Places to Visit in Nicosia
INSIDE THE WALLS / NICOSIA:
The first settlement of Nicosia, the last divided capital of the world, is within the walls in the form of a circle. There are many historical buildings and narrow streets in Surlariçi.
BÜYÜKHAN / NICOSIA:
There are souvenir shops and cafes in Büyükhan, which has the most lively and mystical atmosphere in the Walls of Nicosia.
Built by Muzaffer Pasha, the first Ottoman Governor of Cyprus in 1572, the inn is one of the largest inns in Cyprus. Consisting of 68 rectangular rooms that look like each other, with a small mosque in the middle, Büyük Han is within the structure of the Ottoman era bazaar business centers in Anatolia. It was used as a prison first in the UK domination and later as a shelter for the poor.
Today, Büyük Han, which is home to shops selling all kinds of antiques, handicrafts and other art products that are unique to Cyprus, is also used as a tourist information center.
The inn, where small performances and cultural activities are also held, has an authentic Turkish coffee and a restaurant that offers selected and fresh examples of local cuisine.
SELİMİYE MOSQUE / NICOSIA:
Former name The Selimiye Mosque, which is the Sophia Cathedral, was built during the time of the Lusignans, who left great works on the island. The mosque in Surlariçi attracts the attention of tourists with its magnificent stance.
Selimiye Mosque (St. Sophia Cathedral)
Selimiye Mosque, one of the most important gothic works on the island, was started in 1208 by the Latin Archbishop Eustorge de Montaigu and is a very good example of medieval French architecture.
This building, where coronation ceremonies of the Lusignan kings were held, was looted by Genoese in 1373 and Mamluks in 1426 and was damaged in several earthquakes. After the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus in 1571, it was transformed into the biggest mosque in Cyprus, the name of the Sultan, the Sultan of the 2nd Sultan Selim, who was conquered by Cyprus in 1954, was renamed as Selimiye Mosque.
Thread Market Mosque
It is located on the Iplik Pazarı street in the city walls in Nicosia. It is a small building with a plain appearance. Although the last congregation place is made of smooth cut stone, other parts are made of roughly cut yellow stone.
The last congregation site is made of yellow stone, the other parts of which are roughly cut. There are two inscriptions dated H.1241 and H.1316 on the entrance door of the arched mosque located in the last congregation place. The newer inscription above mentions the member of the Evkaf delegation, Muhammed Sadık Bey, and states that he has done many charitable works such as fountains and masjids.
It is stated that he later demolished this mosque and made it a second time. The mihrab, decorated with rosettes and various plant motifs, has a beautiful woodwork. The minaret with a single balcony, a cylindrical body and a knitted stone cone is located to the east of the mosque. It is remarkable as it is one of the few minarets with knitted stone cones in Cyprus.
BARBARIAN MUSEUM / NICOSIA:
In the 1960s, when unpleasant events started on the island, the attacks of the Greeks increased in the night called bloody Christmas. On an evening when Major Nihat İlhan was not at home, his house was raided and his wife and children were killed. It was turned into a museum without touching anything inside the home. With blood stains in the tub, photos and lead marks on the walls, there is a completely blood-freezing environment inside the house.
Asmaaltı Square
Nicosia Asmaaltı Square, which is a trade and accommodation center, is located between Sarayönü, which is the administrative center of Cyprus, and Selimiye squares, which are the religious center, starting from the Lusignan period. Although it does not have information about its position before the Ottoman period, the Medieval arch in the entrance hall of the Kumarcılar Inn of the Ottoman period indicates that it began to take shape before the Ottoman period.
However, it was still the Ottomans who turned this square into a commercial and accommodation center where the city commercial inns are concentrated. With its general appearance in the Ottoman period, it was a center that met the needs of most of the locals and foreigners who came to Nicosia and Nicosia temporarily. In order to meet these needs, there were three separate inns around the square, as well as Turkish baths, soup kitchens, bakeries, coffee shops, taverns, shingles, grocery stores, farrier and entertainment venues.
Bandabuliya
It is located in a central point of the city. It was built in 1878 as a town hall during the British Colonial period. The building, which was transformed into a closed market place in time, contained greengrocers, butchers, fishermen and coffee shops. After the restoration and reorganization of the building, which lost this function in the 1990s, since 2006, it has been transformed into an entertainment center where restaurants, cafes, as well as restaurants, cafes, which are unique to Cyprus.
