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Welcome to Nicosia

Nicosia is the capital of Cyprus and the most historic city on the island. It is located in the centre of Cyprus and is the only European capital that remains divided.

Nicosia has a long history, dating from the Byzantine period to the present day, and combines ancient heritage with modern development.

The old town, with its narrow streets and traditional houses, is surrounded by the Venetian walls, while on the other side of the city, modern architecture and shopping streets create a dynamic setting. Nicosia is also known for its museums, cultural events and vibrant nightlife.

Below are some places of interest worth visiting during your stay in Nicosia.

Museums & Galleries
Sites and Monuments

Museums & Galleries

A. G. Leventis Gallery

A. G. Leventis Gallery

A. G. Leventis Gallery

The A. G. Leventis Gallery represents the fulfillment of a vision. It is the embodiment of Anastasios G. Leventis’ wish to create, in his homeland, a public gallery in which the extensive art collection acquired during his lifetime can be enjoyed by his fellow countrymen, women and children.

Conceived in its essence over fifty years ago, this vision is realized today by the A. G. Leventis Foundation which is proud to present, for the first time under one roof, highlights of over 400 years of European art and history: from paintings, watercolours, prints and drawings to objets d’ art and period furniture.

(https://www.visitcyprus.com/)

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Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR)

Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR)

Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR)

The Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR) is the home of the Costas and Rita Severis Foundation – a non-governmental, non-profit organisation that provides a platform for the exploration of Cyprus’ cultural heritage.

The CVAR is comprised of a four-storey exhibition area, research centre, conference hall, café, roof terrace lounge and gift shop, all housed in a building within the historic walled city of Lefkosia (Nicosia) that was originally an ottoman-era Khan, and was later converted into a flour mill in 1953.

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Cyprus Handicraft Centre

Cyprus Handicraft Centre

Cyprus Handicraft Centre

The Cyprus Handicraft Centre is an outlet for producing and selling traditional folk art and crafts. Visitors can see the artisans engaged in the traditional crafts at the workshops, such as embroidery and lace making, tapestry, weaving, basketry, woodcarving, pottery, metalwork (copperware and silver), leather and garment making.

An exhibition displays the various handicrafts, along with other items such as ceramic tiles and ancient figures, whilst a wide range of the authentic Cypriot handmade goods can also be purchased at the shop.

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Cyprus Museum

Cyprus Museum

Cyprus Museum

The Cyprus Museum is the island’s main and largest archaeological museum, and charts the development of Cyprus’ civilisation from the Neolithic Age to the Early Byzantine period (7th century).

The museum’s collections are comprised of finds from extensive excavations from all over the island that have helped the development of Cyprus’ archaeology, as well as its research into the cultural heritage of the Mediterranean.

The collections consist of pottery, jewellery, sculpture, coins, copper objects, and other artefacts, all exhibited in chronological order in the various museum galleries. Pieces typical of Cypriot culture – and of particularly important artistic, archaeological and historical value – include the cross-shaped idol of the Chalcolithic period, Early Bronze Age pottery from Vouni, Late Bronze Age golden jewellery from Egkomi, and the 1st century BC statue of Aphrodite of Soloi.

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Cyprus Museum of Natural History

Cyprus Museum of Natural History

Cyprus Museum of Natural History

Located within the grounds of the Carlsberg Brewery, the museum is the largest natural history exhibition of its kind on the island and was founded by ‘The Photos Photiades Charity, Scientific and Cultural Foundation’. Amongst its 2.500 or so exhibits are: embalmed mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and insects, along with rocks, minerals, semi precious stones, shells and fossils.

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Municipal Hambis Printmaking Museum

Municipal Hambis Printmaking Museum

Municipal Hambis Printmaking Museum

The museum in honor of the Cypriot artist Hambis Tsagaris exposes to visitors the printmaking art through the artists` work. Moreover, the museum hosts pieces by foreign artists, from the 16th century until recent times.

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Museum of George and Nefeli Giabra Pierides Collection

Museum of George and Nefeli Giabra Pierides Collection

Museum of George and Nefeli Giabra Pierides Collection

Donated by Clio and Solon Triantafyllides, the museum presents one of the most important private collections of Greek Mycenaean pottery on the island, including a unique anthropomorphic vessel, as well as the white slip and base ring style -two typical forms of pottery from the Late Bronze Age in Cyprus that made the island’s pottery famous the world over.

The richest part of the collection consists of limestone sculptures from the 6th century to the Hellenistic period, whilst the museum also showcases clay figurines, coins, jewellery and copper pieces amongst its hundreds of exhibits.

