Since the 12th century, Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus.At the same time it is also the only town of the island which is located inland, in the Mesaoria-Region, and therefore desolate and hot in summer, but in spring looks like a carpet of flowers. Due to the fact that coastal towns were destroyed by hostile invasions over and over again, they moved the capital city to the inland regions. Nicosia nevertheless is in fact older, over 6000 years old !
The correct name is Lefkosia, in the ancient days the town also had other names like Ledra, Kermia and Lefkotheon. The name Lefkosia was obtained by the city from the Lusignans in the 12th century and the British changed it eventually into Nicosia. Nicosia was destroyed many times by conquerors as well as natural disasters. The Venetians for example destroyed many houses and used their stones to build the city walls. Since 1974 Nicosia is a divided city, through the centre runs the “Green-Line” (named like this because the line was drawn with a green pencil on the city map), guarded by UN-Soldiers. Greek and Turkish flags are blowing in the wind at many places with a distance of only ten or twenty meters from eachother; Turkish and Greek posts could shake hands at more than one place during their duties, if they only wanted to and if only they were allowed to. The former International Airport, is today located in the buffer zone and is out of order. Nicosia is in spite of all this still a city full of contradictions and worth a visit. Nowadays the capital is an important cosmopolitan center for business and culture. It offers modern, luxury Hotels, restaurants, Shops and Entertainment.
The old walled city is unique and definitely a place to head at first. Encircled by strong fortress walls, the enchanting old city is scattered with buildings and monuments of historical interest as well as little shops, cafes and tavernas. To walk through the old city is to step backwards in time. Narrow streets and old houses with ornate balconies jut from weather-beaten sandstone walls, and craftsmen in small workshops practise trades unchanged for centuries. “Laiki Geitonia” - Folk Neighbourhood - is a pedestrian section which has been carefully renovated to evoke the atmosphere of past days. The two main streets of old Lefkosia, Ledra and Onasagorou, are lined with shops of every type and both streets are pedestrian-only. |
Archbishop's Palace, Nicosia
A general view of Nicosia
