Nicosia

The world's last divided capital: Venetian walls ring the old town, and you can walk across the Green Line to see churches, mosques and caravanserais on both sides in a single day.

Nicosia (Greek: Λευκωσία, Turkish: Lefkoşa) is the capital of Cyprus, set on the Mesaoria plain in the centre of the island. It is also the world's last divided capital: since 1974 the UN buffer zone, the "Green Line", has run through the old town, with the south belonging to the Republic of Cyprus and the north administered by the Turkish Cypriot authorities of Northern Cyprus. Visitors can walk back and forth at crossing points such as Ledra Street with a passport or EU ID card, seeing Orthodox churches, Ottoman mosques and caravanserais all in one day.

The heart of the city is the old town enclosed by the star-shaped walls built by the Venetians in 1567. About 1.5 km across, it is easy to explore on foot. In the south are the Cyprus Museum, Ledra Street, Phaneromeni Church, the Archbishop's Palace and St John's Cathedral, and the Leventis Municipal Museum; in the north are the Selimiye Mosque (formerly the Cathedral of Saint Sophia), the Büyük Han, the Bedesten and the Mevlevi Tekke. Outside the walls lie the modern city and its art galleries.

The best seasons are Mar–May and Oct–Nov; from June to September daytime temperatures often reach 40°C, so sightsee early in the morning and in the evening. Getting there: the nearest airport is Larnaca (about 50 km, with airport buses), and Ercan Airport serves the north; intercity buses link Nicosia with Limassol and Paphos. Allow 1–2 days. About 40 km southwest, in the Troodos foothills, are Machairas Monastery and the old village of Fikardou. Note that the two sides use different currencies (euro / Turkish lira), rental cars crossing the line need separate insurance, and photographing military installations in the buffer zone is prohibited.

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Itineraries