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Museum on the History of Cypriot Coinage

Museum on the History of Cypriot Coinage

Museum on the History of Cypriot Coinage

The Museum on the History of Cypriot Coinage was founded in 1995 and traces the development of the island’s coinage from the first coins minted during the 6th century BC to modern times.

A collection of over 500 coins charts 2.600 years of turbulent Cypriot history and is divided into nine time periods (23 showcases), that offer an important source of information on Cyprus’ numismatic history.

The presentation begins with coinage from the Cyprus City Kingdoms (6th – 4th centuries BC) and ends with the Republic of Cyprus (1960). Included in the initial collection is a bronze coin from the Roman period that bears the legend ‘ΚΟΙΝΟ(Ν) ΚΥΠΡΙΩΝ’ (League of the Cypriots) and was a symbol of unity among the peoples of the island. There is also a touch screen presentation of the island’s historical journey of coins throughout different times.

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State Gallery of Contemporary Art

State Gallery of Contemporary Art

State Gallery of Contemporary Art

The State Gallery of Contemporary Art is housed in a beautiful restored building with collections that consist of paintings and sculptures by 20th century Cypriot artists.

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The House of Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios / Ethnological Museum

The House of Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios / Ethnological Museum

The House of Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios / Ethnological Museum

This manor house is one of the most important surviving 18th century buildings in Lefkosia and was restored by the Department of Antiquities to house the Cyprus Ethnological Museum, receiving the ‘Europa Nostra’ award in 1988.

The two-storey building was built in 1793 with local bloc-cut sandstone and was once the residence of the most prominent Dragoman of Cyprus, Hatzigeorgakis Kornesios, who was executed by the Ottomans in 1809.

The architectural plan of the building in the shape of the Greek letter Pi surrounds a central garden with a fountain and a private bathhouse (hamam), which is comprised of three rooms. The servants’ quarters and the kitchen were situated on the ground floor, roofed wooden stairs with a stone base lead to the entrance hall on the first floor from the courtyard, and the official reception room and the living areas, communicated with the reception hall.

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The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia

The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia

The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia

The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia, inaugurated in April 1989, is housed in a complex of three historic buildings, which have been restored, modified and refurbished in order to meet today’s museological standards and to provide a visitor-friendly space, where people can enjoy its Collections.

The Museum was created to present the history of Nicosia, the last divided capital of Europe. It narrates the history of the city from prehistoric times to the present day through its exceptional, rich Collections. More than 10,000 objects, including maps, documents, paintings, engravings and costumes, recount the story of Nicosia. The three floors of the Museum house the permanent exhibition galleries, in chronological order from Ancient Nicosia to the Byzantine and medieval Frankish and Venetian periods, the Ottoman period and the British period, concluding with the Republic of Cyprus and Nicosia today.

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The Nicosia (Lefkosia) Municipal Arts Centre (NiMAC)

The Nicosia (Lefkosia) Municipal Arts Centre (NiMAC)

The Nicosia (Lefkosia) Municipal Arts Centre (NiMAC)

The Nicosia (Lefkosia) Municipal Arts Centre (NiMAC) is housed in the building of the Old Powerhouse (power station), which is in itself a fine example of industrial architecture, and was recognised with the ‘Europa Nostra’ award in 1994 following its restoration.

The aim of the centre is the promotion of the fine arts in Cyprus, and it is the oldest and largest centre of its kind on the island. The centre incorporates a large exhibition area where it houses rare and specialist publications for art lovers, whilst it has also presented a large number of exhibitions of modern and contemporary art with the participation of well-known artists from Cyprus and abroad. Many of these were organized in collaboration with museums, art centres and cultural institutions of European and other countries.

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Sites and Monuments

Agios Ioannis (St John’s) Cathedral

Agios Ioannis (St John’s) Cathedral

Agios Ioannis (St John’s) Cathedral

Agios Ioannis, within the walled city of Lefkosia (Nicosia), is built on the site of the 14th century chapel of the Benedictine Abbey of Agios Ioannis, the Evangelist of Bibi.

Archbishop Nikiforos rebuilt the monastery chapel from its foundations in 1662. Dedicated to Agios Ioannis the Theologian, it remained a monastery until the 18th century when Archbishop Sylvester converted it into a cathedral, establishing it as the seat of the Orthodox Archbishopric in Cyprus.

