Nicosia
(Lefkoşa)
The
name of the capital city of Cyprus dates back
approximately 2,250 years to the original settlement of Ledra,
which was later renamed Lefkotheon, but was also sometimes
referred to as Ledron.
During the Byzantine
period the name changed again to Lefkon, meaning poplar grove.
There were a great many poplar trees lining the banks of the
Pedeios river, so the name was quite apt.
Since the seventh century A.D., Nicosia has been the capital of
Cyprus (except for a brief period during the Venetian
period) because the Arab raids made so many coastal
settlements unsafe. Nicosia was just far enough inland to escape
the worst.
Sarayönü Square
Kyrenia Gate
Haydarpaşa mosque gallery
Huge, thick ramparts, built by the Venetians in 1570, encircle the city; the
walls are three and a half miles long and have eleven towers and three gates.
Within these walls are numerous remains from the middle ages and later
periods.
Outside, there is no trace of the
mediaeval settlement that once existed as as materials from those buildings were
used at various points in time to restore and maintain the walls.
During
the
Ottoman
period, the 19th century traveller Archduke Louis Salvator of Austria
noticed that
"Nicosia is not divided into districts in the usual sense
of the word; the only divisions that could be drawn would be by the different
populations of the town. The Turks for instance, occupy the parts about the Gate
of Famagusta, near the mosque of Tahta Kale, and especially those between the
Gates of Kyrenia and Paphos. The Greeks have chosen principally the district
between the Episcopal residence and
Ayia Sophia for their dwelling-place, but
are also sprinkled amongst the Turkish population between the Gates of Kyrenia
and Famagusta. The Armenians are mixed up everywhere with the Turks".
Charming houses of old Nicosia
The present day capital of the island has a population of around 150,000 and it is divided into Turkish and Greek
sectors by a boundary known as the `Green Line' which runs in an east-west
direction.
In the old city of Nicosia, beautiful examples of Gothic and Ottoman
architecture abound - the
Selimiye Mosque, the
Bedestan, the
Arab Ahmet Mosque,
and the
Great Inn, to name but a few.
The recent years have seen a
renewed interest and efforts for the urban regeneration of the old city of
Nicosia. EC and UNDP's UNOPS have been instrumental in this drive which has seen
many ancient, mediaeval buildings sympathetically restored and renovated. Some
of these include:
Bedestan,
Samanbahçe quarter,
Bandabuliya (green market),
Selimiye quarter.
City
Map of Nicosia (north) to plan your visit to the city.
Border Crossings between North and South Nicosia
At
present there are two main border crossings between the two
sectors of Nicosia.
Ledra Palace
checkpoint (for pedestrians) which is in the city centre and
Metehan (Ayios Dhometios) checkpoint which is for crossings by
motor vehicles.
It is necessary
to have your passport/ID card presented to the authorities at
the border checkpoints. If you are an EU passport holder or
have visa to enter the 'Republic of Cyprus' you should present
your papers to the Turkish-Cypriot authorities at the border,
fill in a white visa slip with your name, passport number and
nationality and then you will be allowed to pass.
Nicosia 
