NicosiaThe Capital of Cyprus

The history of Nicosia Our city’s history has been spread from mouth to mouth from family

to family and still is until today.

How Nicosia got its

name

Ayia Paraskevi church

Nicosia’s first name was Ledra

or Ledrae. One of Ledra’s kings

was Onasagoras. Unfortunately

Ledra was destroyed early, but

rebuilt by Lefkonas , son of

Ptolemy I around in 300 B.C.

Today Ledra is in the Ayia

Paraskevi hill in the south of

the city . That's how Nicosia got

it’s name from, from Lefkonas.

The Venetian

walls

The Venetian walls

The Venetians built the walls to protect them from the Ottomans . They started building them in 1462 . The build took almost 100 years. They started from having one gate, then two, then four, eight and ended up with eleven. The Venetian walls were built in the middle of Nicosia.

The green line

The green line

The green line cross’s the middle of Nicosia. It represents the occupied Cyprus and the free Cyprus. In 1974 Cyprus had a battle against Turkey and unfortunately Cyprus lost . Today if we want to cross the green line we have to show our passport

Famagusta Gate

Famagusta gate

Famagusta Gate is the largest and most impressive of the three gates of the walls of Nicosia, Built in 1567 by the Venetians, and originally called the Porta Giuliani after its designer, it served travellers entering and leaving the city from the east of the island. The outer entrance is a simple gateway, situated just under the Caraffa bastion, which leads into a long passageway through the walls to the much larger and more impressive inner gateway. Midway along the passageway is a cupola in the roof, which provided somewhat meagre illumination and was a place where food vendors would wait for weary travellers.

Ottoman rule

The old Nicosia aqueduct

On 1 July 1570, the Ottomans invaded the island. On 22 July, Piyale Pasha having captured Paphos, Limassol and Larnacamarched his army towards Nicosia and laid siege to the city.The city managed to last 40 days under siege until its fall on 9 September 1570. Some 20,000 residents died during the siege and every church, public building, and palace was looted. After its siege it was reported that the walls were ruined and Nicosia retained very few inhabitants. The main Latin churches were converted into mosques, such as the conversion of Saint Sofia Cathedral. From 1570 when the Ottomans took over Nicosia, the old river bed through the walled city was left open and was used as a dumping ground for refuse, where rainwater would rush through clearing it temporarily

Kyrenia Gate

Kyrenia gate

The Kyrenia Gate is one of the three entrances to the city built by the Venetians. The gate was originally called the "Porta Del Proveditore".

Kyrenia gate has undergone several changes since its Venetian days. In 1821 the Turks restored it and added a square chamber with a domed roof, and in 1931 the British demolished the section of the walls around it to facilitate the traffic into and out of the city.

Still visible however is a panel recording the date of its building and a stone tablet inscribed with verses from the Koran.

Paphos Gate

Paphos gate

Paphos Gate, is the smallest of the three original

Venetian-built entrances to the walled city,

along with Famagusta Gate and Kyrenia Gate. It

was formerly known as Porta San Domenico, from

the famous mediaeval monastery of St. Dominic,

that had been situated close by and was

demolished by the Venetians when they

strengthened the old Lusignan walls. It was also

known as the ‘Upper Gate’ because of its high

altitude, 490ft above sea level.

The gate is a simple affair, being no more than a

simple opening in the walls, roofed by a barrel

vault. This Gate served all the roads leading to

the western part of The island. During the British

Colonial period, a section of the Venetian wall

alongside Paphos Gate was opened to allow the

ever-increasing flow of traffic to pass in and out

of the city.

The Paphos Gate is as far round the walls that

you can go in a clockwise direction, as the area

beyond is part of North Cyprus. Here you are

tight against the green line and one of its

anomalies, the Catholic church of the Holy cross,

with its front door in the Greek side, and its back

door in the Turkish area.

Municipal Theatre of Nicosia

Presidential Palace

The external image of the building

The conference room

where the president is having a

meeting.

The Holy Monastery of the Virgin of Kykkos was founded around the end of the

11th century by the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (1081–1118). The

monastery lies at an altitude of 1318 meters on the north west face of Troödos

Mountains. There are no remains of the original monastery as it was burned down

many times. The first President of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III started his

ecclesiastical career there as a monk in 1926.[2] He remained fond of the place

and returned there many times. His request to be buried there materialised after

his death in 1977. His tomb lies 3 km west of Kykkos monastery and remains a

popular visitor destination.

1) Hamam Omerye Baths

One of the most beautiful and well kept Turkish baths in Europe can

be found in the heart of Greek Nicosia. The carefully restored

Hamam Omerye Baths were built during the Turkish occupation,

converted from a church that once existed in its place. The baths

consist of a mottled beige and yellow rusticated outer wall,

contrasting with the smooth, cream domes behind. On cold winter

days the steam from the baths leaves white trails in the clear blue

sky.