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Archangelos Michael Trypiotis Church

Archangelos Michael Trypiotis Church

Archangelos Michael Trypiotis Church

Η εκκλησία είναι τρίκλιτη βασιλική με τρούλο, με σχεδόν τετράγωνη κάτοψη και κτισμένη με ωραίους πελεκητούς πωρόλιθους. Παραπέμπει σε Φρανκο-Βυζαντινό στυλ αρχιτεκτονικής.

Τον θεμέλιο λίθο έθεσε ο Αρχιεπίσκοπος Κύπρου Γερμανός το 1695. Σύμφωνα με επιγραφή στα ανατολικά της νότιας εισόδου, ο ναός χτίστηκε με έξοδα του Ιερέα Ιάκωβου και χριστιανών ενοριτών κατά τη διάρκεια της οθωμανικής κυριαρχίας.

Μέσα στην εκκλησία, που διαθέτει ένα ασυνήθιστα μεγάλο και επιβλητικό εικονοστάσι, μπορείτε να δείτε μια εξαιρετική εικόνα με επιρροές από την ιταλική ζωγραφική του 15ου αιώνα και άλλες ασημένιες εικόνες από την περίοδο της οθωμανικής κυριαρχίας.

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Archbishop’s Palace

Archbishop’s Palace

Archbishop’s Palace

The New Archbishopric – the seat of the Cyprus Orthodox Church – was built in 1960 in a Neo-Byzantine style and contains the private suite of the late Archbishop Makarios III. The Old Archbishopric that stands alongside it was built in 1730 and houses the Ethnographic Museum of Cyprus on its ground floor.

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Chrysaliniotissa Crafts Centre

Chrysaliniotissa Crafts Centre

Chrysaliniotissa Crafts Centre

This complex of eight workshops is situated near Panagia Chrysaliniotissa Church (Our Lady of the Golden Flax) – the oldest Byzantine church in Lefkosia (Nicosia). The workshops nestle around a central courtyard in the manner of a traditional inn, and consist of various units engaged in contemporary applications of traditional crafts, along with a coffee shop. The Crafts Centre is part of an ongoing project to restore and regenerate the old part of Lefkosia within the walls.

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Famagusta Gate (Pyli Ammochostou)

Famagusta Gate (Pyli Ammochostou)

Famagusta Gate (Pyli Ammochostou)

Famagusta Gate (Pyli Ammochostou) is the largest of the three entrances into old Lefkosia through the Venetian walls that completely encircled the old city, and were designed by famous engineer Giulio Savorgnano in 1567.

Originally known as ‘Porta Giuliana’ – the eastern gate of the walls – it was later renamed ‘Famagusta Gate’ as the gate opened onto the road that led to the most important harbour town of the island at the time, that of Famagusta.

Famagusta Gate has since been restored and the Nicosia Municipal Multicultural Centre now operates within the large vaulted passage and its two adjacent rooms. The internal entrance is very impressive, whilst the external one opens onto the moat that surrounds the walls.

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Faneromeni Church

Faneromeni Church

Faneromeni Church

Located within the walled city of Lefkosia (Nicosia) on Onasagorou Street, Faneromeni Church is one of the largest churches of the capital, and was built in 1872. The marble mausoleum to the east of the church contains the relics of the bishops and priests executed by the Ottomans on July 09, 1821. Opposite the church is Faneromeni School, one of the most historic academic institutions on the island.

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Hamam Omeriye

Hamam Omeriye

Hamam Omeriye

The Hamam Omeriye (Turkish) baths were built in the 16th century by Lala Mustafa Pasha as a gift to the city, with the bath complex dedicated to the Caliph Omer, giving the area its name of ‘Omeriye’.

After a long period of closure, the baths were once again restored to their original glory, earning them the ‘Europa Nostra’ award in 2005, and are open to the public for steam baths and other treatments.

As is typical with Ottoman baths, there are three main areas: the changing and resting room that leads to the warm and hot chambers via an intermediate tepid area. In ancient times, exposure to hot and humid conditions was a prized remedy for general health and formed part of a cleansing ritual.

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Holy Cross Catholic Church

Holy Cross Catholic Church

Holy Cross Catholic Church

The Church of the Holy Cross, built in 1902, is situated near Pafos Gate, one of the three entrances into the town through the Venetian walls surrounding Lefkosia (Nicosia). The church does not belong to any definite architectural style, and its features are austere. A rose window (decorated circular window) with the cross of Jerusalem in stained glass can be seen in the façade, whilst below the rose window, there is the coat-of-arms of the Custody of the Holy Land.

