Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus: a city to discover during your stay! To help you, here is a list of 10 places to see.
Sergey Galyonkin Cyprus Museum:
The wonderful Cyprus Museum should be on every visitor’s list. This extremely well-designed museum traces the history of the island through its 14 rooms with a vast collection of artefacts dating from the Neolithic period to the Byzantine era.
Venetian Fortifications:
Nicosia’s main feature is its impressive Venetian wall, which surrounds the old town. Although they are crumbling considerably, much of their original three-kilometre length is still in place.
The Venetian walls comprised 11 bastions, 2 public gates and a military gate, as well as the inevitable moat. Today, 5 bastions are in the Turkish part of the city and 5 in the Greek part.
Büyük Han:
The caravanserai was built in 1572 as a place of welcome and refreshment for the merchants passing through the city and their horses: it included restaurants, Turkish baths and storage places for the goods transported.
Its four dormitories have been perfectly restored and are now used as shops and places to shop and relax.
Selimiye Mosque:
Originally the Christian Orthodox cathedral of Hagia Sophia, in Gothic style. It was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest, becoming the symbol of the northern city. The fusion of the two religious structures has created a fascinating structure. Although it is still an active place of worship, it is possible to visit, but dress decently and cover your head.
Ledra Street:
Ledra is the city’s main shopping street. Here you will find the Shacolas Tower, which has an observatory on the eleventh floor, from which you can see the whole city in all its complexity. Moreover, along this artery full of shops and bars, you will reach the crossing point between the Greek and Turkish cities.
Eleftherias Square:
Eleftherias Square has always been the main centre of life in Nicosia. This is the location of the city hall and the place where public and political events and normal daily life take place.
Makarios Cultural Foundation – the Byzantine Museum:
For those interested in Cypriot religious art, the Byzantine Museum, located in the Makarios Cultural Foundation, is an important stop in the city. Here you will find an impressive collection (220 pieces) of Christian icons ranging in age from the early Byzantine era to the 19th century.
Whirling Dervish Show:
This is a spiritual dance, a form of meditation in movement, performed by men who follow the Sufi branch of Islam. The show takes place in a period building behind the main mosque in North Nicosia and lasts about 30 minutes. During the show you will see dervishes dancing in long white robes and conical hats.
Leventis Museum:
Recently renovated, the Leventis Museum in Nicosia is housed in a beautiful old villa and presents the history of Nicosia through a collection of ethnographic objects and artefacts. The museum won the European Museum of the Year award for its brilliantly curated exhibits that trace the city’s long and eventful history.
Museum of Folk Art:
The museum was founded in the 1930s as part of an attempt to preserve embroidery, ironwork, lace, ceramics, textiles and other handicrafts after the advent of motorised mass production.
The museum’s collection consists of 5,000 items and, in addition to intricate decorative pieces, you can see historic agricultural tools such as oil mills, water mills and threshing machines.
If you like the capital of this small Mediterranean island then contact us to go abroad!