The Cyprus Museum (also known as the Cyprus Archaeological Museum) is the oldest and largest

archaeological museum in Cyprus.

The museum houses artefacts discovered during numerous excavations on the island. The museum is

home to the most extensive collection of Cypriot antiquities in the world and is located on Museum

Street in central Nicosia. Its history goes hand in hand with the course of modern archaeology (and the

Department of Antiquities) in Cyprus. Of note is that only artefacts discovered on the island are

displayed.

2) Dervis Pasa Konagi (Dervish Pasha Mansion)

Built in the early 19th century, this large courtyard house

belonged to Dervis Pasa, the owner of the first Turkish language

newspaper in Cyprus.

It lies in the Arabahmet district, near to the Green line and full

both restored and ruinous (partially or almost fully) houses,

some of which were once imposing Ottoman mansions.

This one has been taken over, restored and is now used as an

ethnographical museum. The building itself is lovely set around

a central courtyard with cistern and well.

Rooms have been furnished appropriately, with both fittings and

mannequins in local dress. There are some beautifully-carved

dowry chests, and a kitchen full of unfamiliar tools and

equipment.

Upstairs there are displays of embroidery, and outside (near the

beautifully clean toilets) is the owner's personal hammam.

Well worth visiting, if only for an insight into how moneyed

Turkish Cypriots lived in the 19th century.

The Walls of Nicosia

When Venetians came to Cyprus they decided to build walls around of Nicosia to protect it.

There were moats outside the walls filled with water to prevent enemies from attacking the

city. The walls had the shape of a star and three gates which connected Nicosia to the other

cities: to the North Kyrenia Gate, to the west Paphos Gate and to the east Famagusta Gate.

The walls are preserved until today but Nicosia is much bigger. We call the part of Nicosia

which is inside the walls Old City and the part outside them New City.

Nicosia City Venetian Historic Ancient Walls

CHARACTERISTICS OF CYPRIOTS

CYPRIOTS - WHO THEY ARE?

If you ask someone in Cyprus to explain to you who CYPRIOTS are, the answer will not be as simple as it seems…….

Cypriots are not always described simply as “Cypriots”. The word is often used together with the prefix “Greek” or “Turkish” in recognition of the two major ethnic groups that inhabit the island:

• the Greek-speaking Greek Orthodox community, and

• the Turkish-speaking Muslim community.

Besides them there are several other smaller communities, eg. Armenians, Maronites and Latins. Some of these have inhabited the island for many centuries.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY CYPRIOTS

The official languages of Cyprus are Greek, Turkish and English.

However, it is important to note that the Greek spoken in Cyprus is a strong dialect, with about 15% of the words peculiar to Cyprus. This means that people from Greece often find it hard to understand a conversation among Greek Cypriots.

RELIGIONS IN CYPRUS

Most Greek Cypriots belong to the Orthodox

Church of Cyprus (78%), while most Turkish

Cypriots are Muslim (18%). Other religions

represented on the island include Catholics,

Maronites and Armenian Apostolics (4%).

Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians, Maronites,

Muslims and Jews co-exist peacefully on the

island.

Greek Orthodox Church Armenian Church

Mosque Synagogue

MOST EDUCATED ISLAND IN EUROPE

In Cyprus, there is a great tendency for people to become educated, hence the great majority of the population studies at least one degree at a national or an international university.

Cyprus enjoys 97.6% literacy, with a school life expectancy of 14 years and with the university graduates being more per capita than anywhere else in Europe.

One could even argue that Cyprus suffers from an “over-qualified population”, with an overwhelming number of Cypriots holding post-graduate degrees.

The education system in Cyprus is backed up by public and private schools with Greek, English, Turkish, Armenian and Russian as the language of instruction, which reflects the multicultural nature of the island and its people.

CYPRUS CULTURE

The culture of Cyprus is divided between two distinct

cultures: Greek and Turkish. Each community maintains

its own culture, linked to the cultures of Greece and

Turkey.

However, Cyprus' unique location and history have

brought diverse cultures around the Mediterranean

together and it is evident in certain aspects of the

language and cuisine.

WHAT ARE CYPRIOTS KNOWN FOR?

They are very hospitable with authentic friendly smile on their

faces,

They are loyal to family bonds, traditions and culture,

They are lovers of nice food and endless entertainment,

They are well-known for their desire to always spend moments

of joy by giving great emphasis to the good quality of life,

They like to work for living and not to live for working. People in

Cyprus love to get together and spend lovely time in nice leisure

places.

KOPIASTE ( JOIN US)