Traveller's101

Places to see in Nicosia

The capital of Cyprus, Nicosia is filled with plenty of things to do, ranging from modern shopping malls to historical building to archaeological digs. Most prices for the attractions within the city are reasonable and many of them are also open seven days a week. Here are a few of the attractions that visitors to Nicosia can enjoy while they are visiting the city.

Cyprus Archaeological Museum

The Cyprus Archaeological Museum was built with the sole purpose of collecting, studying, and displaying artefacts from locations and sites all over the island. The oldest exhibit has been placed as being 8,500 years old and the museum is arranged in as close to chronological order as carbon dating can place it. Pottery and implants from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period through items found on the island dating from the Bronze Age through the early Byzantine era are all displayed here. The basement of the museum has been renovated to recreate a barrow similar to the ones where many of the artefacts where found, and actually contains skeletal remains and grave adornments.

Byzantine Museum

If you enjoy paintings, maps, and lithographs, you will want to visit the Byzantine Museum in Nicosia. The icon collection is one of the largest on the island, and the items that are on display date from the ninth through the eighteenth centuries.

Byzantine museum

Photo by: www.mbp.gr

Ethnographic Museum

Formerly known as the Folk Art Museum, the Ethnographic Museum represents the Cypriot folk art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Items on display include hand made jewellery, wood carving, tapestries, pottery, embroidery, woven goods and national, ethnic costumes. It is housed in the 15th century Gothic Old Bishopric building that was once a Benedictine Monastery, before becoming the Archbishop’s palace.

St. John’s Cathedral

St. John’s Cathedral – or Agios Ioannis – was built in what is known as the Old City in 1552 by Archbishop Nikiforos. This Orthodox Cathedral in Nicosia that has been dedicated to Saint John the Theologian contains beautiful 18th century wall paintings of Biblical scenes as well as the discovery of the tomb of Saint Barnabas at Salamis. The iconostasis of carved, gold leafed wood and double-headed eagles is the Cathedral’s pride and joy, and is photographed by millions of tourists each year.

st. John's Cathedral

Photo by: www.planetware.com

The Old City Walls

Nicosia is a very old city and as such has walls that completely surround the Old City that date back to the 16th century occupation of the city. The walls have a circumference of three miles with eleven heart-shaped bastions dispersed evenly along the walls. There are three gates in the wall – in the north, south, and east. The Famagusta gate which has been restored, serves as the Lefkosia Municipal Cultural Centre. Visitors can enjoy exhibitions, conferences, lectures and performance’s while visiting the gate and they also can explore the moat that once circled the city, but is now a large garden.

Nicosia old city walls
photo by: www.travelpod.com

Sarayonu-Ataturk Square

Once upon a time this square housed a palace that was used by the Ottomans, Franks, and Venetian’s. Even though the palace was destroyed in 1904, the square and the fountain remain. There is a granite column in the centre of the square that is said to have been carved from stone taken from the Temple of Jupiter in Salarnis. The old mosque was also once located on the square and it was demolished around the same time as the palace. A shaded park is now located there.

Degirmenlik

This small village located in the province of Nicosia is on the road to Famagusta. There is a small cluster of roadside cafes just outside this town, the largest of six in the area. The buildings in these towns are made of mud-brick, and they gather around a beautiful free flowing stream that comes off the mountains. These towns are on the Mesaoria Plains and are riddled with colourful wildflowers in the spring and summer. There is also a Copper age archaeological site nearby, as well as an Iron Age citadel for visitors to explore.

Additional Landmarks In Nicosia

Nicosia lies in the centre of the island of Cyprus, and the city’s roots can be traced all the way back to the Bronze Age. In addition to the places listed, the city itself has a wide variety of other landmarks that are well worth seeing. With over fifty churches ranging from modern to ancient, there are plenty of architectural ranges to be explored. In addition to this, the city centre is still divided and visitors can get a look at the Greek, Turkish, and other styles that make up the buildings found there. The heart of the city of Nicosia retains much of the medieval architecture while the newer, outer city, is a contemporary mixture of business and culture. Both include small cafes, little shops, and taverns.

The entire city is a maze of interesting narrow streets and old houses. The walls of the buildings are made of sandstone and visitors can find many craftsmen type businesses among the winding pathways. This entire area of Nicosia has changed little over the centuries and it is still known as ‘Laiki Yitonia’ or Folk Neighbourhood. Many of the building have been renovated in order for the entire pedestrian area to hold the atmosphere of days long gone. Two streets – Ledra and Onasagorou – are the oldest in the city and visitors can find every type of shop imaginable along them.