Nicosia

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is a city in two halves, with a line running through the heart of its old town. Encircled by magnificent star-shaped Venetian walls, its atmospheric old town is a maze of narrow lanes, churches, mosques, craft workshops and cafes. Visitors can cross between the two sides on foot at designated crossing points, experiencing a city of long history and faded charm.

History

Nicosia has been lived in since about 2500 BC, when the first settlers came to the fertile Mesaoria plain. It is linked with the ancient city-kingdom of Ledra, whose Mycenaean-era remains lie on the hill of Ayia Paraskevi; a kingdom recorded as Lidir, whose ruler Onasagoras paid tribute to the Assyrian king Esarhaddon in 672 BC, is generally placed nearer the modern centre. By 330 BC Ledra was a small farming town dependent on Chytri. In the 4th century AD it became a bishopric, whose bishop Triphyllius was a pupil of Saint Spyridon, and early Christian basilicas with inlaid marble show a prosperous town. After the coastal capital Salamis was wrecked in the Arab raids of 647, inland towns gained, and with its water and its farmland Nicosia grew enough for the Byzantines to make it the capital around 965, when they restored full control of the island; it has been the capital ever since, first as the seat of the Byzantine governors, the last of them Isaac Komnenos (Wikipedia, Nicosia).

What you'll find

• The Venetian walls - the star-shaped ramparts around the old town.
• The old town lanes - the churches, cafes and craft workshops.
• Ledra Street crossing - the pedestrian crossing point between the two sides.
• The cathedral and mosques - the layered religious heritage.

When to go

April to June and September to November, for pleasant weather, as inland Nicosia is intensely hot in high summer; the old town is best explored on foot in the cooler hours. Bring a passport to cross to the northern side at the designated crossing points.

Practical notes

Some streets near the line are dilapidated or closed off, and Nicosia lacks the beaches and resort appeal of the coast, so it draws those interested in history and culture rather than sun-seekers.

Nearby

The Troodos mountains and both coasts of the island are within reach.

Key facts