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Laïki Geitonia (Traditional Neighbourhood)

Laïki Geitonia (Traditional Neighbourhood)

Laïki Geitonia (Traditional Neighbourhood)

Laïki Geitonia is a traditional pedestrian neighbourhood inside the walled city of Lefkosia (Nicosia), with buildings that date back to the 18th century and serve as typical examples of traditional Cypriot urban architecture. The buildings are now used as residences, shops, tavernas and craft centres, having been restored and preserved. The popular neighbourhood area is located 200 metres east of Plateia Eleftherias and is ideal for exploring on foot.

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OCHI Open Market

OCHI Open Market

OCHI Open Market

The market of ‘OCHI’ is a farmer’s market held every Wednesday and Saturday in the area of Bayraktar Mosque, on one of the 11 bastions of the Venetian walls of Lefkosia (Nicosia).

The farmers sell the freshest of seasonal, local produce – mainly fruit and vegetables – with bargains to be had, all in the historical setting of the Ottoman mosque that was built in honour of the flag carrier who first climbed on to the walls of Lefkosia during the siege of the city by the Ottoman troops in 1570. The name of the mosque comes from Turkish word ‘bayrak’, meaning ‘flag’ or ‘military trophy’.

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Pafos (Paphos) Gate

Pafos (Paphos) Gate

Pafos (Paphos) Gate

Pafos (Paphos) Gate was one of the three entrances into old Lefkosia (Nicosia) through the Venetian walls that completely encircled the old city, and were designed by famous engineer Giulio Savorgnano in 1567.

The road beginning immediately outside the gate led southwest to the town of Pafos, hence the gate’s name. It was also known as ‘Gate of San Domenico’ as it replaced an earlier gate of the Frankish walls called ‘Porta di San Domenico’, named after the nearby abbey of San Domenico.

The gate is a simple affair; an opening in the wall, roofed by a barrel vault. During British occupation in 1878, part of the walls between the gate and the Roccas Bastion was demolished to create a new opening. Pafos Gate Police Station is just above the original gate.

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Panagia Chrysaliniotissa Church

Panagia Chrysaliniotissa Church

Panagia Chrysaliniotissa Church

Dedicated to Panagia Chrysaliniotissa (Our Lady of the Golden Flax), this church is believed to be the oldest Byzantine church in Lefkosia (Nicosia), and thought to have been first built in 1450 by Queen Helena Palaeologina. The church is renowned for its rich collection of old and rare icons, and the street it is located on, within the walled city of Lefkosia, was named in its honour (Chrysaliniotissa Street).

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St. Paul’s Anglican Church

St. Paul’s Anglican Church

St. Paul’s Anglican Church

The church of St. Paul was built in 1893 when Cyprus was a protectorate of the British Empire. The influence of politics on architecture is evident by the structural elements of the building, which is reminiscent of an English parish church. The Christian church today is part of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf.

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The Medieval Walls of Lefkosia (Nicosia)

The Medieval Walls of Lefkosia (Nicosia)

The Medieval Walls of Lefkosia (Nicosia)

The Medieval Walls that still surround the old city of Lefkosia (Nicosia) were built by the Venetians in the 16th century. Forming a circle, the walls are fortified by eleven heart-shaped bastions and protected by an 80-metre wide moat. They were built of mud brick, with only the lower part buttressed by stone. When the Ottomans occupied Lefkosia, they repaired the walls and covered the upper part with stones.

The original walls were built in the 14th century by the Franks and enclosed a much larger area. When the Venetians occupied Cyprus, they decided to demolish the Frankish walls as their old age meant that they did not offer adequate defences against new weapons of the time, such as artillery. The Frankish walls were also too big to be manned by the Venetian army, and too close to the hills in the east and southeast of the city.

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The Archontiko of Axiothea

The Archontiko of Axiothea

The Archontiko of Axiothea

The Archontiko (Mansion) of Axiothea, located in the old town of Lefkosia (Nicosia), is one of the most characteristic examples of urban architecture of the 18th century.

The two-storey building was built in the shape of the Greek letter ‘pi’ (Π), with a north-south orientation, and originally occupied a much larger area. The main entrance is located on the east side of the house, which leads to the inner courtyard. On the west and south side is a portico defined by a row of arches that separates the courtyard from the rooms that surround it. There are three big halls, two smaller rooms and two auxiliary rooms on the ground floor, with three more halls and two smaller rooms on the upper floor.

Today, the mansion serves as a centre for cultural activities, exhibitions and literary seminars for the University of Cyprus.

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Contact
details

56 Stavrou Ave.

Karyatides Business Centre (Block A2)

Office 204
2035 Strovolos

Nicosia, Cyprus

Tel:  +357 22420110

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