentepe; road distances are longer. Scheduled civil flights use Ercan; ferries to Türkiye sail from Kyrenia Tourist Harbour and Famagusta Port.

Looking for land in Esentepe?

Tell us the area, plot size and budget you have in mind. With your consent, we pass your request to a registered estate agent in North Cyprus who knows the area. Free, no account needed — just confirm your e-mail.

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Buying land: title deed, permission, planning
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In short: In North Cyprus the title deed is called a koçan. Turkish title, equivalent title and allocation title deeds carry different legal risks; before buying, have the type and history of the deed checked against the Land Registry records and get advice from an independent lawyer.

Title deed types in North Cyprus · Buying land in North Cyprus · All guides

Neighbouring villages

Arapköy Beşparmak Karaağaç Görneç Famagusta Bahçeli Tirmen Famagusta Ergenekon Famagusta

Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality settlements

Arapköy Bahçeli Beşparmak Çatalköy Karaağaç

Frequently asked questions

Which development order covers Esentepe?

Esentepe is almost entirely within the Kyrenia Region 2 Development Order; the rest falls in Chapter 96 area (under 5%). The exact building rules are in the official text of the development order; the plan zone type of your plot is shown on the ParselX map with a point query.

What plan zones are there in Esentepe?

According to our planning data, the largest plan zone types are: Forest Area (35%), Buffer Development Area (15%), Alagadi Environmental Protection Area (10%), Yellow Zone (10%).

Is Esentepe in a Special Environmental Protection Area?

About 20% of Esentepe lies within the Kyrenia SEPA and about 15% lies within the Alagadi SEPA. Building is very restricted in these areas; the ParselX map shows whether your plot is inside.

Which municipality is Esentepe part of?

Esentepe is part of Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality in the Kyrenia district. Other settlements of the same municipality: Arapköy, Bahçeli, Beşparmak, Çatalköy, Karaağaç.

How far is Esentepe from Ercan Airport?

About 21 km as the crow flies. The nearest passenger port is Kyrenia Tourist Harbour (23 km), and Nicosia city centre is 26 km away.

What should I check when buying land in Esentepe?

Have the title deed type (Turkish, equivalent or allocation) checked against the Land Registry records; foreign buyers need Council of Ministers permission. See the plot's development order zone, plan zone type and SEPA status on the ParselX map, and confirm the exact building rules with the municipality and the Town Planning Department.

Is Esentepe in an earthquake zone?

Cyprus is an earthquake zone because of the Cyprus Arc south of the island. No earthquakes of magnitude 5 or above have been recorded within Esentepe or 10 km of it since 1900. A soil survey and the earthquake regulations apply to any building.

See the planning status of your plot in Esentepe

Open the North Cyprus workspace on the map: upload your plot as KML, draw it or tap the map to see the development order zone, plan zone type, SEPA, map sheet, amenities and earthquake data on one screen.

Open on the map

Sources: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — administrative boundaries and amenities; ParselX North Cyprus planning database — development order and zoning plan areas, plan zones, SEPAs; USGS and GEM — earthquakes and active faults. Data compiled on 29 September 2026. Boundaries are simplified. This page is for information only; for official transactions the records of the Land Registry, the Town Planning Department and the municipality prevail.