Nicosia Walled City

Nicosia Walled City

Nicosia (Lefkosia/Lefkosa) is the last divided capital city in Europe, its historic heart enclosed by a ring of Venetian walls built in the 16th century, bisected by the UN-monitored Green Line separating the Republic of Cyprus in the south from the Turkish Cypriot north.

History

Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10th century. Venice controlled the island from 1489 and between 1567 and 1570 built the massive circular fortification walls — eleven heart-shaped bastions connected by massive curtain walls — as the last significant Venetian defensive project in the eastern Mediterranean. The walls could not, however, prevent the Ottoman conquest of 1570–1571. Under Ottoman rule, the main Latin cathedral was converted into the Selimiye Mosque. Cyprus passed to British administration in 1878. In 1974, following a coup and Turkish military intervention, the city was divided; the ceasefire line became the Green Line, still patrolled by UN peacekeepers today.

What to See

In the south, the Cyprus Museum holds the finest collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world. The Leventis Municipal Museum documents the city’s long history from prehistoric to modern times. In the north, the Selimiye Mosque (former Gothic Cathedral of Saint Sophia, c. 1209–1326) is the most striking example of Gothic architecture in Cyprus. The Büyük Han (Great Inn), a 16th-century Ottoman caravanserai with 68 rooms around a central courtyard, has been beautifully restored as a craft and cultural centre. The Ledra Street crossing point allows visitors to cross between the two communities. The Venetian Column stands in Atatürk Square in the north.

Getting There

Nicosia is in the centre of Cyprus, 50 km from Larnaca International Airport and 90 km from Paphos International Airport — both served by flights from Europe and beyond. There is no railway; intercity buses and shared taxis (service taxis) connect Nicosia to all coastal cities. The walled city is compact and best explored on foot from the Ledra Street pedestrian zone.

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