Nicosia
Cyprus · Nicosia District · 150 m
Description
Nicosia (Lefkosia) is the capital of Cyprus and the last divided capital in Europe, its old town held inside a perfect star of Venetian walls with eleven bastions. The Ledra Street crossing lets visitors walk from the Greek Cypriot south into the Turkish Cypriot north in a few steps, from cafés and boutiques into the caravanserai and covered market of the other side. The Cyprus Museum holds the island's greatest collection of antiquities. The Gothic cathedral of Saint Sophia, now the Selimiye Mosque, anchors the northern half. Away from the walls the modern city spreads out flat and hot across the Mesaoria plain.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 4 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – May or October – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Ledra Street and the Green Line crossing
- Selimiye Mosque, the former Saint Sophia Cathedral
- Cyprus Museum
- Venetian walls and Famagusta Gate
- Büyük Han caravanserai
- Laiki Geitonia old quarter
- Archbishop's Palace and Saint John's Cathedral
- Byzantine Museum and its icon collection
- Bandabuliya covered market
- Shacolas Tower observatory
- Leventis Municipal Museum
- Büyük Hamam Ottoman bathhouse
- Samanbahçe quarter
- House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios
- Tamassos and the royal tombs(Day trip)
- Machairas Monastery in the foothills(Day trip)
Getting there
- Border town:
- Cyprus